Stake Bed Trucks

Flatbed trailers are perfect for transporting materials of all shapes, weights and sizes.

Many types of businesses rely on flatbeds, such as farms, construction companies, and fleets.

Most flatbed trailers are pulled by a tractor with a flat cargo area. "Flatbed" refers to the configuration of the trailer or cargo area. The bed is, as the name implies, flat. There are no sides and no roof, with a level body. This allows for the quick, easy loading of materials. A flatbed can transport cargo that is irregular in size or shape, that can't fit inside a traditional closed trailer.

A stake bed is a type of flatbed trailer with special rails (called stakes) along the side of the trailer. Stake bed side of a trailer help keep the cargo where it belongs--on board the trailer.

Many pickup trucks come from the factory with insert holes on the front and sides of the cargo bed. Flatbed trucks and trailers come with pre-made holes to insert stake sides.

A Stake bed trailer sides can be attached to the cargo area of a pickup truck or to a flatbed trailer to help enclose and secure cargo that is at risk of falling off or rolling off because they are difficult to lash down securely. Conduit pipe, landscaping supplies, cut branches and saplings are examples of cargo suitable for a stake bed trailer.

The convenience of a stake trailer must be mitigated by safety measures for several reasons. First, if one is using a flatbed and stake rails, it is very likely that the cargo is very heavy or oddly shaped, or has the ability to roll or shift during transit. If the cargo is vehicles, wheels are added to the equation. As such, a stake trailer operator has to be vigilant when it comes to safety to avoid accidents and property damage.

Industry standards say that before a cargo truck moves, the operator must ensure the security of the cargo. Various systems of straps, ratchets and hooks are available, to suit different kinds of cargo. Stake rail sides are another type of containment for the cargo, but the rails must be securely installed. Drivers are encouraged to drive at a safe speed and avoid quick maneuvers, taking time to carefully negotiate curves and turns