Step Decks for Freight Too Tall for a Standard Flatbed
Lower deck height to accommodate higher freight.
What Is a Step Deck Trailer?
Extra height clearance.
A step deck trailer — also called a drop deck — is an open flatbed with a lower main deck that sits closer to the ground than a standard flatbed. That lower deck is what makes the step deck valuable: it gives you extra vertical clearance for tall freight without pushing the total load height over legal limits.
When your machinery, equipment, or oversized load needs to ship on an open deck but sits too high for a standard flatbed, a step deck is usually the right call.
| Step deck trailer | Upper deck | Lower deck | Width | Deck height | Max freight height | Max payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step deck flatbed | 9 ft | 41 ft | 102 in | 38″ – 40″ | approx. 122″ | 47,000 lb |
* Max freight height approx. 122″ (10″ to 10′ 2″).
Step Deck Dimensions and Capacity
Standard step deck flatbed specs.
Laufer's step deck flatbed offers a 9-foot upper deck and a 41-foot lower deck, both 102 inches wide, with a maximum payload of 47,000 pounds. The lower deck sits closer to the ground than a standard flatbed, which is what lets taller freight ship legally without permits.
The lower deck is the whole point: by dropping the main deck height, a step deck keeps tall freight inside the legal limit (a loaded trailer cannot exceed about 13 feet 6 inches total) without the permits, escorts, and route restrictions that come with an oversize move. The step deck Conestoga adds weather protection over that same lower deck. For how the Conestoga cover system works, see our Conestoga trailers page.
When Is a Step Deck the Right Choice?
A standard flatbed keeps freight at a fixed deck height. When your load is tall enough that adding securement and bracing pushes it over legal height, you have two choices: find a lower deck or permit the oversize.
A step deck solves the height problem by dropping the main deck down, so tall freight ships legally without the permits, escorts, and route restrictions that come with an oversize load.
Step decks are the right equipment for machinery, tall steel fabrications, recreational trailers, and any freight where the total height — cargo plus blocking, bracing or dunnage — gets close to the limit on a standard flatbed.
The step deck gives you the same open-deck loading and unloading flexibility as an open flatbed, with the added headroom that keeps your load inside legal step deck trailer dimensions.
For step deck freight that also needs protection from weather and road spray, Laufer's step deck Conestoga option — or a standard Conestoga for shorter loads — covers both requirements.
