Step deck dispatch for the tall loads a flatbed can't take
A step deck earns its keep on freight that's too tall for a flatbed: machinery, equipment and anything that would break the height limit on a standard deck. Our step deck dispatch desk looks for exactly that freight, checks the height math before an offer reaches you, and plans the reload so the lower deck doesn't ride empty. Nothing moves until you answer the offer, and the broker's rate con lands in your own inbox.
Running a Conestoga? We dispatch rolling tarp trailers too, and look for shippers who want covered freight without hand tarping.
PICK YOUR TRUCK
Step deck
A flatbed with a lower rear deck, so taller freight stays under height limits.
- FREIGHT
- Tall machinery, vehicles, Conestoga (rolling tarp) freight
- CDL
- Yes
OUR FEE
5%
of gross (7% while your MC is under 6 months)
CH 02
Conestogas, and when a step deck beats a flatbed
A step deck is a flatbed with two levels: a short upper deck over the tractor's fifth wheel and a longer lower deck behind it. The lower deck sits closer to the ground, so the same load stands lower on the road. That's the whole point: more room under bridges and power lines.
A Conestoga adds a rolling tarp system on a flatbed or step deck. The cover slides back for loading from the side or above, then closes over the freight. No hand tarping, faster loading, and freight that stays dry. Shippers that need open-deck loading but hate tarp damage often ask for Conestogas specifically.
A Conestoga costs more than a plain step deck and weighs more, which eats into payload. In return, it saves time at every tarped load and opens freight from shippers who refuse hand-tarped loads. If you run one, say so on the first call and we'll look for that freight first.
When the step deck wins
- Tall machinery and equipment that would put a flatbed over the height limit.
- Loads that roll on, using ramps onto the lower deck.
- Freight that needs a lower center of gravity.
When the flatbed wins
- Long, flat freight like lumber and pipe, which uses the full deck length.
- Ordinary building materials, where any open deck will do.
Most step deck carriers take both kinds, but plan around the first. Our page on flatbed dispatch covers the open-deck freight you'll share with flatbeds.
CH 03
Step deck dispatch costs 5% of gross
A step deck running alone on an authority past six months pays 5% of gross per hauled load. Six months or younger, it's 7%, and a carrier with two or more decks pays 4% on the fleet rate for as long as that offer lasts.
Tarp pay and permit-related pay that's on the rate con are part of the gross, and the fee is a percent of that gross, nothing more. Joining costs nothing, there's no weekly minimum, and offers you decline are free. Line up our tiers against other quotes on the dispatch costs page.
Slide the meter to a normal week for your truck. A step deck week tends to mix a few higher-paying tall loads with regular open-deck freight, so use an average week, not your best one, and see what the fee comes to.
CH 04
The height ruler: will it clear?
Enter the load's height and pick the limit on your route. The ruler stacks it on a flatbed deck and on a step deck's lower deck, and shows which one stays legal. The deck heights are typical examples, so measure your own trailer and enter the real numbers.
There is no single federal height limit for trucks. Each state sets its own, mostly between 13 ft 6 in and 14 ft, with lower clearances posted on some roads Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor VehiclesFHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations, 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. A load that's legal in one state can need a permit in the next, so we check every state on the route.
Want to check width, length and weight too? The trailer dimension fit checker runs the full set.
CH 05
A step deck offer, dimensions first
Every step deck offer from us leads with the dimensions: length, width, height and weight, plus ramp, tarp or Conestoga needs. Try the example: a tall piece of equipment that only works on the lower deck.
If a load is close to the height limit, we tell you the exact clearance with your deck before you accept, so the first time you find out isn't under a bridge.
The same goes for weight. Heavy machinery can be legal on height and still put you over an axle limit. We check both before the offer reaches you, and when a load needs a permit, we sort out who orders it and who pays before you're loaded.
What step deck brokers ask before they load you
- Upper and lower deck lengths, and the lower deck's height from the ground.
- Ramps: whether you have them, and their capacity, for roll-on equipment.
- Straps, chains and binders, with their working load limits.
- Tarps or a Conestoga system, and the sizes you carry.
- Cargo coverage that matches high-value machinery.
We keep all of this in your carrier packet, so brokers can match freight to your exact deck instead of guessing.
Step deck mistakes that cost the most
- Guessing the height. Measure the load and your deck. A few inches over the limit can mean a ticket, a permit you didn't plan for, or a damaged bridge.
- Hauling flat freight at tall-freight rates. If the load would fit any flatbed, price it like flatbed freight and don't expect a premium.
- Forgetting the step. The upper deck is short. Long freight that crosses both decks needs careful loading and securement.
- No reload near equipment deliveries. Machinery often goes to job sites with no freight out. Plan the next load before you accept.
Where step deck freight comes from
Tall freight comes from the places that build, sell and rent big equipment: machinery manufacturers, equipment dealers and rental yards, plants shipping large components, and construction projects moving gear between sites. Much of it moves with the construction and farming seasons, and some of it is urgent, like a replacement part for a stopped production line.
We map those sources against your home base and plan your weeks so the lower deck stays busy with the freight it's built for, filling gaps with flatbed loads when tall freight is quiet.
Equipment freight also tends to come in waves: a dealer moving inventory, a project starting up, a rental fleet repositioning for the season. Once a broker knows you can haul that kind of freight safely, the next wave often comes to you first.
When a load gets too big
Some loads outgrow even a step deck: too tall, too wide or too heavy for any standard trailer. Those move on lowboys, double drops and specialized trailers with permits, escorts and route surveys. If you're thinking about that kind of work, our page on oversize and heavy haul dispatch explains how it's planned. For loads that are only slightly over a limit on one stretch of road, we look at other routes before reaching for a permit.
CH 06
Step deck dispatch questions
CH 01What is a Conestoga trailer?
A flatbed or step deck with a rolling tarp system: a frame and curtain that slides open for side or top loading and closes like a covered wagon to protect the freight. It saves the driver from tarping by hand and keeps freight dry. Shippers often use Conestogas for loads that need flatbed-style loading but can't get wet.
CH 02Do step decks get paid more than flatbeds?
Often they do on loads that need the lower deck, because fewer trailers can legally carry tall freight. On ordinary flatbed freight they compete with flatbeds at similar rates, and the step reduces usable deck length. The best step deck weeks lean on the tall loads a flatbed can't take, which is how we plan yours.
CH 03How much does step deck dispatch cost?
5% of gross for one truck with authority older than six months, 7% while the MC is newer, and 4% for fleets of two or more on the limited-time fleet rate. No setup fee, no minimum and nothing on loads you turn down. Cancel with 30 days notice.
CH 04Do you handle oversize permits?
When a load needs permits, we coordinate with the broker on who orders and pays for them, and we plan the route and timing around the permit's rules before you accept. Permit requirements are set by each state the load crosses. For loads that are routinely oversize, see our page on oversize and heavy haul dispatch.
CH 05Do I confirm every load?
Yes. Every step deck load comes to you as an offer with the commodity, dimensions, weight, tarp or Conestoga needs, and the rate and miles. You say yes or no, and saying no costs nothing. Once you accept, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to your company to sign.
Keep your lower deck busy with the freight it's built for
Tell us your deck heights, your ramps and the freight you like. We'll check every height before you see the offer, and every load waits for your yes.
- Gross
- $6,000
- Dispatch fee
- -$300
- You keep
- $5,700
Before fuel, insurance and your other costs.