Flatbed & Drop-Deck Transport in Brisbane

A flatbed, or flat-top, is an open trailer with no sides or roof, so freight can be loaded from the top or either side by crane or forklift. A drop-deck is a flatbed with a lower rear section, which lets it carry taller loads while staying within legal height. Road Linx Transport runs both across Brisbane and South East Queensland for freight that won't fit, or won't load into, an enclosed trailer.

When a load is heavy, long, oversize or an odd shape, an open deck is usually the only sensible way to move it.

What flatbeds are built for

The open deck is the whole advantage. Nothing gets in the way of a crane hook or a forklift, so freight that could never be threaded into a ute goes straight on.

• Steel, timber and long building materials
• Machinery and plant that has to be craned on
• Oversize or awkwardly shaped items
• Packaged loads that are simply too big for curtains
• Anything loaded or unloaded by crane at the destination

If the freight is palletised and needs weather protection, a tautliner is the better fit. Flatbeds come into their own the moment a load is too big, too heavy or too awkward for enclosed transport.

When you need a drop deck

Height is the usual reason. Trucks have a legal height limit, and a tall load on a standard flatbed can breach it. A drop-deck lowers the main deck over the rear axles, so the same tall load sits lower and stays legal.

If you've ever been told a load is too tall to move on a standard trailer, a drop-deck is normally the answer. It buys you the extra height without special permits for what would otherwise be an over-height load.

Loading and restraint on open decks

Open-deck freight has to be restrained properly, because there are no walls or curtains doing any of the work. This is where load-rated equipment and trained drivers really count.

Our drivers restrain flatbed and drop-deck loads to the rating on the gear, using the right combination of straps, chains and gates for the freight. Everything is done to Chain of Responsibility obligations, so a heavy or oversize load is secured to standard rather than to guesswork. That protects your freight, the driver and everyone sharing the road.

Oversize and project freight

Some flatbed loads go beyond standard dimensions, and those need extra planning around routing and any permits. We can talk you through what an oversize move involves and handle the transport end, so a large or unusual item still gets where it's going without drama.

For construction, manufacturing and trade businesses, having flatbed and drop-deck capacity on the same account as our enclosed trailers means you're not juggling multiple carriers for different load types.

Booking flatbed or drop-deck transport

• Send us the dimensions, weight and how the load will be lifted on and off.
• We confirm whether a flat-top or drop-deck suits, and flag anything oversize.
• We supply the trailer and a driver, load and restrain to rating.
• We deliver and provide a signed POD on request.

Planning an oversize or over-height move

Once a load goes beyond standard dimensions, the transport is only part of the job. Oversize freight can need permits, and depending on the size it may need pilot vehicles and a set route with travel-time restrictions.

We'll tell you early what your load actually needs, so there are no surprises on the day. The more notice we have on an oversize move, the more smoothly the permits and routing come together. Send us the exact dimensions and weight and we'll work back from there to what's required.