Every day on the road presents different challenges, and your flatbed trailer must rise to meet all of them. Today’s demands may call for hauling a distributed load, like drywall and building materials, and tomorrow’s demands might call for a concentrated load, like steel coils. The route may even include states with strict axle load laws like California, where the distance from the kingpin to the rear axle must be no more than 40 feet.
To ease the application complexity, Great Dane’s Freedom lineup is designed for versatility. The flatbeds’ sturdy construction and variety of spec options make it an all-purpose solution fit for any challenge.
Flatbed Trailers Designed to Meet Any Challenge
Each Freedom model offers a range of custom options, like suspension packages, floor options, bulkheads, coil packages, load securement options, drop decks, and rear end options. So whatever your flatbed needs, Great Dane has the solution.
Great Dane excels in meeting unique spec requests. We deliver the flatbed solutions our customers need, making sure their equipment is efficient and durable—no matter the application.
Take, for instance, one of our customers: a carbon steel manufacturer. They needed all of their flatbeds outfitted with sliding covering systems to protect cargo from the elements. They also needed smart lift systems added to the front axles for empty backhaul and an electric rear axle dump for backing ease. We were able to work with them to find the perfect solution.
Great Dane has a robust R&D department. It has rigorously tested the Freedom models in a simulator that mimics 10 years of road use. Great Dane continually evaluates the design for improvements and ensures consistent quality and specs for each new flatbed.
Battle-Tested for the Demands of the Road
Before the Freedom lineup was approved for market, Great Dane’s state-of-the-art R&D department put them through a gauntlet of strength tests. These replicated the toughest hazards the flatbeds would see on the road, from chemicals, like de-icer, to corrosion, to ensure the equipment stands up to the challenges.
Like all Great Dane solutions, the durability of our flatbed trailers is key. Meeting customers’ unique challenges starts with innovative design and requires proven reliability for any application.
Flexible Solutions
Highly customizable specs mean Great Dane’s versatile flatbed trailers are equipped for both evenly distributed and concentrated loads. Our standard Freedom combo and steel flatbeds are rated for 80,000 pounds evenly distributed and 50,000 for concentrated loads. Our all-aluminum Freedom FXP is rated for 120,000 pounds evenly distributed and 60,000 pounds for concentrated loads.
The aluminum floor is built for strength and flexibility, with a variety of nail strip options and Safety-Grip surfaces for increased traction and load stability. Pipe spools, stake pockets, rub rails, and heavy-duty side rails allow for a range of applications, and the flatbed’s standard 4-inch-deep aluminum cross members are located on 16-inch centers from front to rear.
Another fleet that relied on Great Dane needed to haul a variety of different materials for their own customers–everything from live trees to coiled steel to roofing materials. With the help of Great Dane, the trucking company managed to change its flatbed specs and keep the weight allowance at 48,000 pounds. This allows for a broader use for its customers.
The customer’s tractor/trailer units are 100% air-ride equipped. They needed flatbeds spec’d with tire inflation systems, extra winches and 10-feet 1-inch fixed spread axles, and aluminum cross members, which helps with weight savings.
Everyone has different needs, so Great Dane makes sure its customers have all the options they need.
Expanded Options Make Finding a Flatbed Easy
With flatbed distribution centers throughout the U.S. in addition to retail centers and the convenience of online inventory search, there have never been more options for finding a Great Dane flatbed solution. Great Dane sales reps are available to answer your questions and guide you through the process, ensuring you find the flatbed solution that meets your needs. After purchasing, a Great Dane rep routinely follows up to review spec/purchase options as the market fluctuates and new technologies emerge, to ensure it continues sustainable growth.
One Great Dane customer, a major flatbed logistics company, credits the Great Dane sales rep working with its equipment team as integral to ensuring specs align with its needs, as well as helping to facilitate that any warrantable issues are handled promptly.
Recent years have seen the addition of three flatbed distribution centers, nearly doubling the number of locations:
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- – Atlanta, Georgia
- – Albert Lea, Minnesota
- – Columbus, Ohio
- – Dallas, Texas
- – Denver, Colorado
- – Florida, New York
- – Huntsville, Tennessee
- – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Committed to Strength and Versatility
Great Dane is driven by its commitment to manufacturing top-of-the-line solutions, ensuring that, mile by mile, your equipment meets all demands of the job. This is matched by our commitment to our customers and our determination to make sure they are outfitted with the best equipment for their specific needs. This has made Great Dane an industry leader, and this is exemplified in the versatility of its flatbed solutions. No matter the load, no matter the specifics of the haul, Great Dane’s flatbed solutions will rise to the challenge.
Explore Great Dane’s flatbed trailers here.
