Flatbed Shipping (FTL & LTL)

GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION -Since 1989

PARTIAL FLATBED

Pay for the deck space you use, not a trailer you don't fill.

A few pieces of open-deck freight? Share the deck and pay only for the feet you take up.

Partial flatbed is where a lot of shippers overpay. When your load takes up part of a deck, a bundle of poles, a piece of machinery, or a few units of building material, you do not need to book a whole flatbed to move it. Gateway Distribution puts your freight on the deck space it needs and lets the rest of the deck carry other compatible loads, so your cost tracks the size of your shipment.

Our 75+ truck fleet runs partial and full flatbed across the lower 48 out of our Cincinnati, New York, and Virginia hubs, giving your open-deck freight more departures and shorter waits.

Pay only for the linear feet your freight uses
Ideal for poles, equipment, and partial loads of building material
More frequent departures by sharing deck space
Open-deck loading from the side, top, or by crane
Full flatbed available when your load fills the deck

Why You Can Trust Us

Founded in 1989

98.8% CLAIM FREE SERVICE

DOT's highest rating

FMCSA classified as one of the safest carriers on the road

American Trucking Association member

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber member

CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) member

75+ truck fleet

140,000 square foot facilities

OPEN DECK

Load from any side for freight that won't fit through a dock door.

Oversized, heavy, or awkward? An open deck loads from the side, top, or by crane.

Some freight cannot be forklifted into an enclosed trailer. Steel, long poles, structural materials, and machinery load faster and more safely on an open flatbed deck, where a crane or side-loader can place and secure them directly. When your load fills a deck, our full flatbed service moves it straight from origin to destination.

Every load is blocked, braced, strapped, and tarped to its needs by drivers who handle open-deck freight regularly.

48-foot and 53-foot flatbed decks
Side, top, and crane loading
Proper blocking, bracing, strapping, and tarping
Built for steel, poles, lumber, and machinery
Direct routing on full-deck loads

Why Choose Us

Pay only for the deck space your freight uses
Open-deck loading by side, top, or crane
Routine handling of poles, steel, and oversized loads
Cincinnati, New York, and Virginia hubs for more departures

POLE AND OVERSIZED FREIGHT

Move poles and oversized loads with a carrier that hauls them every day.

Long, heavy, and oversized freight needs the right deck and the right securement.

Flag poles, light poles, and oversized freight are part of the everyday work at Gateway Distribution. An open flatbed deck gives long and heavy items the room and the tie-down points they need, and our drivers know how to secure them for the road. Partial flatbed makes it practical to move a single run of poles without paying for a full truck.

Pair flatbed with our flag pole and light pole logistics for handling from pickup to the job site.

Routine pole and oversized freight handling
Securement matched to long and heavy loads
Partial flatbed for single pole runs
Coordinated with our pole logistics service
Permitting support for legal oversized loads

Move poles and oversized loads with a carrier that hauls them every day.

Flatbed shipping moves freight that an enclosed trailer cannot take or cannot load efficiently. Open decks carry steel, lumber, poles, pipe, structural materials, and machinery, and they load from the side, the top, or by crane instead of through a single dock door. When your freight is long, heavy, or awkwardly shaped, an open deck is usually the faster and safer way to move it.

Partial flatbed is the option many shippers miss. If your load takes up only part of a deck, you do not have to pay for a whole flatbed. Gateway Distribution places your freight on the deck space it needs and fills the rest of the deck with other compatible loads, so your cost reflects the size of your shipment instead of the size of the trailer. That makes it practical to move a single bundle of poles, one piece of equipment, or a few units of building material without waiting to batch up a full truck.

When your freight does fill a deck, full flatbed gives you the whole trailer moving directly from pickup to delivery. Either way, every load is blocked, braced, strapped, and tarped to its needs by drivers who handle open-deck freight regularly.

Flatbed is not the only service Gateway Distribution runs, but it is one we handle often, especially for the flag poles, light poles, and oversized freight that are central to our work. With a 75+ truck fleet and hubs in Cincinnati, New York, and Virginia, we keep open-deck freight moving across the lower 48.

Our process

1
Tell us your load
Send the dimensions, weight, and pickup and delivery points. We confirm whether partial or full flatbed fits the job and quote the deck space you need.
2
Deck assignment
We assign the right flatbed and route, matching partial loads with other compatible freight to keep your cost down.
3
Load and secure
Your freight loads from the side, top, or by crane, then gets blocked, braced, strapped, and tarped for the haul.
4
Direct delivery
Your load travels to the destination and is offloaded at the dock or job site.

Trusted Partners

American Trucking Association

Association

Industry association dedicated to serving and representing the interests of the trucking industry with one united voice.

Better Business Bureau

Association

Membership organization that lets customers know the business is worthy of their trust.

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Association

The nation's fifth largest chamber providing economic development, government advocacy, and business growth support.

CVSA

Association

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance promotes commercial motor vehicle safety and security.

Common questions

My steel beams won't fit on a standard truck

You have steel beams, long pipes, or structural materials that are too long for a regular enclosed trailer. Standard freight companies keep turning you down or quoting crazy prices.

Long steel and structural materials need flatbed trucks with proper tie-down points and load distribution. Look for carriers who specialize in steel hauling and have the right equipment to secure your specific beam lengths safely.

How much does partial flatbed shipping cost vs full truck

You only need part of a flatbed trailer for your machinery or steel. You're not sure if partial flatbed is actually cheaper than booking a whole truck.

Partial flatbed charges by linear feet, so you pay only for the space your freight uses. If your load takes up less than half the trailer, partial is usually cheaper. Get quotes for both to compare the actual numbers.

My machinery needs to ship next week but I haven't booked yet

You have heavy equipment or machinery that needs to move next week. You're worried it's too late to find a flatbed truck with such short notice.

Flatbed capacity can be tight, especially for oversized loads. Call carriers now to check availability. Be flexible on pickup dates within your window. Having exact dimensions, weight, and loading requirements ready speeds up the booking process.

Can I load my own flatbed or does the driver do it

You have a crane or forklift to load your own equipment onto the flatbed. You're not sure if the trucking company expects you to handle loading or if their driver does it.

Most flatbed shipments are loaded by the shipper using their own equipment. The driver secures and tarps the load but doesn't usually handle the actual loading. Confirm this when you book so everyone knows who's responsible for what.

Open deck flatbed vs covered for my equipment

You're shipping equipment that could get damaged by weather. You're trying to decide if you need a covered flatbed or if tarps on an open deck are enough protection.

Tarps protect against rain and road debris but not extreme weather. If your equipment has sensitive electronics or can't get wet at all, covered flatbed is safer. For basic steel and machinery, properly secured tarps usually do the job at lower cost.