Flatbed Freight Broker

48' and 53' flatbed, Conestoga, step deck, and hot shot capacity from Spokane across the Pacific Northwest and nationwide — steel, lumber, machinery, building materials, and tarped loads.

(509) 321-4381 — most flatbed quotes returned within the hour

Open-deck freight, done right

Flatbed is our home court

If you have steel coils, structural beams, dimensional lumber, pre-cast concrete, building materials, machinery, or anything else that will not fit through a dry-van door, you need flatbed freight. Evergreen Shippers dispatches flatbed loads every business day from Spokane — the heart of the Pacific Northwest lumber and steel corridor — and across all 48 states plus cross-border into Canada.

  • 48' / 53' flatbed, step deck, Conestoga, hot shot — we spec the right trailer to your load.
  • Tarp specs on the rate confirmation — 6' lumber, 8' steel, smoke tarp, coil rack, edge protection.
  • 49 CFR § 393.100–136 securement — Grade 70 chain WLL math verified before dispatch.
  • FMCSA-licensed broker MC#896325 · $75K BMC-84 bond · Lloyd's of London cargo coverage.
  • Oversize-ready — if the load grows past legal limits we pull WA/OR/ID/MT permits in-house.
Flatbed Quote

Price my flatbed load

Most quotes returned within the hour during business hours.

  • 1 Lane
  • 2 Cargo
  • 3 Contact

Where is it going?

What is on the deck?

Anything over 8'6" wide, 13'6" tall, or 80,000 lbs gross is an oversize/overweight move — we handle the permits.

Where do we send the quote?

Quotes are free and there is no obligation to book.

Or call (509) 321-4381

Equipment we dispatch

The full flatbed trailer family

Match the trailer to the load — deck height, length, and tarp coverage all matter.

48' Standard Flatbed

The PNW workhorse. 48' deck, ~60" deck height, 48,000 lb max payload. Most lumber, steel, and building material moves run on a 48'.

53' Flatbed

Five extra feet of deck for longer dimensional pieces — pipe, structural beams, glulam, and trusses. Same height and weight limits as a 48'.

Step Deck / Drop Deck

~38" main deck for loads up to ~10'2" tall without permits. Critical when the load exceeds standard flatbed height limits.

Conestoga (Rolling Tarp)

Flatbed with a sliding curtain side. No tarping time, full side-access for forklift loading, clean weather protection for finished goods and painted steel.

Hot Shot Gooseneck

30'–40' goosenecks behind 1-ton duallies for partials, expedites, and single-piece machinery to tight job sites.

Coil Racks & Specialty

Coil-rack trailers for steel coil shippers, double-drop and RGN for over-height freight, extendables for long pipe and beams.

What we move

Cargo that ships flatbed every day

Steel & metals

  • Hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel coils (coil racks available)
  • Steel plate, sheet, and bar stock
  • Structural beams, channel, angle iron
  • Rebar and reinforcement mesh
  • Galvanized pipe, structural pipe, OCTG
  • Aluminum extrusions, copper coils, stainless products

Lumber & forest products

  • Dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6, 2x10, 4x dimensional)
  • Plywood, OSB, MDF, particleboard
  • Engineered wood — I-joists, glulam, LVL beams
  • Cedar, pressure-treated, decking
  • Roof trusses, wall panels, SIPs panels
  • Cants, blocks, and remanufactured products

Building materials

  • Pre-cast concrete — barriers, panels, vaults, septic tanks
  • Drywall, sheet rock, joint compound pallets
  • Roofing — metal panels, shingles, underlayment
  • Brick, block, masonry, stone
  • Insulation rolls and rigid foam boards
  • Siding, trim, fascia, soffit

Machinery & equipment

  • Skid steers, mini-excavators, compact track loaders
  • HVAC units, rooftop packages, chillers
  • Generators, transformers, electrical gear
  • Pumps, motors, industrial tooling
  • Agricultural equipment within 8'6" / 13'6" limits
  • Modular components, prefab buildings, sheds

Anything over 8'6" wide, 13'6" tall, or 80,000 lbs gross? That's an oversize/overweight move — we handle permits, pilot cars, and route surveys.

Who we dispatch for

The PNW mills and steel yards we know by name

Spokane sits at the confluence of BNSF and UP mainlines along I-90 — the largest metro between Seattle and Minneapolis. We dispatch flatbed capacity into the Inland Northwest mill belt and the steel-service-center cluster across all four PNW states, every business day.

Inland Northwest mill cluster

  • Idaho Forest Group — six N. Idaho sawmills (Moyie Springs, Chilco, Laclede, Lewiston, Grangeville) plus the Athol finger-joint plant; ~2 billion board-feet/yr combined.
  • Stimson Lumber — Priest River ID (~135 MMBF/yr), St. Maries ID (~90 MMBF/yr), Forest Grove OR (~$50M expansion announced 2024).
  • Vaagen Bros. — Colville WA + Usk WA, ~240,000 MBF/yr combined.
  • Boise Cascade EWP — White City & Willamina OR run two of the world's largest LVL and I-joist plants.
  • Sierra Pacific Industries — new Eugene OR complex projected at ~650 MMBF/yr.
  • Weyerhaeuser — the #1 US lumber producer at 4.6 BBFT capacity with multiple PNW operations.

