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Tarp pay on the offer

Flatbed dispatch that checks your gear before it checks the rate

Flatbed freight pays for skill, gear and sweat. We ask about your chains, straps and tarps before a load reaches you, negotiate tarp pay and the extras up front, and plan the next load around steel, lumber and building material lanes.
5% of gross for one truck with authority older than 6 months. You approve every load.
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Load offer · 48 ft flatbed

Birmingham, AL Atlanta, GA

EXAMPLE
RATE
$650
MILES
147+9
ALL-IN RPM
$4.17
  • Freight: Steel coils, 44,000 lb
  • Pickup: Mon 06:00 · Deliver: Mon 13:00
  • Tarp pay $75
  • TONU $150
Decline: no penalty Accept: start flatbed dispatch

Flatbed dispatcher first questions

The gear we ask about before the rate

A flatbed load you can't secure isn't a load, however well it pays. On the first call we write down exactly what you carry, and every load is checked against it before it reaches your phone.

  • Chains and binders

    Grade, size and how many, for steel, coils, pipe and machinery.

  • Straps

    Count and working load limit, for lumber, building materials and lighter freight.

  • Tarps

    Lumber and steel tarps, and the drop sizes you have (commonly 4, 6 or 8 ft).

  • Edge protection

    Corner protectors that keep straps from cutting and freight from damage.

  • Dunnage

    Wood and blocking for coils, pipe and anything that can't sit straight on the deck.

  • Deck and extras

    Deck length, width and any coil racks, headache rack or side kits.

Securement calculator

How many tiedowns does this load need?

Pick a commodity or enter your own length and weight, then the working load limit printed on your strap or chain tag. The calculator applies the two federal minimums at once: the count by length, and the aggregate working load limit of at least half the cargo weight. Whichever is higher is the floor, and the diagram shows it on a 48 ft deck.

Lumber bunks · Often tarped (lumber tarps)
Min by length
4
49 CFR 393.110
Min by WLL
5
aggregate WLL >= 21,000 lb
You need at least
5
WLL rule controls
Aggregate WLL
25,000 lb
with that many tiedowns

For one article with no front blocking. Blocked cargo, specific commodities (coils, logs, machinery and others) and state rules can require more. This is a planning aid, not a substitute for the regulations or your own inspection.

  • The aggregate working load limit of all tiedowns must be at least half the cargo weight.
  • Minimum tiedowns by length: one for articles 5 ft or shorter weighing 1,100 lb or less, two up to 10 ft, plus one for each additional 10 ft or part of it.
  • Drivers inspect cargo securement within the first 50 miles, then at changes of duty status or every 3 hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first.

Source: FMCSA cargo securement rules, 49 CFR 393.110, October 2026

Tarp pay and accessorials

Tarping is work. It should pay like work.

Throwing tarps on a load of lumber takes time, effort and wears out expensive gear, and in wind or rain it can be dangerous. Too many flatbed loads get booked with tarps required and no tarp pay. We ask on every load and put the answer on the offer.

  • Tarp pay

    A flat amount for tarping, sized to the job. If a broker won't pay it, you hear that before you decide.

  • Detention at the mill or yard

    Steel mills and lumber yards can make you wait. Detention terms go on the rate con before you accept.

  • Layover

    When a receiver can't unload until tomorrow, layover pay covers the night. We ask for it in writing.

  • TONU

    Truck ordered, not used: what you're owed when a load cancels after you've rolled. We push for it.

Flatbed dispatch service

Freight we find for flatbeds

Flatbed freight tracks construction, manufacturing and energy. Each group has its own securement, tarp and timing needs, and we tell you which before you accept.

  • Steel

    Coils, plate, bar and beams from mills and service centers. Heavy, dense, chain work, often tarped.

  • Lumber

    Bunks from mills and yards to builders and retailers. Strap work, usually tarped, seasonal with construction.

  • Building materials

    Roofing, block, drywall and siding to job sites and stores. Mixed loads, tarps common.

  • Pipe

    Long, heavy and prone to shifting. Extra tiedowns and blocking, careful loading.

  • Machinery

    Equipment and parts that fit within legal height on a flat deck. Taller pieces go on a step deck.

  • Energy and utility

    Poles, transformers and components for utility and energy projects, often regional.

Flatbed rates

What moves a flatbed rate

Flatbed pay swings with construction and manufacturing, but on any given day these are the levers that decide whether a load is worth your time.

  • Tarps

    Tarped loads take longer and wear gear. Tarp pay belongs on top of the linehaul, not inside it.

  • Weight and density

    A heavy coil load and a light building-material load can pay the same per mile but very differently per hour of work.

  • Loading time

    Crane-loaded steel at a busy mill can take hours. A quick forklift load at a yard can take minutes.

  • Lane balance

    Flatbed lanes out of manufacturing regions pay differently from lanes into them. The reload matters as much as the headhaul.

  • Season

    Building material loads rise and fall with the construction season, which pulls rates with them.

  • Deadhead

    Mills and yards aren't always near your last delivery. Empty miles count in every rate we show you.

Flatbed or step deck

When a flat deck wins, and when to drop down

Both are open decks. The difference is height. A step deck's lower deck sits closer to the ground, so taller freight fits under legal height limits. No federal height limit; state limits range from 13.6 to 14.6 ft, so the right trailer depends on the route too.

