Flatbed

Flatbed | Consolidations | Over Dimensional/Overweight

Turn your toughest flatbed load into a tangible success. What would happen if you discovered thousands of pieces of flatbed equipment all in one place? Imagine making one, worry-free phone call to access the capacity you need. Or turning over your toughest flatbed load to a flatbed specialist and instantly reducing your stress level. When you work with C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., one of the largest flatbed 3PLs in North America, you’ll encounter contract flatbed capacity and expertise under one roof.

Build-your-own capacity

Consolidated flatbed is not a myth

It’s time-consuming enough to find regular flatbeds, much less the specialized equipment that some loads require. Save time by calling us and gaining instant access to more than 120,000 pieces of contracted flatbed equipment.

It sounds simple—consolidate partial loads from multiple shippers onto one truck to save time and money. But since flatbed freight comes in all shapes and sizes—and because consolidated loads move on unique timetables—flatbed LTL consolidations are difficult for most flatbed providers to perform. Our flatbed experts love to take on challenges. They can aggregate your partial flatbed loads with loads from other shippers to reduce transit times, improve cost savings, and boost overall efficiency.

And like all C.H. Robinson services, you have the power to request delays between pickup and delivery or to alter schedules before pickup. Our relationships with reliable contract carriers build safety nets that help you meet deadlines while paying only for necessary equipment and services.

One size doesn’t fit all When you’ve got over dimensional and/or overweight loads, standard trailers just don’t measure up. No matter what size your load is, we’ve got options for you. The flatbed expert who answers your call won’t just give you a rate—they’ll also see your load through to final delivery. We even require our employees to pass an over dimensional test before selecting a contract carrier to move your shipment. Let us identify the step deck, drop deck, removable gooseneck, flatbed LTL, or over dimensional/ overweight equipment that’s right for the shipment. Then, we’ll tender the load to a qualified contract carrier that meets state hauling requirements. At your request, we’ll even arrange permits and recommend escorts—whatever you need to keep your flatbed shipment moving.

Where’s your freight? Even though it’s our job to track your loads from start to finish and notify you of deviations from the plan, you need access to similar information. Our industryleading technology systems give you accurate data that enables you to make smart shipping decisions. By offering real-time tracking, custom reporting, and visibility to every shipment, you’ll see problems as they happen so you can make adjustments and defer excess cost. To see our flatbed capabilities in action, call your local C.H. Robinson flatbed expert today.

Plug the benefits of flatbed into your business. Now that you’re familiar with our services, let’s talk specifics. What is the biggest challenge you have with flatbed loads? +

I have trouble finding enough (or the right kind of) flatbed capacity when I need it.

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I frequently need flatbeds on extremely short notice.

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I have such unusual flatbed requirements that most providers won’t touch my loads.

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I never know about issues with my flatbed moves until there’s a major crisis; then it’s a headache to resolve it to my customer’s satisfaction.

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I can’t answer questions about the status of my customer’s shipments.

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I don’t normally use flatbeds in my business, but I need them for a special project.

You can count on us to solve common problems like these and turn your toughest challenges into tangible successes. Here’s how we’ve translated some real customer difficulties into smooth flatbed shipments.

Case Studies: Virtual Flatbed Moves

Big Freight, Tight Deadlines

Challenge:

Challenge:

A global manufacturer needed tracking technology to manage 700 shipments of countertops on A-frames, with multiple stops in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Multiple drops were required and many of them were especially challenging, such as loads that went inbound to Manhattan and outbound to other New York locations. Only 48’ flatbeds could be utilized—no step decks or drops. This company lacked visibility to inbound moves and a method to track transportation costs.

A worldwide leader in heavy lifting and transportation solutions recruited our help on a special heavy haul project. It required moving 200 over dimensional/overweight loads of steel beams, panels, and turbines from New York to Texas within a two-month period—a huge commitment in flatbed sourcing.

Solution: Our flatbed experts taught the shipper’s customer service representatives to use our order management system and integrated our technology tools into their business. We secured 48’ traditional flatbed trailers to ship the countertops and coordinated edge protectors, tarps, and straps for the A-frames. Throughout the process, we utilized various branches in our network to act as local connections at a variety of delivery points.

Result: The customer used our system for online load visibility, tracking, invoicing, and reporting. They also obtained the technology tools needed to prove the reduction in their transportation spend. Due to this success, they increased their projected load management volume to 1,200+ loads for the following year.

Solution: We provided the customer with five to ten specialized trailers per day, including stretch and double drop stretch trailers. Our flatbed experts managed every move and coordinated all changes in dimensions, weight, and requirements. On our customer’s behalf, we worked directly with the pickup point and handled all delivery communications.

Result: The customer’s project was completed within the required timeline. We proved to one of the world leaders in heavy hauls that we can provide high volumes of specialized flatbed equipment on demand.

High Maintenance Freight

Bandwagon Freight

Challenge:

Challenge:

A customer with service-intensive freight needed help meeting unusual loading and unloading requirements. The freight often required extra days between pickup and delivery, and the equipment was requested on short notice.

Three different shippers tendered same-day flatbed LTL requests after the 24 to 48 hour notice generally given for partial shipments.

Solution: With our non-asset based model, we consistently found the capacity they needed around the country—even at the last minute—to meet their ever-changing demands. The customer tested our flexibility to handle 300-mile moves with three days of lag time, over dimensional and wide loads with varying delivery days and times, and specialized loading and unloading procedures.

Result: This customer continues to work with us, trusting in our ability to provide capacity, adapt to changing service needs, and execute their special projects with skill and ease.

Solution: Our flatbed experts consolidated all three loads onto one flatbed and achieved faster transit times and better service levels than a typical LTL carrier could have provided. Each load was picked up and delivered on the same day to meet customer requirements.

Result: Presenting flatbed LTL consolidation as a transportation option reduced the transportation spend of all three customers by 40 percent.

+ One of the largest flatbed contract capacity providers in North America +Access to more than 120,000 pieces of flatbed equipment + + More than 20 years of experience + More than 200 branches to aggregate freight and equipment

Flatbed Fast Facts

Complete Transportation & Mode Management

Dry Van

Intermodal

Full Container Load (FCL)

LTL

Less Than Container Load (LCL)

Flatbed

Non-Containerized Load (NCL)

Temperature Controlled Truckload LTL

Buyer Consolidations Flexible Sailings & Transits

Global Air Direct IATA Consolidations Charters Sea-Air Domestic Air Expedited

Small Parcel

Supply Chain Analysis

Global Forwarding

Value Added Services

Benchmarking

Freight Forwarding

Warehousing & Consolidation

Constraint Based Bids

Customs Brokerage

Special Handling

Transportation Analysis

Transportation & Order Management

Vendor Management & Conversion

Network Analysis

Supply Chain Analysis

Reverse Logistics

Transportation Outsourcing

Container Freight Station (CFS)

Logistics Consulting

Bonded Logistics Park (BLP) Security Programs

14701 Charlson Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 | 800.323.7587 | www.chrobinson.com ©2009 C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.