The transportation of goods, materials, equipment, machines and other items from one place to another is important for many businesses. Every company or business produces something. To be able to sell those products locally and worldwide, businesses need to transport them to merchants. So, transportation is essential part of making profits and business growth. Also, to produce products, businesses need various materials and raw products, which are shipped to their production facilities. Therefore, transportation is crucial for flawless business operation. It enables completion of various important economic and trade activities.
Three types of transportation are most commonly used by businesses: air, rail and road transportation. The most popular ones are the railway and road transportation. The first one involves trains, while the second one requires the use of various trucks, vans and other vehicles enabled for moving and transporting different kinds of materials from one location to another. But which transportation method is better – trucking or rail?
Lets start with truck transportation. For this type of transportation different kinds of trucks and vehicles can be used. The most commonly used ones are flatbed trucks. The flatbed trucks are ideal for transporting shipments and freight that cannot be easily transported in closed vans and containers. This capability makes them number one choice and also the safest way for transporting heavy and oversized loads. The most common types of flatbed trailers that are mainly used for transportation of goods and materials are: traditional flatbed trucks, double drop deck trailers, step deck trailers and removable goose neck trailers. What makes them so widely used is the fact that they provide a greater dimensional flexibility.
The flatbed trucks are also more convenient for loading and unloading different types of materials, simply because the materials are easily lifted on and off the truck with cranes. Large and bulky pieces of equipment, building materials and construction machines are most common types of freight that is being transported by flatbed trucks. The flatbed trucking option is ideal for the construction sites and shipping points when there is no available dock or for construction projects that require quick loading and unloading of equipment and materials. Therefore, flatbed trailers are used in many ways and for different purposes because they can accommodate any type of freight and load.
These trailers can be loaded from behind, from the sides or from the top. They offer many options when it comes to transporting materials or equipment. The flatbed truck transportation has several other advantages like: “door to door” transportation or transporting freight directly from the sender to the recipient. Also, it is cheaper and faster for short distances shipments and the client or the recipient of the freight determine departure and arrival time of the freight. But not everything is perfect with trucking transportation. It does have few disadvantages, which are:
- more expensive for long distance shipments
- certain freight size and weight limitations depending on the regulations and restrictions imposed by different states
- the weather and the road conditions can affect the flatbed truck transportation
Continue Reading – Part 2