Flatbed

Best for steel, lumber, building materials and anything that loads from the side or with a forklift on a level deck. The most freight and the most brokers.

Step deck

Best for taller machinery and equipment that would be over height on a flatbed. Fewer loads, often better pay. See step deck dispatch.

Source: FHWA, October 2026

Before you roll

A flatbed load check before every pickup

Tap through the checks we run on the load details, so nothing about the freight surprises you at the shipper.

Flatbed load check

1/5 CHECKED

  1. Weight, length, width and height against your deck and legal limits. Anything over 8.5 ft wide is oversize and needs a permit.

Avoid these

Where flatbed owners lose money

  • Tarping for free

    Accepting a tarped load with no tarp pay is giving away an hour of hard work. Ask every time.

  • Short on tiedowns

    One strap short can mean a roadside violation and an out-of-service order. Check the count before you leave the shipper.

  • No photos of the secured load

    Photos of the secured load protect you if a broker or receiver claims damage later.

  • Waiting at mills with no detention

    Mills and yards can make you wait for hours. Without terms on the rate con, the wait is unpaid.

Getting set up

What brokers check on a flatbed carrier

Flatbed brokers want to know you can secure their freight before they tender it. Having these answers ready speeds up every setup.

  • Active authority and insurance with cargo coverage sized to the freight
  • Deck length and width, and whether you have a spread axle
  • Your chains, straps, binders and edge protection
  • Tarp types and drop sizes, and whether you'll tarp
  • Experience with steel, coils, lumber or machinery
  • Photos of past secured loads, if the broker asks

We keep your gear list and photos on file with your carrier packet. When a steel broker asks whether you run coil racks or how many chains you carry, the answer goes out in minutes instead of a missed call while you're driving.

The flatbed year

Seasons that move flatbed freight

Flatbed freight follows construction. In many states, building and paving slow when it gets cold, and lumber and building material loads slow with them. Steel, pipe and machinery tend to move more steadily through the year.

We plan for the slow months before they arrive: shifting toward steel and manufacturing customers, or toward warmer regions where building keeps going. If you'd rather stay close to home, you'll know early what the winter looks like on your lanes so you can plan maintenance or time off instead of sitting.

Weather matters on the road too. Wind makes tarping dangerous, and rain or snow can hold up loading at open yards. When a pickup is delayed by weather, we tell the receiver early and look at how it changes the rest of your week, instead of leaving you to sort it out at the gate.

Your call, every load

How a flatbed load reaches you, and what it costs

Every load comes to you with the commodity, weight, dimensions, tarp and securement needs, times and pay. You say yes or no. On a yes, the broker emails the rate confirmation to you, and you check that tarp pay and every term is on it before you sign. The fee is 5% of gross for one truck with authority older than 6 months, 7% for newer authorities and 4% for fleets. EXAMPLE: a $7,000 week costs $350.

Read flatbed vs reefer, see oversize and heavy haul dispatch, check axle weights with the axle weight calculator, or compare fees on the pricing page.

Flatbed dispatcher: straight answers

Q01How much does flatbed dispatch cost?
5% of gross on loads you haul for one flatbed with authority older than 6 months, 7% while your MC is newer, and 4% per truck for fleets of two or more. Tarp pay and other extras we negotiate are part of the load's gross. No setup fee and no contract.
Q02What securement gear do I need?
Enough chains, binders and straps to meet the federal minimums for the loads you haul, plus edge protection, dunnage and tarps for freight that needs them. The number of tiedowns depends on cargo length and weight, and their combined working load limit must be at least half the cargo weight. Our calculator on this page does that math.
Q03Do you negotiate tarp pay?
Yes, on every load that needs tarps. Tarping takes time and wears your gear, so it should pay. We ask whether a load needs tarps and what drop size before it reaches you, and we put tarp pay on the offer. If a broker won't pay for tarping, you'll know before you say yes.
Q04Do you dispatch step decks too?
Yes. Step decks, Conestogas, RGNs and other open-deck trailers each have their own page, because the freight and the checks differ. Many flatbed owners also run a step deck or switch between them, and one desk can handle both with separate profiles for each trailer.
Q05Is flatbed or reefer better for an owner-operator?
Neither is better across the board. Flatbed pays for physical work, gear and securement skill, and often runs regional. Reefer pays for temperature control, longer runs and waiting at cold docks, with the unit's fuel and maintenance on top. Our flatbed vs reefer guide compares the two in detail.
Q06Can a new MC get flatbed loads?
Yes. Some brokers want months of authority first, but plenty of flatbed brokers work with new carriers, especially on building materials and regional freight. Clean securement, on-time deliveries and good photos of loaded freight build trust quickly. Every load still comes to you to approve.
Q07Will you force me to take loads?
Never. You see every load first with the commodity, weight, dimensions, tarp needs, pickup and delivery times and pay. You say yes or no, with no penalty for no. On a yes, the broker emails the rate confirmation to you and you sign it yourself.

Your gear, your lanes, tarp pay on every offer.

Apply in about 2 minutes. Every load is your call.

Start flatbed dispatch