Looking for stepdeck trailer?

Doonan makes a good trailer, but they are not cheap. I bought a Transcraft and it has done a good job for me and for less cost than the Doonan. Depending on what you haul, I prefer steel and wood for the deck. They are a little heavier than aluminum, but some shippers won't load an aluminum deck. You can also damage the aluminum deck if you haul heavy equipment that has wheels. The weight can bend the deck. There are pros and cons to going with the 255/22.5 tires compared to the small tires. Smaller tires tend to wear out faster and can blow easier in hot temperatures. It can enable you to haul some taller loads without permits. My step deck has the 255/22.5 tires and I can haul anything up to 10' tall and be at 13'6".

Oversize rates can vary depending on what you are hauling and where you are going. If you need escorts, you should be making more, too. I do a fair amount of over size loads and I have a minimum haul rate. You didn't mention whether you plan on running your own authority or will lease to someone. Since you mentioned Bennett, I could assume you want to lease to them? I have seen rates from just under $2/mile to over $6/mile on some loadboards. I don't use loadboards much these days.

As far as needing escorts are concerned, each state is different. I took a 14' wide 14'2" high load to Texas last week out of Tennessee. I had to have an escort in Tennessee and part of the way in Arkansas, but not in Texas. Had I routed differently, and gone through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, I would have had to use 1 or 2 escorts, depending on the state. I have had loads that needed a rear escort in one state, front in another and front and rear in another on the same load. Each state is different and you will need to check with each state when it comes to permits and escorts. Most states don't require escorts on anything that is 12' wide or less. Also, some states will require escorts if you are over 13' 6" and others will allow you to be over 14' without having an escort. Permit costs will vary from state to state. Some states sell annual permits but even with an annual permit, they may not be good for all loads. Some states, such as Georgia, will sell an annual permit up to 12' wide and 100,000 pounds, for a flat rate. Other states, such as Tennessee, will charge based upon the weight and distance traveled. Pilot cars seem to charge from about $1.25-1.75/mile plus motel, if it is an over night run. I have had pilot cars charge whatever the motel costs and others charge a flat fee for the motel room. Even the flat rate can vary from one company to another. Most pilot cars have a minimum rate. The other day I had to have a pilot car for 7 miles that cost me $150.

Permits can be purchased online in most states, but some will not sell direct to the carrier. You will need to use a permit service and/or put up a cash bond or reserve that can be drawn against for permits. Since you are new to over sized loads, you may be better off using a permit service, at least in the beginning. I need to use a permit service in my home state, since they will only sell permits through a permit service. I use a permit service for some states and order some direct. Permit services do charge a fee for their time. You can pay as much as $35 for a single permit. Mine charges $17.50. If you lease to a carrier, they may have a permit service in-house or use a service that doesn't charge as much as some of the more expensive permit services.

Hauling over size loads is one of those specialized area's where you will need to learn as you go. I would suggest starting with loads that are not very much over width and not over height or over length. You need to get a feel for over sized freight before doing some of the more complicated loads. I will usually not put a driver on an over sized load unless I can verify his experience with over sized. If a driver doesn't have over sized experience, I may start him with something that is a little over width and then add width as he gains experience. I would never put a driver under an over sized load that is over height and long without knowing he has done a lot of over sized freight. There is too much risk involved. While you have a flatbed trailer, you may see if you can find some over sized freight that you can haul. You may find that you don't like hauling over sized freight. As I previously stated, the rules are different for every state. You have to be much more aware when hauling over sized loads.

You need to make sure to read EVERY word on a permit. Some states restrict routes or have curfews for over sized freight. For instance, you cannot haul an over sized load in Fort Worth during peak traffic times. Phoenix also has a restriction. Routing may need to change due to road construction or the type of load you are hauling. Last year we hauled oversized loads to Oklahoma. The state routed us about 100 miles out of route due to road construction. Arkansas is working on I-40 and routes around it and that adds miles and time to your run. You can also not rely 100% on your permits. There may be times when an overpass will be too low or road conditions will be such that you will need to change your routing, such as an accident. You may also need to just sit and wait until traffic clears. Remember, you are limited to daylight hours traveling in most states. Some use sunset and sunrise and will adhere to that even though you may have daylight left.

