Flatbed dispatch from people who know what tarp pay is worth.
Flatbed is open-deck work: steel, lumber, building materials and machinery that has to be strapped, chained and often tarped. It pays for that extra labour only when the load is booked with the labour priced in.
What flatbed dispatch really involves.
Tarps are paid work
Steel and lumber often need tarps, and tarping takes time in every kind of weather. We check whether a load needs tarps, and what size, and make sure tarp pay is on the rate confirmation before the driver gets there.
Securement has to be right
Federal cargo securement rules set how a load must be tied down. We pass on the shipper’s securement requirements in advance, so the driver arrives with the right straps, chains and dunnage.
Weight and dimensions decide the load
Open-deck freight is often heavy or wide. We check weight against your truck and trailer, and flag anything over legal width, height or length for permits before it is accepted.
Follows construction and manufacturing
Flatbed volume tracks building and manufacturing, and it is strongest from spring through autumn. We work with the brokers and shippers who keep freight moving outside the peak as well.
Everything a flatbed carrier hands us.
One agreement, month to month. Rates are quoted per carrier — your equipment, lanes and fleet size decide it.
- One dedicated dispatcher who knows your truck, your flatbed and the lanes you want to run
- Load boards and direct broker relationships worked all day, matched to your equipment
- Rates negotiated against what the lane is really paying, not the first offer
- Rate confirmations, BOLs and carrier packets handled, and every load tracked to delivery
- Detention, TONU and layover claims pursued with the broker
- A login to Smart Haul TMS — loads, documents and settlements, live
Flatbed dispatch FAQ
What flatbed freight do you book?
Steel coils and beams, lumber, building materials, pipe, machinery and equipment — on standard flatbeds and extendable trailers. For freight too tall for a flatbed, see step deck dispatch.
Do you coordinate oversize permits?
Yes. If a load is over legal dimensions we arrange the permits for each state on the route, plan a route the permits allow, and arrange escorts where they are required.
Do you dispatch open-deck carriers without tarps?
Yes, but it narrows the freight. We will tell you honestly which loads you are missing without tarps, and what a tarp kit would be worth on your lanes.
Tell us about your flatbed.
A dispatcher calls you back within one business day. Nothing is committed by sending this.
Dispatch 7am–5pm Central, seven days · after-hours support for breakdowns · 224 278 9494