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38-963: Daseke, Inc. ( / ˈ d æ s k i / DASS -kee ; is the biggest owner and a leading consolidator of flatbed and specialized transportation in North America , comprising 16 operating companies with over 5,200 trucks and over 11,000 flatbed and specialized trailers . The Daseke axis of companies includes Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, J. Grady Randolph, Central Oregon Truck Company, Lone Star Transportation, Bulldog Hiway Express, Hornady Transportation, and The Boyd Companies (including Boyd Bros. Transportation and WTI Transport ). Furthermore, it also offers its services to The Schilli Companies, Big Freight Systems, The Steelman Companies, The Roadmaster Group, TSH & Co. (Tennessee Steel Haulers), Moore Freight Service, Inc, Aveda Transportation and Energy Services, and Builders Transportation Co. In 2008, Don Daseke began expanding his operations with

76-399: A 'drop-side' truck. A 'stake truck' has no sides but has steel upright stanchions , which may be removable, again used to retain the load. Loads are retained by being manually tied down with ropes. The bed of a flatbed truck has tie-down hooks around its edge and techniques such as a trucker's hitch are used to tighten them. Weather protection is optionally provided by manually 'sheeting'

114-463: A carrier with four companies under its umbrella: Boyd Bros. Transportation, WTI Transport, Mid Seven Transportation and Boyd Logistics. 2014 saw the addition of Lone Star Transportation, a Fort Worth carrier with a presence in Mexico . Bulldog Hiway Express, led by former American Trucking Associations Chairman, Phil Byrd, and Hornady Transportation, an Alabama trucking company established in 1928,

152-550: A distribution centre to a supermarket, rather than the unpredictable ad hoc nature of earlier road transport. Flatbeds are still in use, but are now used for more specialised cargoes, such as constructional steelwork or lighter abnormal loads, such as machinery, lumber loads/dry wall or any load that requires use of a forklift without the use of a loading dock. Low loaders , for construction machinery and heavy plant vehicles, are not considered as flatbeds. Neither are abnormal load carriers for heavy haulage . In North America,

190-459: A load on a truck) as it can fall apart under too little load or too much load, and can capsize if not dressed properly. However, this knot may be made secure by adding a Half Hitch to the top bight of the Sheepshank. This form of the trucker's hitch is least likely to jam , coming apart easily once tension is released. Different sources show slight variations in the way the sheepshank portion

228-409: A natural upwards bend so that when loaded they straighten out to be flatter, rather than to sag in the middle under a load. Another popular type of flatbed trailer is a step deck (or drop deck) with approximately 2 feet lower deck and low profile wheels to accommodate taller loads, without hitting low bridges or tunnels. These stepdecks can come with loading ramps to allow vehicles to roll on and off of

266-401: A tandem axles design). The so-called Cali spread was originally designed to comply with bridge weight formulas in that state but has since been adopted in most other parts of the country. These spread axles take a far wider turning radius, and if turning the combination tractor/trailer too sharply, the front axle tires of the trailer may damage the road/parking lot surface, or pop a tire off of

304-436: Is a comprehensive freight service company specializing in flat glass transportation. Daseke acquired two additional companies in 2018, Aveda Transportation and Energy Service and Builders Transportation Co. Aveda is one of the largest providers of specialized transportation services and equipment required for the exploration, development and production of petroleum resources in the U.S. and Canada, and Builders Transportation Co.

342-430: Is a fleet of over 300 company trucks and 500 spread-axle trailers focused on traditional flatbed operations through the 48 contiguous states, hauling coil steel, wire products, structural and sheet steel, aluminum products, building materials, cast iron, steel pipe and machinery. In 2018, Bharat Mahajan was appointed as the chief financial officer for Daseke. In addition to this appointment, Daseke announced Chris Easter as

380-493: Is formed and dressed. Versions popular in East Asia use variations of sheep shank using either a simple half hitch or a double turn self crossing half hitch or a triple turn self crossing half hitch. A sheep shank with two consecutive half hitches i.e. a clove hitch to secure the upper eye and to form the lower eye is more popular in the west. The loop formed in one version is a simple Slipped Overhand Loop . This version

418-410: Is good for light to moderate loads Another version uses a multiply twisted bight to pass a bight of the working end to form the eye of the loop. This version tolerates higher load. The most reliable common variation uses a fixed loop, such as an alpine butterfly loop , artillery loop , figure-eight loop or directional figure-eight loop, or another of many suitable loop knots. If a fixed loop

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456-434: Is known by multiple names. Knot author Geoffrey Budworth claims the knot can be traced back to the days when carters and hawkers used horse-drawn conveyances to move their wares from place to place. The portion of the trucker's hitch which differs in the following variations is the method used to form the loop which the working end slides through to produce the mechanical advantage . The different methods of forming

494-463: Is to be untied. Finishing with a taut-line hitch or a Farrimond friction hitch to the standing part allows the finishing knot to be tied and untied with no tension. This eliminates any jamming problems and also allows the line to be re-tensioned if necessary. A mechanical advantage of ideally 3:1 can nearly be achieved when using an equivalent setup with pulleys, but is reduced substantially by friction when using knots. The trucker's hitch knot

532-410: Is used repeatedly for tying the trucker's hitch in the same portion of rope, excessive wear or other damage may be suffered by the portion of the loop which working end slides against. If extra loops are used to form the eye it tends to ease untying. In order to prevent the closing of the loop under load, the loop must be formed by the working end of the rope (which will later pass through the loop). If

570-486: The Daseke family - The Roadmaster Group, TSH & Co. and Moore Freight Service, Inc. The Roadmaster Group is a family of specialized transportation companies who serve the high security market - MCF is a key contributor. TSH & Co. (Tennessee Steel Haulers & Company), is one of the largest flatbed haulers in the region, hauling primarily steel and industrial materials. Daseke also added Moore Freight Service, Inc, which

