Companies, like yours, have goods to move, customer commitments to meet and bottom lines to maintain. That said, sometimes it's difficult to achieve these ends in the transportation industry.
With so many providers to choose from and so much to consider when doing so, it’s not uncommon for shippers to see their supply chains falter under the weight of weak transportation partnerships — selected hastily or without enough consideration.
Avoiding issues on your shipments doesn’t have to be difficult, especially with the right grouping of providers in your corner. The added intricacies that accompany many flatbed, step-deck and open-deck shipments, however, warrant a steady-handed, seasoned provider.
As you know, these kinds of providers can be hard to come by.
Here at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), we’ve been building our expertise as a specialized flatbed transportation company for more than 68 years. Today, ATS’ open-deck company, ATS Specialized, Inc. consistently ranks among the best in the business and operates more than 1,800 multi-axe specialized trailers.
Although we’re confident in our processes and ability to help shippers move flatbed freight, even in the most unique circumstances, we recognize that there are other options out there.
At the end of the day, the things that matter most to us are your satisfaction and the smooth facilitation of your supply chain — even if we’re not the company you choose.
The truth is, there are a lot of great flatbed trucking companies in the U.S.
As we march into 2024, a year that promises to hurl even more wrenches into the transportation landscape, your partnerships will matter more than ever.
To give you the information to make the absolute best transportation decisions for your company, this article will do these two things:
- List the top 15 flatbed trucking companies in 2024
- Give you some tactics for choosing the best flatbed companies for you this year
What makes a company a "top" flatbed company?
Based on feedback from our customers — people just like you, looking for reliable open-deck shipping options — we know you're looking for several things in a flatbed trucking company.
You not only want the right amount of capacity to keep up with your demands, but you also need a company with the trailer variety to properly load, secure and deliver your freight.
Here are the top flatbed trucking companies that meet this criteria, ordered based on the date they were founded.
Top 15 Flatbed Trucking Companies in 2024
- Melton Truck Lines
- CRST The Transportation Solution
- Acme Truck Line
- Roehl Transport
- Landstar System
- Prime Inc.
- TMC Transportation
- System Transport
- Bennett International Group
- Mercer Transportation Co.
- Maverick USA
- PGT Trucking Inc.
- Western Express
- Daseke Inc.
- PS Logistics
Let’s continue by outlining some key facts about each of these top flatbed carriers.
Melton Truck Lines
Melton Truck Lines has a fleet of flatbed and step-deck trailers which it uses to serve customers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A Quest for Quality award winner, Melton boasts industry-leading service levels and quality equipment.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, freight brokerage
- Founded Date: 1954
- 2023 Revenue***: 377,968,000
- Headquarters: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers: Unknown — contact Melton for details.
- Number of Tractors**: 1,400+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: 53-foot flatbeds, 53-foot step-decks.
*According to Melton's website
**According to a Transport Topics interview
CRST The Transportation Solution
One of the oldest companies on this list, CRST was founded in 1955. Over the years, CRST has established itself as a leader within various segments of the transportation industry. Flatbed transportation has always been their bread and butter, however.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, dry van, reefer, LTL, warehousing, freight brokerage
- Founded Date: 1955
- Headquarters: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- 2023 Revenue***: 403,000,000
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: 7,300
- Number of Tractors**: 4,500
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks, side kits
*According to CRST's website
**According to Dun & Bradstreet (incudes both van and flatbed — contact CRST for details)
Acme Truck Line
Acme Truck Line moves an average of 3,700 loads per week across the U.S., and into/out of Canada and Mexico. One of the smaller companies on this list, Acme serves nearly every industry in the U.S. but has a particularly large presence in manufacturing, aerospace and construction.
- Services: Expedited, heavy haul, 3PL management, freight forwarding/cross border, power only, flatbed, dry van.
- Founded Date: 1960
- Headquarters: Gretna, Louisiana
- 2023 Revenue***: 184,600,000
- Number of Trailers*: nearly 1,000 (includes dry van trailers)
- Number of Tractors*: 1,500
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: Lowboys, step-decks, RGNs, various heavy haul trailers.
*According to Acme Truck Line's website
**Revenue numbers from Transport Topics
Roehl Transport
Roehl has been in the trucking business since 1962 when they entered the marketplace with a single truck. Today, Roehl has more than 5,000 trailers and 2,000 trucks and offers full truckload transportation solutions to companies across industries. Roehl also has a freight brokerage company, Roehl Logistics.
- Services: Flatbed, curtain side, Conestoga, dry van, refrigerated shipping, dedicated.
