[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" top_margin="3%" width="3/4" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1536252574136{margin-bottom: -15px !important;}"]
<h1>Flatbed Truck Drivers Terminology</h1>
<h2><em>Learn the Lingo</em></h2>
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Before you <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/otr-flatbed-driver-job-describe/">pull open deck</a>, you need to understand the words and ways of flatbed truckers. You have a lot to learn, even if you're an experienced OTR dry van driver. With that in mind, we created a flatbed training program just for drivers interested in high-paying flatbed trucking jobs. (Our paid flatbed training is Reason #8 to <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-driver-jobs-apply/">Drive for Lone Star.</a> Be sure to see the details.)

We've prepared the following guide to get your flatbed training started.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][toggles style="default"][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="1. STANDARD FLATBED TRAILER"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/2" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]OTR drivers begin flatbed training by learning to properly secure a variety of loads on standard trailers.

Standard flatbeds share the following characteristics:
<ul>
 	<li>Flat, level beds <em>(with no sides or roofs, they're often called “open decks”)</em></li>
 	<li>Width less than or equal to 8’6”</li>
 	<li>Height 60” from the ground before loading</li>
 	<li>Length 48’ to 53’</li>
 	<li>Carry loads of up to 48,000 lbs.</li>
</ul>
Flatbed trucks haul cargo that won't fit on standard pallets or in box vans. A flatbed trailer can transport any bulky item its bed will hold. It's especially suited to carry wrapped stacks of construction materials, oddly shaped parts or heavy equipment. Flatbeds are best for weather-resistant cargo that won't be damaged by extreme conditions.

The flatbed trailer's chief advantage is quick and easy loading. Cargo comes on from the back at a dock, from the side by forklift or from overhead. For that reason, flatbed trailers are perfect for pickups and deliveries at off-road or unconventional locations.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/2" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4259" src="http://lonestar-llc.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/standard-flatbed.jpg" alt="flatbed training" width="700" height="309" />[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="2. LEGAL LOADS"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]A "legal load" meets all federal size and weight rules, as well as those of the states through which it passes. Generally, the loaded truck is no more than 13’6” tall, 8’6” wide and 53' long.

<a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/heavy-haul-trucking-jobs-guide/">Specialty trailers</a> often offer the flexibility to ship very tall or long items as legal loads. That's important because loads that exceed legal dimensions are subject to many federal, state and local restrictions. (See "Over-dimensional Loads" below.)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="3. FLATBED TRAINING, OR SECUREMENT TRAINING"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]A skilled flatbed driver knows it's critical to prevent loads from shifting. Obviously, freight must remain on the open bed and off the roadway. It also should stay put, so the trailer always is balanced and stable.
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Flatbed Training</strong></span></h3>
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issues detailed regulations on how to keep cargo safely in place.

Consequently, flatbed training focuses on securement. Drivers learn to prevent freight from tumbling off the deck or piercing the cab during a quick stop. Equally important, they practice fastening down cargo of all shapes and sizes.

New drivers learn to avoid other hazards unique to flatbed driving as well. For instance, securement often involves the concentration of great weight or pressure in a small area. Hence, loosening winches or binders requires caution. Released too quickly or in the wrong order, straps and chains whip with dangerous force. Suddenly released, the load comes tumbling off the truck, endangering the driver and any bystanders.
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Securement Devices</strong></span></h3>
To contain a load, some flatbeds have “drop sides,” hinged to fold down for loading. A “stake truck” uses steel uprights, often removable, for the same purpose. As an alternative, a carrier can install a “side kit." (Scroll down for a detailed description.)

Most flatbed training concentrates on means of securing freight to open beds with nylon straps or steel chains.
<ul>
 	<li>Flat webbing straps are more user-friendly and less likely to damage freight. They're available in longer lengths for taller loads.</li>
 	<li>Chains are stronger. While a 4" nylon strap has a 4,000-lb. working load limit, a 3/8" chain has a working load limit of 6,600 lbs. They're more suitable than straps for heavy steel products. Chains also are less susceptible to abrasion on sharp corners. (Nylon straps need extra padding there.)</li>
 	<li>A driver attaches straps to one side of the trailer with a metal hook. They connect the other side with a winch, which tightens down the load.</li>
 	<li>Chains loop through a stake pocket or "D" ring on either side of the trailer. A load binder takes up the slack in the middle of the chain to tighten down the load.</li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Dunnage</strong></span></h3>
“Dunnage” fills open spaces between cargo items and prevents shifting. It can create space under or between cargo items, so a forklift blade slides in for easy lifting. Wood timbers commonly serve as dunnage.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="4. SIDEKIT &amp; CONESTOGA TRAILERS "][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]A <strong>"side kit"</strong> equips a standard flatbed trailer with removable plywood or fiberglass side panels.

These sidewalls provide a protective barrier when installed around heavy equipment or freight. They also offer structure and support for uncrated, unpackaged cargo. For instance, a flatbed equipped with a side kit can carry granular material like soybeans. It also can haul small, loose objects like watermelons - or oddly shaped pieces like scrap metal.

A <strong>"Conestoga trailer"</strong> is a tarp and bow system installed to protect sensitive cargo from the elements. It works much like the large covered wagons that hauled the heaviest of loads with teams of oxen in our nation's earliest days.

A Conestoga trailer's tarp system is pushed back to leave the deck open for quick loading. Then, like those old-time covered wagons, the tarp system slides back over and around the cargo. A Conestoga trailer offers the access and versatility of a flatbed with easy, secure protection that standard tarps can't match.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="5. TARPING"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]Some flatbed loads are covered with tarps to protect against weather, wind, dirt or moisture. Tarp securement is a critical part of flatbed training.

