Flatbed truck

There is also the risk that an improperly secured load may be shed in transit, often leading to accidents or road blockages.

Some improvement was made with the general replacement of ropes by flat webbing straps, tightened with a ratchet.

Some older trailers still in service are only 45 feet (13.72 m) or shorter if used in sets of doubles or triples (often used to haul hay).

Body and frame can be one of three general designs: the heaviest and sturdiest is all steel (usually with wood planks), ever-popular combo with steel frame and aluminium bed, these type often have wood portions for nailing down dunnage boards), and aluminium (which is the lightest allowing for more cargo to be legally carried without overweight permits).

Incredibly light and very expensive to purchase, all aluminium trailers are very slippery when wet, flex more and are easily damaged.

These stepdecks can come with loading ramps to allow vehicles to roll on and off of the back from ground level.

In the event of long pipes or steel or lumber coming loose in a hard braking incident, they save the operator and cab/sleeper in one of two manners in theory.

If attached to the trailer they bend while attempting to block forward motion of a loosened cargo, causing the long load to go above the cab and driver.

The so-called Cali spread was originally designed to comply with bridge weight formulas in that state but has since been adopted in most other parts of the country.

The driver may not be able to use this feature if the trailer is loaded, but if the deck is empty the driver can lower the front axle to bring the rear axle off of the ground to significantly decrease the turning radius of the rig for easy maneuvering in tight spaces, or to reduce tire wear during empty/deadhead miles of travel.

With different varying loads of cargo, the driver can have an idea how much the gross total weight is, and if they are legal to avoid a ticket (80,000 pounds without a permit in most states, but slightly lower in others).

Other decks of trailers can have sliding detachable accessories which greatly diversify the options of where and how to place a chain hook for securement.