Line 01 / Flatbed dispatch
Flatbed dispatch that charges for the tarps, not just the miles
A flatbed carries a few thousand dollars of gear and burns an hour on every tarped load before the wheels turn. If tarp pay, detention and the securement time aren't in the rate, you are paying for them out of the linehaul. Our flatbed dispatch service prices all of it before an offer reaches you.
Flatbed rates ran well above last year through 2026, which means more good loads and more carriers chasing them. A flatbed dispatcher who knows which shippers pay for tarps, and which brokers short it, is worth more in a market like that.
DAT flatbed spot: $2.72/mi, week ending Aug 14, 2026, +35.7% year over year.
Source: DAT, Flatbed Report, Aug 17, 2026 · checked Oct 2026
Line 02 / Onboarding checklist
What we need to start dispatching your flatbed
Flatbed brokers ask more questions than van brokers, because the wrong truck at a steel mill wastes everyone's day. The more we know up front, the fewer loads we bring you that don't fit.
Authority and paperwork
MC and DOT numbers, W-9, certificate of insurance with cargo limits, and your NOA if you factor.
Trailer specs
Length, deck height, maximum legal payload, and whether you have a ramp, sides or a conestoga kit.
Gear on the truck
Tarp types and sizes, number of straps, chains and binders, and edge protection, so we only quote loads you can secure.
Endorsements and credentials
TWIC card for port and some plant work, hazmat endorsement if you haul it, and any shipper-specific safety training.
Lanes and limits
Home base, regions you like, states you won't run, and whether you'll take oversize or permit loads.
Line 03 / Flatbed money checklist
Your gear on one receipt, and the tarp pay that pays it back
Change the quantities and prices to what is on your truck. The receipt totals the gear and sets it against tarp pay: how much you collect per tarped load and how many tarped loads you run a month. The answer is how many months of tarp pay it takes to cover the gear. If the answer is "never", your linehaul is buying your tarps.
| Gear | Qty | Each (EXAMPLE) | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumber tarps | $ | $1,300 | |
| Steel tarps | $ | $1,100 | |
| 4 in ratchet straps | $ | $560 | |
| Grade 70 chains | $ | $760 | |
| Binders | $ | $680 | |
| Edge protectors, corners | $ | $180 | |
| Bungees, dunnage, misc | $ | $250 | |
| Gear total | $4,830 |
EXAMPLE prices; yours depend on brand and supplier. Tarps and straps wear out, so the payback restarts every replacement cycle. Skip tarp pay and the gear is paid from your linehaul.
Accessorials to ask for on every flatbed load
- + Tarp pay, per load, written on the rate con
- + Detention after free time at the shipper and the receiver
- + Layover if the load can't deliver the day promised
- + Truck ordered not used (TONU) if a load cancels after dispatch
- + Extra stops, and pay for permits on oversize freight
Where the gear shows up in your books
Gear is a cost of running a flatbed like tires or fuel. Spread it per mile and it belongs in your cost per mile, the same way the trucking expenses list groups it. Replacing worn straps and torn tarps is part of the budget every year, not a surprise.
General information, not tax advice. Rules and rates change every year and depend on your situation: confirm with a tax professional before you file. We are not a tax preparer or accountant.
Flatbed freight we book
Steel coils, pipe and rebar, lumber and building materials, machinery and equipment, construction and agricultural products, and palletized freight that loads from the side or top. Each brings its own securement, its own tarp habits and its own shippers. We match loads to the trailer and gear you have, and we tell you plainly when a commodity needs gear you don't carry yet.
What a flatbed week looks like with us
The first load is lined up before Monday with the reload in mind. Every offer comes with commodity, weight, dimensions and tarp needs. Securement time and detention are tracked on the check calls, tarp pay is on the rate con, and on Friday the truck empties somewhere with flatbed freight going your way.
Line 04 / Tarp pay and securement
What we negotiate before you strap a single load
Tarp pay is negotiated per load, and it varies by shipper, commodity and how many tarps the load takes. Some shippers include it in the posted rate, some list it separately, and some leave it off unless asked. We ask, every time, and we counter a tarped load that pays nothing for the tarps.
Before we bring you an offer we also check the commodity, weight and dimensions against your trailer and gear. A load you can't secure legally isn't a load, at any rate. Want to work out the counter yourself? The counter-offer target rate calculator gives you the number to ask for.
Working load limit
The combined working load limit of your tiedowns must be at least half the weight of the cargo, under the general cargo securement rule.
Source: LII / eCFR, 49 CFR 393.106, general securement requirements · checked Oct 2026
Minimum number of tiedowns
One tiedown for an article 5 ft or shorter and 1,100 lb or lighter; two for an article up to 10 ft, or over 1,100 lb; then one more for each additional 10 ft or part of it. Blocked articles and specific commodities have their own rules.
Source: LII / eCFR, 49 CFR 393.110, minimum number of tiedowns · checked Oct 2026
Line 05 / Fee and questions
Flatbed dispatcher questions
5% of gross for one truck with 6+ months of authority, 7% while your MC is under 6 months, 4% per truck for 2 or more (limited time). Gross includes tarp pay and detention the broker pays on the load. No setup fee, no contract. Every line: our dispatch fees.
Are tarps and straps tax deductible?
Securement gear is generally a business expense for a flatbed carrier, either deducted when bought or depreciated, depending on its cost and how your business is set up. Keep the receipts with your other truck expenses. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm the treatment with a tax professional.
What is a good rate per mile for flatbed?
One that clears your cost per mile, including empty miles and the time spent securing and tarping. For context, DAT reported national flatbed spot linehaul at $2.72 a mile for the week ending Aug 14, 2026, before fuel surcharge, up 35.7% from a year earlier. Your lanes and freight decide what is good for you.
Do you negotiate tarp pay?
Every time a load needs tarps. We ask whether the shipper pays tarp pay, how much, and get it written on the rate confirmation before you accept. If a load needs tarps and pays nothing for them, we tell you so and counter, because the hour and the wear are real costs.
What securement gear do I need?
Enough working load limit to secure the heaviest loads you'll take, with at least the minimum number of tiedowns the rules require for the length and weight of each article. That usually means straps, chains and binders, edge protection, and tarps for the freight you want. Commodity rules add more for coils, lumber and machinery.
Will you force me to take loads?
No. Every load is offered to you with the commodity, weight, dimensions, tarp needs and rate. The rate confirmation comes straight to you and you confirm or decline. A decline costs nothing; we'd rather you turn down a load than haul freight your gear can't secure.
Running a step deck instead, or as well? Taller freight and different shippers: see step deck dispatch.
Strap it, tarp it, get paid for both
Send your trailer, gear list and home base. We book flatbed loads with tarp pay and detention on the rate con before you accept, and you confirm every one.
5% of gross. No setup fee. Cancel with 30 days notice.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE week. Not a promise of loads or income.