- Founded Date: 1962
- Headquarters: Marshfield, Wisconsin
- 2023 Revenue***: 122,400,000
- Number of Trailers*: 5,800
- Number of Tractors*: 2,200
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: 48- and 53-foot flatbeds, 48-foot step-decks, 53-foot expandable flatbeds, RGNs, expandable RGNs.
*According to Roehl’s website (incudes both van and flatbed — contact Roehl for details)
Landstar System
Landstar has an interesting business model, comprised of three main stakeholders — Landstar freight agents (who book freight), Landstar's administrative, maintenance and corporate teams (which support Landstar agents and customers and invest its trailing fleet) and Landstar's owner-operators (who own a truck and haul freight within the Landstar network). With a rich history in North America, Landstar has a diverse open-deck trailer fleet and consistently ranks among the largest transportation companies in the world.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, cross-border, expedited, project cargo, transportation management.
- Founded Date: 1968
- Headquarters: Jacksonville, Florida
- 2023 Revenue***: 1,760,357,000
- Number of Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: 2,688 (down from 2,850 in 2022)
- Number of Tractors**: 10,253 (down from 11,864 in 2022). Note: All tractors are owned by Landstar's independent contractors, Landstar does not own any trucks.
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks/lowboys, double-drops, extendable, multi-axle, removable goosenecks (RGNs), variety of heavy haul trailers.
*According to Landstar's website
**According to American Cranes & Transport
Prime Inc.
Serving all sections of the U.S. and part of Canada, Prime is mostly known for its massive refrigerated transportation division. That said, Prime also operates a respectable fleet of open-deck trailers. One of the largest companies on this list, Prime generated more than $2.8 billion accross its business units in 2023.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, reefer, tank/bulk, freight brokerage.
- Founded Date: 1970
- Headquarters: Springfield, Missouri
- 2023 Revenue***: 257,757,000
- Number of Flatbed Trailers*: 900 flatbeds, 400 step-decks
- Number of Tractors*: 850+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks.
*According to Prime’s website
TMC Transportation
TMC is an open-deck trucking company with a rich history in the U.S. Primarily a specialized open-deck provider, TMC prioritizes equipment quality and top-of-the-line service.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized
- Founded Date: 1972
- Headquarters: Des Moines, Iowa
- 2023 Revenue***: 450,000,000 (est)
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: Unknown — contact TMC Transportation for details.
- Number of Tractors**: 2,400+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: 48-foot flatbeds, 48- and 53-foot step-decks, 53-foot RGNs.
*According to TMC Transportation's website
**According to FreightWaves
System Transport
System Transport is the "largest flatbed carrier based in the western U.S." an accolade they've held for many years. Headquartered in Cheney, Washington, System Transport has an average age of fleet of 2.5 years and offers long-haul, regional and dedicated transportation services.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized.
- Founded Date: 1972
- Headquarters: Cheney, Washington
- 2023 Revenue***: 238,000,000
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: 1,200
- Number of Tractors*: 750
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks, double-drops, heavy haul flatbeds, flatbed Conestogas, commercial glass flatbeds.
*According to System Transport's website
**According to System Transport's Facebook page
Bennett International Group
The Bennett Family of Companies comprises more than 10 individual transportation businesses located across North America. Still operated by the family who started it in 1976, Bennett is a leader in the U.S. flatbed/open-deck trucking industry and makes significant investments in its people and equipment. Bennett also offers freight brokerage, warehousing, supply chain management and freight forwarding services.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, oil and gas transport, warehousing, freight forwarding, freight brokerage, customs brokerage, supply chain consulting.
- Founded Date: 1974
- Headquarters: McDonough, Georgia
- 2023 Revenue***: 924,237,000
- Number of Flatbed Trailers & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: 1,062
- Number of Tractors**: 1,283
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks, extendable step-decks, extendable double-drop trailers, variety of heavy haul trailers.
*According to Bennett's website
**According to American Cranes & Transport
Mercer Transportation Co.
Widely known as a reliable flatbed company, Mercer has more than 2,000 power units currently running across the U.S. Mercer's asset fleet handles more than 250,000 shipments each year. Mercer also operates a freight brokerage company.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, dry van, reefer, freight brokerage.
- Founded Date: 1977
- 2023 Revenue***: 528,500,000 (est)
- Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky
- Number of Flatbed Trailers & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers*: 1,300 flatbeds, 600 step-decks, 30 Conestogas.
- Number of Tractors*: 2,200+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks, flatbed Conestogas.
*According to Mercer's website
Maverick USA
Maverick is well known in the specialized open-deck space and has a long history in this market. Based out of Little Rock, Maverick has more than 1,600 power units and operates a variety of trailer types including flatbeds, RGNs and step-decks.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, dry van, freight brokerage.
