You’ve probably seen hundreds of semis with flatbed or step deck trailers over the years and not thought much about the difference. Maybe you didn’t even know there was such a thing as a step deck trailer at all. When hauling large items, there are certain advantages to utilizing a step deck, also known as a drop deck or lowboy trailer. Let’s examine the facts about step deck trailers, the difference between them and flatbeds, and why you may want to use one in the future.

Step Deck Trailer Definition

A step deck trailer is designed to carry cargo that is too tall to go on a flatbed truck. A step deck truck can help you haul loads without having to obtain special permits for exceeding the legal height limit. These trailers have a lower and upper deck, hence the use of the term “step” in the name. This also makes it much easier to load and unload equipment, especially with a forklift.

There are different types of step deck trailers, such as fixed-neck, gooseneck, or removable gooseneck, which you can use depending on your needs for loading and unloading. A fixed-neck trailer has limited options, whereas a removable gooseneck can be loaded either on the front or back of the trailer. How tall is a step deck trailer? These trailers typically have a lower deck height of 3 feet 6 inches.