It will be difficult for you to only haul over sized loads with a step deck. One advantage of having a step is the versatility. You can haul step or flat bed loads. If you want to keep your truck moving you need to expect to haul a lot of legal loads, especially as we get into winter. There is less over sized freight moving in winter than summer months. If you restrict yourself to hauling only oversized freight you will be doing a lot of sitting or a lot of deadheading.

 

Well FAP, if you want $2.50 to $3.00 for oversize you may as well not haul it......IMO if you just want to haul oversize for ##### and giggles then no don't do it........do you have a customer base that has OD loads? What freight lanes do you run the most? If you're making money with th flat stay with the flat.........Hell there are a lot of days I wish I had a flat so I wouldn't have to tarp any of these silly machines etc, as for ramps do you really need them? Do you have a customer that may require ramp loading equipment or trucks? And if you tell me the company that you are leased to runs strictly broker freight then stick to the flat because I don't want you in my neck of the woods

 

$3 mile is on the very low side for what I will do an OD load for. And if it requires escorts, then make sure the rate reflects it. I also tend to go for higher rates in the winter time because of the shorter days, and you'll sometime have to add on an extra day to the trip because of curfew laws.

Only time I'll go below $3 mile is if its in a terrible freight area and its under 10' wide.

 

This board is like Ice Road Truckers. They all wanna haul the big stuff!

 

You are correct. I have been doing this for a number of years. There were a couple of reasons why I decided to go with the 255/22.5 tires on my step deck. The first was the brakes. At the time I was running mostly left coast and felt that it would be better to have more braking power than a lower deck. There have been a few times when I would have liked to have had a little lower deck, but I would rather know that I could stop the truck. Also, 22.5 tires are easier to find. When I first bought my step deck it was not always easy to find the 255/22.5 tires. Now, it isn't usually a problem. Regardless, I always keep spares for my trucks and trailers. Another problem with the lower deck height is loading docks. There are a few shippers that will load a step deck from a loading dock. It can be a challenge with a 42" deck height, but it could be impossible with a lower deck. Having said that, most loads for step decks are from the side or an overhead crane. Another disadvantage to having the smaller tires is heat in the summer. Smaller tires will produce more heat and have more of a tendency to blow in hot weather. On the positive side, a lower deck can mean that you will be able to haul a taller load without having to permit for the added height.

Everyone decides at what rate they are willing to haul freight. Personally, I won't haul anything oversize for $3/mile. But, many do. I can get that on many legal loads and not have the hassle of permits and dealing with what comes with doing over sized freight. While a step deck can provide some versatility, some shippers won't load a step deck. They only load flats. There are pros and cons to pulling either. Steps are usually heavier than flats. Flats can back up to a loading dock without having to be concerned about matching up with the dock. Some long loads will require flats rather than a step deck. I have built a leveler out of railroad ties, but those are heavy to keep on the truck. Levelers that can also be used for ramps will usually cost over $2,000 and could run $3,000 or more with the current high price of aluminum. Anything you throw on the deck will also add weight and could restrict your freight opportunities. Loading a step deck can be a little different than a flat. The center of the lower deck is not the center or the load. Some want to load a step like a flat. It isn't a problem unless the load is very heavy.