- Founded Date: 1980
- Headquarters: Little Rock, Arkansas
- 2023 Revenue***: 461,256,000
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers: Unknown — contact Maverick for details.
- Number of Tractors*: 1,600+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, step-decks, RGNs (glass & marine)
*According to Maverick's website
PGT Trucking Inc.
PGT Trucking began in the flatbed industry in 1981. More than 40 years later, PGT has a big fleet of flatbed and open-deck, specialized trailing equipment. While it primarily services the U.S., PGT ventures into Canada and Mexico as well.
- Services: Flatbed, project cargo, Hazmat, specialized.
- Founded Date: 1981
- Headquarters: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
- 2023 Revenue***: 277,188,000
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers*: 1,500
- Number of Tractors*: 1,000
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, RGNs, step-decks
*According to PGT Truckings' website (reflects the combined assets of PGT Holdings)
Western Express
Western Express has been on a growth path since it was founded in 1991. Today, Western Express operates a substantial fleet of dry van and flatbed trailers, providing full-truckload solutions within the U.S.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, dry van, freight brokerage
- Founded Date: 1991
- Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
- 2023 Revenue***: 266,000,000
- Number of Trailers*: 8,100
- Number of Tractors*: 3,300
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds
*According to Western Express’ website (incudes both van and flatbed — contact Western Express for details)
Daseke Inc.
Daseke is one of the more diversified flatbed/specialized transportation companies in the U.S., operating seven flatbed trucking companies and five specialized carriers. Each of Daseke's companies fills a niche within its market. This creates a robust catalog of open-deck transportation solutions for shippers to utilize across North America.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized.
- Founded Date: 2008
- Headquarters: Addison, Texas
- 2023 Revenue***: 1,773,300,000
- Number of Flatbed & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers*: approx. 11,000
- Number of Tractors*: approx. 4,500+
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: flatbeds, flatbed curtain trailers, step-decks/lowboys, expandable flatbeds, Conestogas, RGNs.
*According to Daseke's website
PS Logistics
PS Logistics is a transportation and logistics provider headquartered in Alabama that offers asset-trucking services as well as brokerage and 3PL solutions. According to their website, PS Logistics regularly cycles their equipment to maintain one of the newest fleets in the U.S.
- Services: Flatbed, heavy specialized, freight brokerage, temperature-controlled shipping, bulk hauling.
- Founded Date: 2018
- Headquarters: Birmingham, Alabama
- 2023 Revenue***: 1,100,000,000
- Number of Flatbed Trailers & Specialized, Multi-Axle Trailers**: 8,500+
- Number of Tractors*: 3,801
- Flatbed Trailer Variety*: 48-foot flatbeds, stretch trailers (up to 90 feet), flatbed Conestogas.
*From PS Logistics' website
How to Choose a Great Flatbed Trucking Company (4 Simple Considerations)
Look, simply listing the top 15 flatbed trucking companies for you to consider in 2022 will do you no favors. Sure, now you know what these companies have to offer for asset quantity and variety, but so what?
Selecting the best trucking companies for your network is about more than picking the ones that have worked well for others. Your business is unique, your processes are sacred and your needs probably differ in many ways. Let’s make sure that you’re matching these needs to the capabilities of the flatbed providers you choose.
To do so, make sure to prioritize the following things in your selection process:
- Company history
- Fleet size and areas of strength
- Safety practices
- Technology usage
The Flatbed Provider’s History
When it’s time for the rubber to meet the road, for your shipment to pick up and your provider to take over, you’ll want to work with companies that have a long history doing so.
Not only will this give you peace of mind in knowing that your freight is in good hands, but companies with strong histories moving specialized flatbed commodities are really good at doing so.
With these companies you can rest assured that the trailer arriving to move your load will be in good condition, the driver on it will understand safe securement methods, the tractor hauling your freight will be well maintained and the route it travels — where applicable — will be adequately planned.
When it comes to flatbed transportation, some things are only learned over time; through repeat trial and error, failure, adjustment and earned success. As such, make sure the provider you choose has a demonstrated history of growth through the good times and the bad.
Ask prospective companies questions like, “what is your company’s history moving my commodity?” and “do you have customers in my industry that you can provide as references?”
Even if these questions seem like silly things to ask now, the way a flatbed trucking company answers them will give you keen insight into how their history will benefit your supply chain long term.
The Flatbed Provider’s Fleet Size and Areas of Strength
Not every trucking company is created equally. With more than a million companies out there, yet only 15 breaching this list, that much is plain to see. The best flatbed carriers understand their capabilities and stick to them. You’ll want to do the same.
With fleet sizes ranging from a single truck and trailer (for owner/operators), to massive pools of assets — which can number in the thousands — working with a company that has the means to meet your demands is crucial.
