Step Deck Operators

B

BrokenAxle

Active Member
Jun 18, 2020
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Why is it that the majority of Deck operators will not take anything a little oversized seems to me years ago that was the freight you wanted. Nowadays they all want to haul legal loads. Drop the deck Bud pull a van.
 
Not sure if it's still the case, but in the past obtaining a permit took under 48 hours and as recently as 6 months ago it could take upwards of 2 weeks to get one. If there's still these kinds of delays, it could be part of the reason these loads are being avoided by some carriers.

Keep well,
Mike
 
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Over dimensional (and hazmat placards) seem to be one of the main reasons why enforcement would do a further inspection. They ask for more paperwork and ensure you have permits. Couple that with a shipper that doesn't care what happens to the carrier and a broker in the middle who may not ask all the right questions and the little oversized becomes a lot oversized and different permits are required. This gets figured out when the driver is at the shipper with time and money invested only to find out a lot more has to be done. The driver and the dispatcher think it's not a big problem because it's only a little bit over and tries to get away with something which eventually gets caught. Enforcement looks at things in binary, either it is in violation or not and you cannot convince enforcement anymore that 2 inches over is not worth the paperwork. More time and money need to be invested to get out of the situation and nobody wants to own up to the screw up. The carrier is left with his pants around his ankles, made nothing on the load and eventually the insurance company sees the issue which creates a whole other conversation.

That is the difference between 15 years ago and now.
 
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@MikeJr

10-14 business days for a single trip MTO.
Most carriers should have annuals, so for "little oversize" they'd be covered.

The bureaucracy is a driving factor for sure. The leg work, the bonds, the READING IN ENGLISH is another.
 
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I agree with @Jim L on this as well. Shippers tenders load to broker, shipper is not a regular over-dim shipper, but has regular flatbed work. Brokers doesn't ask the right questions... brokers a "clean" load to a carrier, who then arrives on site with his step deck, only to find out that when dunnage is used, the load is few inches too high given the step deck height, and broker should have requested a lowboy not a step.. carrier calls broker to advise, broker says I provided you with the dims when i sent the load sheet.... however shipper failed to measure properly, so wrong dims where provided to broker... shipper doesn't understand why its a No Pickup and driver wants to leave as he showed up with the wrong equipment now that carrier has seen the load.

just a complete cluster-f all around, extra charges, new pickup date/time, shipper now has "oversized" freight sitting in the yard until the new trailer arrives... which may or may not be an issue for the shipper. If a crane was rented to load, more costs down the drain due to loading not taking place, due to dims issue.

either way the Shipper and Carrier aren't happy, the broker being the middle man, may or may not take the bull by the horns to solve the issue and keep everyone happy....

Personally i think that most deck carriers are very careful to which brokers they take freight from.... no one wants to put themselves inside a complete mess..... If you know the brokers and shipper, and you're confident that you're getting accurate info, then I find carriers don't hesitate to take over dim stuff assuming the rate is on par.

Most reputable carriers won't knowingly sets themselves up for failure by taking on questionable loads, or loads lacking info from a broker.
 
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We do oversized flat/step/double drop shipments on a daily basis. Believe me, after 30+ years, we know the right questions to ask. The problem isn’t the question, it is the answer. More times than I could ever possibly count, the height was quoted at 10’ however when the truck arrives, someone forgot to include the 3” lifting lugs, that can’t be removed! Or the access ladder wasn’t taken into consideration, or the vent on the side of the unit, etc., etc. In some shippers minds it is “just a little over width or height”. As a result we include on all our OD and legal quotes, that any variances in dimensions from those provided will result in additional costs and lengthy delays. In spite of that, it still happens….regularly!
 
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vanspek said:
It usually results in people not physically going to measure. Blue prints 'should' be correct but we see it more often than not the dims are 3-6" out of what we were told.
Click to expand...
Exactly right. Laziness and just accepting the drawings without a physical measurement.
 
BrokenAxle said:
Drop the deck Bud pull a van.
Click to expand...

Swinging doors is serious business :D

All jokes aside look at BC and all these bridge strikes, the ball is being dropped somewhere. A lot of open deck carriers aren't confident in their drivers and drivers aren't confident in their dispatch and dispatch isn't confident in customers providing the correct dimensions. OD is going to start getting a lot pricier in BC and we have already started seeing our regulars turn down oversized shipments out of the port.
 
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Don't forget no travel allowed in inclement weather ( rain, snow) and most states only allow daytime travel. With short days in winter it limits what you get accomplished in a day. Last Friday saw 2 oversized trailers dropped at hwy 6 weight station in Freelton, and 1 oversized rolled into the Vineland scale in the rain, only to be captured and likely had his permit revoked. They will need big bucks to recover from the lost time.
 
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