Flatbed Car Hauling

Flatbed transport carriers transport specific vehicles that are too big, heavy, or damaged to be loaded onto a standard open auto transport carrier. Although size and weight are the two most important factors, other reasons such as a vehicle being non-running without being able to roll and steer.

flatbed auto transport example

What Kind of Vehicles Use Flatbed Auto Transport Services?

Examples of oversized vehicles are, commercial vehicles, small motorhomes, school buses, shuttle vans, cargo vans, a large pickup truck, commercial vehicles, specialized construction vehicles, and nonoperational / damaged large vehicles. Also, specialized vehicles that are oversized will require this type of transport. This would include highly modified off-road vehicles and oversized pickup trucks over 8 feet tall and 9 feet wide

What are the Flatbed Trailer Types?

A flatbed carrier can come in many configurations. All are designed for different kinds of loads. Some of the most common kind of flatbed carriers used in vehicle shipping are:

  • Step Deck Flatbed
  • Lowboy
  • Double Drop
  • Removable Gooseneck Flatbed

Why National Express Auto Transport?

National Express is a top rated auto transport company, and provides flatbed car transport throughout the entire USA.

National Express has years of experience with this specialized service, is familiar with non running and heavy equipment, and can help put you on the right carrier. You will be paired with the right truck driver that has exact training for your situation. Let us help you plan ahead and get it done right the first time. We also ship on an open or enclosed trailer. Reach out to our customer service advisors to see any of these other options. As the leaders in the auto transport industry, we can guide you in the right direction.

How Much Does Flatbed Hauling Cost?

The cost for flatbed auto transport varies depending on the distance traveled. Shorter routes may cost $1.25 to $2.50 per mile. Longer journeys can range from $0.75 cents to 1.50 per mile. The weight, size, and condition of the vehicle are the primary factors that determine what you will pay for flatbed auto transport services. 

Flatbed vehicle transport is more expensive than conventional auto transport as well due to the splitting of mileage cost being down to less vehicles, as opposed to the 9-10 vehicles taken on regular carriers. Flatbeds only can transport one, two, or three cars at a time.

It all starts with an instant quote.

How Long Does a Flatbed Transport Truck Take?

There are far fewer flatbed carriers out there than conventional ones, therefore expect wait times to increase in certain areas. Most flatbed auto transport services take 1-7 days to be loaded up.

Flatbed Auto Transport Vs Local Towing Services

Although local towing companies use flatbeds, this is not to be confused with auto transport as local towing is basically “on demand” service that shows up almost instantly and charge a premium.

Flatbed auto transport is done on a planned basis. Therefore, aside from moving cars from one place to another, flatbed hauling and auto transport via open or enclosed trailer share one that main thing in common

So if you are not waiting by the roadside and this is a planned situation, make sure you are using an auto transport company.

open carrier auto transport example

When Not to Use Flatbed Auto Transport Services

Unless it cannot be avoided, flatbed car carriers are not recommended for any standard vehicles that can go on a regular open carrier. 

Some customers believe that there is an added benefit to their car riding alone on flatbed car trailers, however there is really not. Moving a standard vehicle on regular routes across the country on flatbed auto transport can be costly.

Because there are far fewer flatbed auto transport services that travel long distances, you may be waiting extra time and paying more!

This time of move is re more expensive because your vehicle rides almost exclusively on it. As previously mentioned, when hiring an auto transport company and using a carrier with multiple vehicles it splits the cost of traveling there by making it less expensive and far more reasonable.

Since it’s not typical for a regular vehicle to travel on a flatbed long distance, it would be a specific request that would need to be made and the rate could easily be very high.

Being more expensive in this case does not at all mean better. Using a flatbed and having your vehicle travel by itself does not provide any additional safety. Even enclosed transport where the most rare and valuable vehicles are shipped is done on a multi car enclosed carrier.

If time is of the essence it would be more cost efficient to request a carrier to deviate from their route to deliver your car first before the other vehicles and pay a small premium to do so. If your vehicle does not run it does not require a flatbed service either. There are carriers that have a winch and can safely pull your vehicle up on a truck with other operating or non-operating vehicles and still save you money by shipping more than one car together.

Summing Things Up

We hope we've made it easy to understands why flatbeds are only necessary when your car needs them and why you should use them. To recap, anything from a compact cars or cargo vans, to a small motorhome can be shipped via a flatbed car shipping. It's recommended to only use flatbed auto transport services when a vehicle does not run, does not roll or steer, or is too big for a conventional auto carrier. Otherwise, you can ship on any of the open or enclosed counterparts.

For any and all flatbed auto transport services, call us today to get pricing and availability for your area.