Flatbed dispatch with the tarp pay settled before you load
Flatbed loads pay well when the extra work gets paid too. Our flatbed dispatchers negotiate the linehaul and the tarp pay together, confirm the securement before you roll, and plan the next load while you strap this one.
Doing it yourself
- Hours on the board between loads
- Tarp pay often forgotten until the dock
- Rate calls while you secure the load
- Detention chased after the fact
With our flatbed dispatcher
- Loads lined up before you unload
- Tarp pay agreed before booking
- We handle the broker calls
- Detention logged and claimed
Tarp or no tarp: which load really pays?
Two EXAMPLE loads pay the same linehaul. One needs tarps. Set the tarp pay, the time it takes you to tarp and untarp, and what your straps and tarps cost to replace. The net per hour shows which load is worth the effort.
Load A: no tarp
Net per hour
$125.15
10.9 hrs: driving plus 30 min to secure
Load B: tarped
Net per hour
$117.67
12.4 hrs with tarping and untarping
Driving time assumes 50 mph average. EXAMPLE numbers; fee 5% of gross. A tarped load that pays nothing extra loses on every hour.
A tarped load that pays nothing extra loses money on every hour. That is why we never book one without asking.
Starting out on flatbed: the gear is part of the deal
A flatbed owner buys more than a truck and a trailer. Straps, chains, binders, edge protectors, coil racks and tarps are a real cost, and they wear out. Budget for them the way you budget for tires.
Before you buy, price the tractor and trailer through the truck and trailer financing guide, then add the gear. On the first call we look at what you own and steer you to freight you can secure properly from day one, under the cargo securement rules in 49 CFR part 393.
- Straps and chains rated for the loads you plan to haul
- Lumber and steel tarps, plus edge protection
- Coil racks or dunnage if you want steel coils
- A way to weigh-check before the scale does it for you
Flatbed freight that pays
The DAT national average flatbed spot linehaul rate was $2.70 a mile in August 2026, fuel surcharge excluded, the highest of the three major trailer types that month. Averages hide a lot: construction season, steel demand and region move flatbed rates more than van rates.
Our flatbed dispatch service books steel, lumber, pipe, building materials and machinery. When a load is too tall for a flatbed, we move it to a step deck if you have one, or pass. See how step deck dispatch works if you are weighing that trailer. Hauling lumber out of Washington, Oregon or Idaho? See Pacific Northwest dispatch.
What we settle before you strap the first load
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Tarp pay | Tarping can add an hour or more at each end of the trip |
| Weight and dimensions | So the load is legal and fits your deck |
| Loading method | Crane, forklift or overhead, and who loads it |
| Securement needs | Chains or straps, edge protection, coil racks |
| Detention | Clock start time and hourly rate in writing |
What our flatbed dispatcher handles
Flatbed brokers ask more questions than van brokers, and the answers decide whether the load works. We handle that back and forth:
- Load searches on the boards and with our flatbed broker contacts
- Rate and tarp pay negotiated together before booking
- Weight, dimensions and loading method confirmed in writing
- Securement needs checked against the gear you carry
- Check calls, delivery confirmations and detention claims
- A weekly report of loads, miles and rate per mile
A flatbed week, EXAMPLE
Monday: a steel load from a mill, tarped, with tarp pay on the rate con. Tuesday: delivered by noon, then a lumber load from a yard 60 miles away, booked the day before. Wednesday: building materials toward home, untarped, a lighter day. Thursday and Friday: a machinery load that needed chains, with the detention clock logged at the shipper.
This is an example of planning, not a promise of loads. What matters is that every tarp and every hour of waiting shows up on a rate con, not as a surprise at the end of the week.
Straight answers for flatbed owners
Will you book me loads I cannot secure?
No. We ask what straps, chains, tarps and racks you carry, and we only offer loads you can secure under 49 CFR part 393. If a load needs gear you do not have, we tell you before you decide.
Do you know flatbed, or just vans?
We ask the flatbed questions on every load: tarp needs, loading method, securement and dimensions. Those answers are written into the rate con before you sign, so nothing is left to the dock.
Questions to ask any flatbed dispatcher
Flatbed dispatch companies are not all equal on open-deck freight. Ask these first:
Do you negotiate tarp pay every time?. If the answer is maybe, you will be tarping for free.
Do you check securement before booking?. They should ask what gear you carry, not assume.
Who signs the rate con?. You should, in your company name, after you have seen the load.
How do you handle tall or wide loads?. A good desk knows when a load belongs on a step deck or needs permits.
What is the fee charged on?. Gross, linehaul only, or flat. Get it in writing, including whether tarp pay is counted.
Weather and securement checks on an open deck
An open deck takes the weather head on. Rain and snow can ruin uncovered freight, and ice on the deck makes loading dangerous. We check the forecast on your route and flag loads where a tarp will be needed even if the shipper did not ask for one.
Federal rules in 49 CFR 392.9 require you to check your cargo and securement within the first 50 miles, then again at set intervals. We plan stops so those checks fit the trip instead of costing you an appointment.
You approve every flatbed load
- 1Dispatcher finds and negotiates
- 2Broker sends the rate con to you
- 3You sign it, or you say no
We negotiate the load, then bring you the weight, the tarp needs and the rate. If you take it, the broker sends the rate con to your email in your company name, and you sign it.
If the load needs gear you do not have or a tarp the broker will not pay for, say no. We will keep looking, at no cost to you.
Flatbed dispatch pricing
7% of gross while your MC is under 6 months, 5% for one truck and 4% for two or more trucks on one MC, the same as every rig we dispatch. Tarp pay counts as part of the load revenue.
No setup fee, no minimum and no long contract. Details on the pricing page.
- 7%MC under 6 months, any fleet size
- 5%1 truck, MC 6+ months
- 4%2+ trucks on one MC, MC 6+ months
- Of gross load revenue. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month, 30 days notice, no haul no pay.
Flatbed dispatch questions
How much does it cost to start a flatbed business?
Do you negotiate tarp pay?
Do you dispatch step decks too?
What securement gear do I need?
What flatbed freight pays best?
Do I have to take the loads you find?
Get paid for every strap and every tarp
Tell us your trailer and your gear. A dispatcher calls you back.