There are several permit companies around. Unless you plan on running your authority, your carrier should be able to handle the permits for you. A good permit company is a good resource when you are planning an over sized load. If you think that you will be needing to contact a permit service directly, let me know and I will pm you the name of the service I currently use. Rand McNally lists some permit information. Most states also have over sized permit information on their website. You can also contact each state in which you plan on running. It is better to get information directly from the state so that you fully understand the rules. I prefer doing my own routing, but some states will do that for you. They may also change your route due to road construction, etc., Wide loads are not usually of too much concern, but when you start pulling tall and long loads things can get a bit tricky. Weight can also be a factor with some loads. Some routes won't allow anything over 80,000 pounds. Most information that you will need to know will be listed on the permit, but they can leave a few things off the permits, such as the legal time for sunset and/or sunset, since that can change from time to time. It will be up to you as the driver to know times and be aware of what you need to know when you pull over sized freight. Remember, it is the driver who will get any ticket, whether you were aware of the law or not. Every permit should be read very carefully. In fact, it is a good idea to read the permit over more than once to make sure your understand the route and any specific restrictions, such as curfews.

As far as I know, there are no restrictions on who can haul over sized freight. There are no special permits that are needed other than the standard over sized permits. There are some loads that could require surveys before they will give permits, but it would be years before you would need to worry about that sort of thing and they are not likely going to be needed with a step deck. If you haul high dollar loads, you could be required to have more cargo insurance. I hauled a $1 million machine from Maryland to Michigan that required more insurance. Most loads won't require additional insurance and that will be the responsibility of the carrier to whom you lease your truck.

I buy the cheapest gloves that I can find. I could not tell you the brand. None last long when you are handling chains and binders. I can usually find a good buy at Harbor Freight or sometimes at Petro. I think the last time I bought gloves at Harbor Freight I paid $5.99 for 5 pairs of gloves. They are made out of cloth and are reasonably warm in cold weather. It can be difficult to use insulated gloves when you are tarping and pulling chains.

 

If you wanna buy a 48' Doonan step deck let me know, I have a 2013 I bought first week of August with ramps. Thinking about going back to haulin cows.

 

G/Man, you have some really great info. I will be sending you a PM about your permit service.

FAP, I know my stepdeck can haul 50 or 60K (I have hauled 55K without a problem). Its steel and wood (with a lot of steel on the deck for the scrap I haul). Its a great tool, but gman is probably right about the loading docks and some shippers being funny about not wanting to haul on it. I have a mack ch613, and I weigh in at 33K with about 150 gallons.

As far as gloves, when you get to some place you know, stop in at a welding shop. Get the most basic welding gloves you can, and they will usually run about 4 or 5 bucks a pair, if you buy about 10 pairs at a time. I handle chains, binders, grease, oil, dirt, and lots of other fun things with these gloves and they last me about 4-6 weeks each. If it were just chains and binders, I would get about 3-4 months use out of them. Also, because of how thick they are and how long they are, they are great during the winter. I prefer "drivers" gloves as they are very comfortable, but they are junk. If they last 2 weeks, I am very happy. The welders gloves take some getting used to, but in the long run (and I wear gloves almost every day for hours at a time) they are worth it.

 

You need to buy a trailer that is best suited for the type of hauling you plan on doing. You will never have a single trailer that will work in every situation. I have gotten many loads for my step deck due to the length and how it is spec'd out. I have also lost some loads for the same reason. There have been few loads that I have lost that could be directly attributed to how the trailer is spec'd. I put a lot of time and thought into what I wanted and would need in a step deck. I am not one who goes out and buys the first thing that I find. Nor do I go out and buy something because I can. If it doesn't suit my needs, I don't buy it. I rarely load from a dock. Those times that I do load from a dock is usually at a shipper that has a lower dock for step deck trailers. Most loads that I haul are side loaded or from a crane. Deck height is not an issue in those cases, although the product may dictate the deck height that is acceptable.

As far as gloves, I have tried thicker, insulated gloves and find them a hindrance when it comes to securing a load. I do prefer cloth gloves. I don't use gloves for driving. I mostly use gloves when I am fueling, securing a load or doing a pre trip. I do have a pair of insulated gloves that I keep in my truck, but rarely use them.