Sources: ifg.com, stimsonlumber.com, sawmilldatabase.com, bc.com/ewp, Forisk 2024 Top 10 list.

PNW steel service centers

  • Pacific Steel & Recycling — 46+ branches across WA / ID / MT / ND / SD / WY / CO / UT / NV; Spokane location at 1114 N Ralph St (HQ Great Falls MT).
  • Pacific Metal Company (Reliance Steel umbrella) — Portland, Eugene, Medford OR; Kent (Seattle), Spokane WA; Boise ID; Billings MT.
  • Service Steel Aerospace — Tacoma WA, specialty metals distributor under Reliance Steel.
  • Plus dozens of independent fabricators and processors serving the Inland Northwest aerospace, construction, and energy supply chains.

Sources: pacific-steel.com, Reliance Steel company history, ssa-corp.com.

Rate intelligence

The flatbed market right now

The DAT National Flatbed Spot rate (linehaul, ex-fuel) ran $1.95/mi in Oct 2024, climbed to $2.06/mi by Mar 2025, and reached $2.26/mi by Feb 2026 as AI data-center build-outs absorbed open-deck capacity in the industrial Midwest and PNW. The DAT contract rate held flat at $3.02–$3.05/mi through the same window — a roughly $1/mile spot-to-contract spread that narrows when capacity tightens.

For PNW shippers the operational reality: summer capacity tightens by June as construction season ramps. Locking contract capacity early matters; spot bookings get bumped or rolled.

Source: DAT Freight & Analytics flatbed reports, 2024–2026.

Securement compliance

The cargo-securement math

Federal cargo-securement rules at 49 CFR § 393.100–136 require aggregate tiedown working-load-limit (WLL) of at least 50% of cargo weight. The standard for transport: Grade 70 chain, stamped 7 / 70 / 700. Reference WLLs: 5/16" = 4,700 lb, 3/8" = 6,600 lb.

Steel coils have their own rule at § 393.120, triggered at 5,000 lb combined coil weight. Eye-to-sky orientation requires diagonal tiedowns from both sides plus one transverse over the eye plus blocking; eye-crosswise needs timbers/chocks/coil bunks plus a forward-restraint tiedown at no more than 45° from the floor. We write securement specs into the rate confirmation before pickup, not at the dock.

Source: eCFR 49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I; Peerless Chain, US Cargo Control WLL data.

How it works

From quote to delivered

1 — Load detail

Commodity, dimensions, weight, pickup/delivery ZIPs and dates, tarping needed yes/no. Photos help.

2 — Rate quote

Trailer match (48' / 53' / step deck / Conestoga / hot shot), all-in rate, transit estimate. Most quotes back within the hour.

3 — Dispatch + securement

Vetted carrier dispatched, insurance verified, chains/binders/tarps confirmed before pickup.

4 — Track + POD

Status check-calls, delivery confirmation, signed POD, one invoice covering line haul plus any accessorials.

Coverage

Daily flatbed lanes from Spokane & the PNW

Outbound from the PNW

  • Spokane → Seattle / Tacoma / Portland (lumber, steel, building materials)
  • Idaho Panhandle → California (lumber, plywood, OSB)
  • Eastern Washington → Salt Lake / Denver / Phoenix (machinery, ag equipment)
  • Montana → Texas oilfield (pipe, OCTG, structural steel)
  • PNW → Midwest / Northeast (engineered wood, glulam, finished lumber)

Inbound to the PNW

  • Gulf Coast → Spokane / Seattle (pipe, structural steel, OCTG)
  • Midwest → PNW (steel coils, plate, building products)
  • California → PNW (pre-cast, finished goods, agricultural inputs)
  • BC / Alberta → PNW (cross-border lumber and machinery)
  • Texas / Oklahoma → PNW (oilfield and wind components)

PNW mountain-pass operational layer

  • Snoqualmie Pass (I-90) — the highest-volume commercial corridor in Washington. Studded-tire season Nov 1–Mar 31; chain requirements condition-based for vehicles >10,000 lb when signs posted; $500 non-compliance fine.
  • Stevens Pass (US-2) — alternative WA route; traction tires required and chain requirement posted condition-based for vehicles >10,000 GVW.
  • Lookout Pass (I-90 ID/MT border) — 4,711 ft elevation, 5-mile 6% grade, runaway ramps; chain-up frequently required Oct–May for trucks over 26,000 lb.
  • Lewiston Hill (US-95) — 7%+ grade, 1,900 ft descent in 5 miles, six emergency escape ramps. Drivers know it; brokers should too.