Usually made of heavy vinyl or PVC, tarps are water and tear resistant. Rows of D-rings and grommets run its length. They’re used to accommodate the ratchet straps, bungees or ropes that pull a tarp tight over cargo.

Tarps come in a variety of shapes, weights and sizes to cover specific types of freight. The largest weigh up to 80 pounds when dry - far more when wet or icy.
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Common Tarps</strong></span></h3>
<ul>
 	<li><strong>Lumber tarps</strong> originally were used for specialized lumber hauling. They’ve become all-purpose covers to protect pallets and other bulky cargo. Commonly 24’ wide and anywhere from 26’ to 30’ long, they cover large, high loads. The lumber tarp features a flap that folds down over one end of the load. The flap provides a tighter seal and prevents “parachuting” <em>(when the wind fills and billows a tarp)</em>.</li>
 	<li><strong>Steel tarps</strong> are smaller than lumber tarps – typically either 12’ or 16’ wide and 24’ long. They are four-sided, without flaps. Steel tarps protect heavy loads with a low profile, such as steel rods, sheet steel and cables. They also provide “top only” protection for loads of crated material.</li>
 	<li><strong>Smoke tarps</strong>, at 10’ or 12’ by 12’, are much smaller. Also known as nose tarps, they cover the top front of a load, protecting against exhaust, bugs and road debris. They block wind from whistling through long pipes, too. Smoke tarps can cover small portions of cargo on the open bed as well.</li>
 	<li><strong>Coil tarps</strong> also are called bag tarps, because of their shape. They fit like snug caps over steel coils or cable spools, keeping them dry.</li>
 	<li><strong>Machinery tarps</strong> protect valuable manufacturing or machine equipment from weather and road vibration. They cover the oversized, odd-shaped loads carried on specialty trailers. Many are custom sewn.</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="6. BULKHEAD OR HEADACHE RACKS"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]Bulkheads and headache racks are safety barriers. They protect the driver from cargo that breaks loose during a sudden stop.
<ul>
 	<li>A headache rack is a reinforcing panel attached directly to the tractor’s frame, behind the cab or sleeper. If the cargo pushes forward, it knocks the cab off its frame rather than penetrating it.</li>
 	<li>A bulkhead is attached to the trailer itself, on the end of the deck closest to the tractor. It blocks the cargo’s forward motion. Upon impact, the bulkhead bends, forcing cargo up and over the cab as it moves forward.</li>
</ul>
Headache racks are standard equipment on many OTR cabs. On the other hand, flatbed trailers used for local deliveries commonly use bulkheads.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][toggle color="Accent-Color" title="7. OVER-DIMENSIONAL LOADS"][vc_row_inner column_margin="default" text_align="left"][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="3/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]Drivers begin flatbed training by learning to pull legal loads. After that, they advance by hauling oversized freight. With experience, many OTR flatbed drivers develop the skill and concentration necessary for super heavy hauling.
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Permitted Loads</strong></span></h3>
While flatbed trailers are flexible, the road system is not. For that reason, delivering oversized loads presents many technical, legal and logistical challenges. Lane width, bridge strength, signal height, ramp curvature and traffic patterns are just a few. It takes great care to drive safely in traffic with an oversized load.

That’s why it takes <a href="https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/sw/permit_report/index.htm">special permits</a>, too.

To travel legally with an oversized load, a carrier must obtain a permit from every state through which it passes. Many cities and counties require permits, too. All permits are load-specific and valid for a limited number of days.

Over-dimensional truckers only move large and/or heavy units. In other words, if you can divide an oversized load into smaller legal loads, your shipment may not receive a permit.

Permitted loads are subject to federal, state and local safety restrictions. They might include any or all of the following:
<ul>
 	<li>In most jurisdictions, permitted loads may move only during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, and not on holidays.</li>
 	<li>The driver often must follow pre-approved travel routes.</li>
 	<li>The load may require paid police or civilian escorts along designated stretches.</li>
 	<li>The carrier may need to arrange the movement of overhanging signals or wires en route.</li>
 	<li>The load may have to be marked by red safety flags, banners and amber lights.</li>
 	<li>Loads wider than 11’6” and/or taller than 13’6” may require pilot/pole/escort cars from origin to destination.</li>
</ul>
<h3><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Super Loads</strong></span></h3>
Extremely wide, tall, long or heavy loads are known as “<a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/heavy-haul-trucking-jobs-guide/">super loads</a>.” The definition varies from state to state. A loaded truck that is over 16’ wide, 16’ tall, 160’ long and/or 200,000 lbs. qualifies in most. Super loads are subject to extensive permitting processes.

Specialized trucking companies like Lone Star often handle over-dimensional cargo. Our specialty trailers and expert drivers can handle the complex challenges of a permitted load.

If you want to be paid more to haul oversized freight, be sure to ask about our <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-driver-jobs-apply/">career advancement program</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/4" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][/toggles][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="center" top_padding="4%" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom" shape_type=""][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_custom_heading text="Join Our Family" font_container="tag:p|font_size:28pt|text_align:center|line_height:30pt" google_fonts="font_family:Seaweed%20Script%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal"][vc_column_text][button open_new_tab="true" color="accent-color" hover_text_color_override="#fff" size="large" url="https://intelliapp.driverapponline.com/c/lonestarllc?r=ride4lsws" text="Fill Out Application" color_override=""]
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