The sheer number of assets your flatbed carrier possesses isn’t the only thing you should look for, though.
You see, if you choose a company that owns 1,200 trucks and 4,500 open-deck trailers, but operates solely out of and around the Southeast — a location that doesn’t match your Northeastern customer base — this partnership won’t work.
Every trucking company, regardless of how large they are, has specific areas of strength. These are the areas of the U.S. (and the world) where the vast majority of their truckers and customers reside.
Working outside of their regions of strength doesn’t make financial sense for flatbed trucking companies. Maximizing the use of their assets is important and extending their reach beyond what their infrastructure allows is too expensive to warrant.
As such, in the interest of long-term partnership, make sure you firmly understand each carrier’s fleet size, strength areas and capabilities before handing over that first load.
The Flatbed Trucking Company’s Safety Practices
Specialized flatbed transportation, although vital to our nation’s success and the fulfillment of your supply chain, can be some of the most dangerous shipments to move.
Jagged edges, over-dimensional sizes and high weights are three of the factors making open-deck shipping particularly precarious. For this reason, flatbed trucking companies need to prioritize safety at every turn.
The safest carriers approach safety from the top down, cementing it in every area of their business, plainly displaying this commitment in their company values and hiring safety professionals to oversee and facilitate safety across their company.
Highly-trained drivers, industry-leading securement tools (straps, chains, tarps, etc.) and well-maintained asset equipment (trailers, trucks) are three staples of carrier safety, but your carrier’s approach to safety shouldn’t stop there.
Reach out to prospective trucking companies and ask them questions about their own safety procedures:
- How do CSA ratings factor into your driver hiring processes?
- What is the average age of your equipment?
- How often are drivers offered in-house training on securement and operation?
The safest companies don’t shy away from questions like these. Choose a company that answers these queries in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
The Flatbed Provider’s Technology Usage
As we creep further into the digital age, the technology available for trucking companies to utilize continues to expand. When used correctly, technologies like GPS trailer tracking, electronic logging devices (ELDs) and customer experience software help carriers manage every shipment at the highest level.
Although incorporating these technologies into its practices is a significant investment for trucking companies, you’ll want to work with the carriers that have made it.
A commitment to being on the cutting edge of the transportation world is to put customer needs first. Unworthy carriers don’t take these investment opportunities as they arise, opting instead to stay a well-worn course — even if their customers suffer.
Make sure your next flatbed carrier prioritizes and utilizes technologies. Ask them questions about these practices, including but not limited to:
- What load-tracking technologies do you utilize and what are their features?
- What technologies do you use to gain up-to-date freight market insights?
- Do you offer a customer portal? What are its features?
The better you understand what you’re getting by working with each carrier, before offering them your business, the better off you’ll be. You don’t want to find yourself in need of load-tracking visibility that your provider can’t offer. Avoid these, and many more mishaps, by vetting your flatbed carrier for technology usage.
Related: The 5 Keys to Choosing a Flatbed Trucking Company For Your Business
How to Select Your Best-Fit Flatbed Company
Now that you have this list of the 15 flatbed trucking companies that deserve a look in 2023, and have some things to consider when vetting them, let’s take this conversation a step further.
Putting your trust and leaving your freight in the hands of a bad company can be detrimental to your budget and customer relationships.
As such, the more steps you take to avoid this in the consideration stage of your selection journey, the better off you’ll be.
To help you avoid choosing a company that simply won’t fit your needs, we've developed a 36-question Flatbed Carrier Selection Checklist.
Download this comprehensive checklist today. It has helped many shippers navigate this decision in the past and will do the same for you in the future.
Here at ATS, our flatbed division consistently ranks among the best in the nation — an accolade we're proud to carry. Here's what you should think about when considering ATS for your next load. . .
You should consider ATS as long as you're looking for a flatbed carrier that:
- Offers customers access to nearly 2,000 specialized trailers in a variety of forms, including 48- and 53-foot flatbeds, 2- and 3-axle step-decks, step-deck lowboys, 2-axle expandable RGNs, 3-axle RGNs, flatbed Conestogas, step-deck Conestogas and RGN Conestogas
- Offers more than 1,000 tractors dedicated to flatbed and heavy haul trucking
- Prioritizes service quality and reliability — but not always the lowest price
- Strives to be an industry leader in technology utilization and customer experience
- Can offer drop-trailer programs when it makes both network and financial sense for all parties
- Is SmartWay Certified and continues to invest in sustainability.
If these things intrigue you and leave you wondering whether a carrier like ATS would fit your supply chain, please don't hesitate to reach out. We’d love to show you how a great provider can make a difference for its customers.