Sources: WSDOT chain-requirement and Stevens Pass pages; Idaho State Police; Idaho Transportation Department.

Why us

What sets our flatbed desk apart

PNW Lumber & Steel Roots

Spokane sits at the I-90 / US-395 crossroads with daily flatbed capacity feeding Idaho Forest Group, Stimson, Hampton, and regional steel service centers.

Carrier Vetting

FMCSA authority, BMC-91 insurance certificates, safety scores, and equipment fitness verified before every dispatch. No surprises at the dock.

Same-Hour Quoting

Most flatbed quotes back within the hour during business days. Quote-to-dispatch in under 24 hours on standard lanes.

Oversize-Ready

When the load grows past legal limits, we don't hand it off — we pull state permits, route surveys, and pilot cars in-house.

Tarping & Securement

Tarp specs (6'/8'/smoke), edge protection, chains vs straps, coil racks, V-boards — spec'd on the rate confirmation before pickup.

FMCSA Licensed & Bonded

MC#896325 · USDOT 2569360 · $75K BMC-84 bond · $1M GL / $2M auto · Lloyd's of London cargo coverage.

Common questions

Flatbed freight FAQ

A flatbed freight broker matches shippers who have flat-deck-suitable cargo — steel, lumber, machinery, building materials, pipe, pre-cast concrete — with FMCSA-authorized motor carriers that operate 48' or 53' flatbed, step-deck, Conestoga, or hot-shot trailers. The broker handles rate negotiation, carrier vetting, insurance verification, dispatch, tarping requirements, securement standards, and load tracking through delivery. Evergreen Shippers is a Spokane, WA flatbed broker (FMCSA MC#896325) covering the Pacific Northwest and nationwide.

Legal-dimension flatbed loads fit within 8'6" wide, 13'6" tall (load + deck), 80,000 lbs gross combination weight, and trailer length (typically 48' or 53'). Anything beyond those numbers becomes an oversize/overweight move and requires state permits, route surveys, and often pilot cars or daylight-only travel. Flatbed deck height is roughly 60", so a load taller than 8' usually needs a step-deck instead to stay under the 13'6" total height limit.

A standard flatbed is an open deck — the load is tarped if weather protection is required, which takes time and adds cost. A Conestoga (also called a rolling tarp or curtain side) is a flatbed with a sliding fabric cover on a rolling frame. The driver retracts the cover at the dock for forklift access from any side, then rolls it closed for transit. Conestoga rates are usually $50–$150 higher than tarped flatbed, but the time savings on tarping/untarping — and the cleaner load protection — make it the right call for finished goods, painted steel, or anything that can't arrive scratched.

Yes. Most carriers carry 6' (lumber) and 8' (steel) tarps as standard equipment. Heavier-duty 16' "smoke tarps" cover taller loads. Tarping is typically a $50–$100 flat accessorial billed on top of the line haul. Tell us up front whether the load needs tarping — mid-move tarping requests trigger detention and re-dispatch fees.

Steel coils, plate, beams, rebar, pipe and structural members; dimensional lumber, plywood, OSB, engineered I-joists, glulam; building materials — drywall, roofing bundles, siding, brick, block, sacks of cement; pre-cast concrete — barriers, panels, septic tanks, vaults; machinery and tooling under 13'6" total height; HVAC, generators, transformers, and pumps; agricultural equipment, balers, bins, irrigation pipe; modular building components, roof trusses, and SIPs panels.

Yes. Hot shot is a smaller flatbed move — typically Class 3-5 chassis (F-350 through F-550, Ram 3500-5500, Silverado 3500-5500) pulling 30 to 40 foot gooseneck trailers — for partials, expedited single-piece machinery, oilfield equipment, or emergency runs that do not need a full 48 or 53 foot flatbed. Hot shot rates per mile run higher than full flatbed but transit can be quicker and the trailer can access tighter job-site staging areas. Important compliance note: hot-shotters operating interstate with combined GCWR over 10,001 lb still need full FMCSA operating authority, BMC-91 (or 91X) on file for auto-liability minimums, and an MCS-90 endorsement. We verify the same compliance documents on a hot-shot carrier that we verify on a full flatbed.

Spokane sits at the crossroads of I-90 (Seattle–Boston) and US-395/US-2 (BC border to Reno) with daily flatbed capacity feeding Idaho Forest Group, Stimson, Hampton, and dozens of mills + steel service centers across eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. Backhaul rates from Spokane to Seattle/Portland are competitive because of the steady lumber-and-steel outbound book of business in the region.

Yes. Evergreen Shippers, LLC operates under FMCSA broker authority MC#896325 with the required $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond, $1M commercial general liability, $2M automobile liability, and cargo coverage through Lloyd's of London. Carrier insurance is verified before every dispatch.

Got a flatbed load that needs a truck?

Call (509) 321-4381 — most flatbed quotes back within the hour, dispatch within 24 hours on standard lanes.