More than 100 million vehicles are shipped each year in the U.S. and an increasing number of them use flatbed car shipping to deliver it safely and efficiently. Your sake of relocation, sale of vehicle, or emergency breakdown, the method you select should be counted and it should be the right one. You will find all the information about flatbed auto transport service variety, major vehicle categories, and the mechanics behind flatbed auto shipping, as it looks in practice.
Can you Haul Cars on a Flatbed?
You can tow cars using a platforms truck bound to a flatbed by fastening the vehicle in place with straps or by chain and within legal size and wight limits. The flatbeds serve best in short-medium transport distances and are a mostly loved technique used to haul flatbed cars. One only needs a CDL license when the combined weight has crossed the 26001 lbs mark otherwise most individuals are allowed to drive it legally.
The hauling distance should not exceed 250 miles and thus it is the best option when looking to move your flatbed using local flatbed car movers. The majority of the light flatbeds do not obligate the employment of a CDL. CDL is required in the event that the load and the flatbed weigh more than 26,001 lbs. Rental flatbeds are required when shipping a flatbed cargo with a normal driver. The safety ramps should have proper tie-downs and loading ramps.
A flatbed auto transport service is also popular with many people because it is a balance between the costs and the needed control. With longer distances or coast-coast delivery, flatbed auto transport companies will handle the item and give the client assurance.
How Many Cars Can Fit on a Flatbed?
Normally, the number of cars that can fill a flatbed number between 1 to 5, depending on the type. Standard rollback flatbeds can use one car, whereas the bigger and multi-vehicle flatbed trailers which would be used with the idea of hauling small and mid-sized cars can carry as many as 5 cars. The ability to carry loads is based on the size; weight of the vehicle and length and rating of the flatbed that is crucial in the shipping of the vehicle.
Type of Vehicles That Can Pull Flatbeds:
The pickup truck such as Ford F-250 or Ram 250 can tow small flatbeds that normally have the capacity to accommodate 1 car. Experienced flatbed car movers can use these. High-capacitated flatbeds need trucks such as Ford F-450, Ram 3500 dually, or Freightliner Cascadia that can carry up to 5 cars regardless of the type of trailer and load limitations, and are fitting to the journey of national auto shipping by flatbed.
Category | Small Flatbed Haulers | Heavy-Duty Flatbed Haulers |
Example Vehicles | Ford F-150, Ford F-250, Ram 1500/2500, Chevy Silverado 2500 | Ford F-450, Ram 3500 Dually, Freightliner Cascadia, Kenworth T680 |
Towing Capacity | 7,000 – 14,000 lbs | 20,000 – 80,000+ lbs |
Cars Carried | 1 car (sedan or small SUV) | 3 to 5 cars (sedans, SUVs, or trucks) |
Flatbed Types Used | Single-car rollback, light-duty gooseneck | Multi-car wedge, 48–53 ft flatbed trailer |
Driver’s License | No CDL if GCWR < 26,001 lbs | CDL required for GCWR > 26,001 lbs or commercial use |
Best Use Case | Short hauls, personal towing, roadside assistance | Auto transport business, long hauls, multiple vehicle delivery |
Typical Trailer Length | 19–22 ft | 48–53 ft |
Fuel Efficiency (avg.) | 10–15 mpg (gas/diesel) | 5–8 mpg (diesel) |
Hitch Type | Bumper pull or light gooseneck | Heavy-duty gooseneck or fifth-wheel |
Insurance Requirements | Personal auto insurance may suffice | Commercial insurance required |
Hiring Open Flatbed Carrier vs Towing The Car on Your Own:
The last distinction of using an open flatbed carrier and doing a car tow yourself is price, ease, and exposure to danger. A carrier will provide more professional treatment and long distance delivery at a higher expense. Self-towing is much less expensive in the short-term but has the condition of an appropriate vehicle or equipment and legal requirements.
● It is so easy to hire and so time consuming and laborious towing yourself.
● There is no equipment necessary to hire but DIY needs lights, a trailer and tie-downs.
● There is legal coverage on the hiring; DIY sometimes needs CDL when more than 26001.
● Towing is appropriate at local trips; hiring is suitable when the trip is long distance
● When employing a professional driver, there is less risk; DIY towing will attract a lot of liability.
● When you hire, the timely servicing is saved; when you do-it-yourself, there is the aspect of planning the process and time consumed.
● Luxury or non-driving vehicles have to use flatbed carrier; weight balancing is required by DIY.
Difference Between a Flatbed and a Car Dolly:
The flatbed trailers entirely lift the automobile clear of the road, which means that it is the safest mode of transporting cars that use the flatbed. Car dollies only hoist the front wheels leaving the rear wheels in rolling condition which is not desirable when one is transporting rear-wheel drive vehicles or all-wheel drive vehicles.
Flatbed auto transport service companies usually suggest that long transportation deals and high star value cars should be transported using a flatbed since they are the most impregnable and easy to ride on to avoid wear and tear and undercarriage damages. Car dollies on the other hand are cheaper and are more applicable in the short distances and vehicles that have operable front-wheel drives.
In case of shorter moves, short-range flatbed car transporters can utilize smaller vehicles with rollback truck beds. In terms of coast-to-coast requirements, the flatbed discount auto shipping is nationwide, and it delivers high standards to the transport of numerous vehicles safely. Be it the relocation within a town or the transport of a vehicle between the states, the shipping of cars on flatbed vehicles is both easy and safe like the job of professionals.
Cost to Flatbed a Vehicle vs Towing:
The price of flatbed towing is usually in the scope of 2.5-7 dollars per mile with average prices being around 3-5 dollars per mile because of increased safe and technical requirements. Usual standard towing is cheaper and has an average rate of two to four dollars per mile.
In most cases, both types feature an initial hookup cost of 50 to 100 dollars. As a single individual, it is seldom, and generally unfeasible, to rent a flatbed tow-truck because it is very expensive to run and the license is expensive to obtain.
Write to the cost of $0.70 to 1.20 per mile open carrier auto transport services are cheaper to use, depending on the distance of transportation of the vehicle since these are offered in the case of long-distance transportation of the vehicle.
Type | Avg. Cost Per Mile | Example Route | Distance (miles) | Estimated Total Cost |
Flatbed Towing | $3 – $5 | Los Angeles, CA → Las Vegas, NV | 270 | $810 – $1,350 |
Miami, FL → Atlanta, GA | 660 | $1,980 – $3,300 | ||
Dallas, TX → Denver, CO | 780 | $2,340 – $3,900 | ||
Standard Towing | $2 – $4 | Los Angeles, CA → Las Vegas, NV | 270 | $540 – $1,080 |
Miami, FL → Atlanta, GA | 660 | $1,320 – $2,640 | ||
Dallas, TX → Denver, CO | 780 | $1,560 – $3,120 |
But when you employ open carrier based auto transport companies such as Easy Auto Ship, you are paying less as compared to using a flatbed or towing your vehicle when transporting it to Canada. The cost of hiring an open carrier shipping company to transport the goods by a flatbed car transport cost will count per mile between 0.75 and 1.2, not to mention that you are not obliged to drive anywhere and you will not risk driving behind a large car, on the road, where you need to balance the load of the cargo properly.
Note: This article is provided by “DiyTransport“ and published by our team. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.