Flatbed Trailer Rentals: The How and Why Companies Choose to Rent Flatbed Trailers

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted Tuesday, October 22, 2019 - 8:39am

Flatbed trailers are used for many diverse purposes.  This style of commercial vehicle, since it is not enclosed, does lend itself well to less size-specific hauls or loads.  This includes but is not limited to over size loads (housing and cars), equipment loads, and for many companies, waste removal and garbage loads.  Since many companies are restricted in the dumping of waste materials to certain landfills, any type of waste or garbage, if there is a goodly amount, must be trucked to another area and dumped according to regulations.  If a company does not do this on a regular basis, owning a flatbed truck and maintaining it might be too costly over a long period of time.  There are insurance mandates and upkeep to deal with when owning a flatbed trailer, as well as other regulations and permits that are needed depending on where the company is located.  The uses for flatbed trailers is especially prevalent in the auto industry and commercial scrap metal industries, where tires and scap metal are routinely hauled away for disposal.  These industries require flatbed trucks for the non-enclosed space they provide, which lends to the flexibility of hauling.  Flatbed trucking rental is a prime solution for companies that only occasionally need this type of commercial vehicle.  

Even if companies own their own flatbed trailer or trailers, they many times run into the need for more flatbed trucks than they have on hand.  This is where the flatbed trailer rental industry becomes a bonus for them.  Flatbed trailers and the drivers needed to perform the hauling of materials are provided by flatbed trailer rental companies for a price and are a great solution to a companies’ hauling needs. These rental companies can provide quick and efficient services without all the headaches that generally surface when owning and operating a flatbed truck outright.  The burden of operation, speed of delivery, training of drivers, and expense of owning a truck outright are handled efficiently and quickly by renting a flatbed truck.  Oversized loads and especially loads that must cross several state lines, are relatively quickly completed by companies that offer rentals of flatbeds.  The size and type of flatbed truck is discussed and furnished and the speeds that the trucks can deliver in horsepower and even types of transmissions needed are discussed with clients.  Clients also can use their own driversor can discuss the provision of drivers with flatbed truck rental companies.  Flatbed truck rental companies, if not having enough drivers of their own, do have connections within this industry and can usually locate drivers quickly and easily for their clients.  

Everything from tow trucks to waste hauling types of flatbeds can be rented, even from some home centers and other types of distributors.  The prices do vary according to the type of freight, length of rental, and of course mileage requirements.  Some companies can tack on fees for disposal, especially of certain materials if a particular location for waste disposal is needed.   There may be permits needed in certain locations also depending on the location.  Routes are also a consideration if an over-sized load is to be hauled as clearances on roadways and rules of the roadways must be observed at all times.  Municipalities can have restrictions on passages of over-sized loads. Sometimes there is a requirement that other vehicles accompany the flatbed truck when delivering an over-sized load.  Size and dimension are usually calculated for over-sized loads and waste management needs. 

Towing using flatbed truck rentals is calculated on the other hand, by the necessity of winching, and the amount of vehicles that are to be winched and towed.   Commercial vehicle towing and winching, generally cost more per project, and the location of the vehicles to be towed and winched also plays a part in overall cost of a flatbed truck used for these purposes. Winching overall, is the process in which a crane with a large hook on the end, is used to secure a vehicle and hoist it onto the flatbed truck.  The size and type of winch apparatus generally determines the price and a great deal of skill many times is needed by the operator of such a flatbed vehicle.  Automotive companies are generally the buyers of this type of flatbed truck rental, as are other operations that use commercial industry equipment.  Commercial industry equipment that breaks down in an unlikely place are generally very dependent on flatbed truck rentals for a solution to their problems quickly as an unmanned and broken-down commercial equipment piece can be a costly mistake if left untended.  

Overall, the flatbed truck rental companies are a needed solution to many industry specific problems when hauling, towing, and otherwise managing waste within their own company.  Turning to a flatbed truck rental company saves other companies much time and expense and are a much-used platform for completion of projects by other commercial entities, and even sometimes by individuals themselves.  Everything from fleets of cars, to removing a private motorcycle that has broken down, can be serviced by a flatbed truck rental company.  The industry is diverse and suited to most any type of transport or removal, so check prices and find the one that is right for your needs!  

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