608-406: The back from ground level. Shorter trailers used for local jobs such as landscaping and building material delivery within urban or local areas can have a "hitchhiker" type forklift truck attached to the back in order for driver alone to deliver and unload pallet/skid items. A bulkhead or "headache rack" is sometimes attached to the front of either a straight or a stepdeck trailer for load securement at

646-440: The back of the cab from impact and if unable to stop the load coming through the cab, they cause the cab to be knocked off of the frame, rather than impale the cab and kill or seriously injure the driver. 48- and 53-foot lengths usually have two axles spread out to over 10 feet (3.05 m) apart at the rear "California spread" in order to allow for more weight distribution on the rear of the deck (40,000 lb instead of 34,000 for

684-424: The chief operations officer early in 2019. In December 2023, it was announced that Daseke would be acquired by TFI International Inc ., a Canadian carrier, for $ 1.1 billion. The transaction closed on April 1, 2024. Flatbed truck A flatbed has a solid bed, usually of wooden planks. There is no roof and no fixed sides. To retain the load there are often low sides which may be hinged down for loading, as

722-503: The corners to retain the container. Pallet loads are carried in either box bodies, loaded through rear doors, or curtain-sided bodies loaded through the sides. Both of these protect loads from the weather and can be quickly loaded with standard loads, but are more restrictive for single bulky loads, loaded by crane. The haulage and logistics business also changed around the same time as a greater proportion became more regular in nature, such as standard daily loads of equally-sized boxes from

760-419: The deck of the trailer can be attached racks for spare tires, dunnage boards, or tire chains, as well as various tool/storage boxes. On one side (or often both sides for alternating pull-on strap tension) are usually sliding (but sometimes fixed) winches to ratchet down 4-inch straps for load securement. On most 48-foot trailers, these strap/winches may not be placed over a tire as when air pressure releases out of

798-427: The driver can have an idea how much the gross total weight is, and if they are legal to avoid a ticket (80,000 pounds without a permit in most states, but slightly lower in others). Some decks have pop-up chain systems which have a higher WLL (working load limit) than attaching chains to either the stake pocket/spools, or the frame. Other decks of trailers can have sliding detachable accessories which greatly diversify

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836-428: The front of the deck. In the event of long pipes or steel or lumber coming loose in a hard braking incident, they save the operator and cab/sleeper in one of two manners in theory. If attached to the trailer they bend while attempting to block forward motion of a loosened cargo, causing the long load to go above the cab and driver. If attached to the frame behind the cab or sleeper of the tractor, in theory, they protect

874-455: The heaviest and sturdiest is all steel (usually with wood planks), ever-popular combo with steel frame and aluminium bed, these type often have wood portions for nailing down dunnage boards), and aluminium (which is the lightest allowing for more cargo to be legally carried without overweight permits). Incredibly light and very expensive to purchase, all aluminium trailers are very slippery when wet, flex more and are easily damaged. They also have

912-560: The length is commonly 48 or 53 feet (14.63 or 16.15 m), and the width is either 96 or 192 inches (2.44 or 4.88 m) (including rub rails and stake pockets on the sides, which generally placed every 2 feet or 61 cm). Some older trailers still in service are only 45 feet (13.72 m) or shorter if used in sets of doubles or triples (often used to haul hay). Various lengths and combination setups can only be legally driven on turnpike/ toll roads which are far too long for most roadways. Body and frame can be one of three general designs:

950-438: The load with a tarpaulin , held down by ropes. These manual loading techniques are slow and require some care and skill. There is also the risk that an improperly secured load may be shed in transit, often leading to accidents or road blockages. There is also little theft protection for such a load. The slowness of loading loads like this led to the development of more efficient truck designs with enclosed bodies. Some improvement

988-421: The loop affect the ease and speed of tying and releasing, and the stability of the final product. The variations are presented in order of increasing stability. This version of the knot uses a sheepshank , in this kind of application also known as a bell ringer's knot , to form the loop. It is quicker to make than a fixed loop, but is less dependable. It is avoided in critical applications (such as securing

1026-525: The oldest company to join to date, both joined the Daseke family in 2015. In 2017, Big Freight Systems became the first Canadian company to join Daseke. The Schilli Companies, which are Schilli Transportation Services, Schilli Specialized and Schilli Distribution, joined simultaneously and provide warehousing and logistics. In July, The Steelman Companies (Steelman Transportation and Group One Inc.) joined Daseke and are led by President and CEO Jim Towery. To end 2017 strong, December brought three more companies to

1064-399: The options of where and how to place a chain hook for securement. Besides axles which raise/lower as needed, some spread axle trailers can slide one or both axles forward, or back to create a tandem setup in specific situations when necessary, to comply with weight distribution requirements. Certain amounts of front and rear cargo overhang are allowed (as well as overhang to one or both sides of

1102-514: The purchase of Smokey Point Distributing (SPD), which focuses in hauling large, cumbersome, aviation -related cargo . In 2011, Daseke added E. W. Wylie, a company with a large amount of business in Canada . Two years later, in 2013, J. Grady Randolph (JGR), a four-generation, family-owned South Carolinian carrier joined Daseke. Three months later, Daseke added Central Oregon Truck Company (COTC). By November 2013, Daseke merged with The Boyd Companies,

1140-465: The rim, or both. Some trailers have the capability of lifting or lowering the front axle independently to mitigate this risk. The driver may not be able to use this feature if the trailer is loaded, but if the deck is empty the driver can lower the front axle to bring the rear axle off of the ground to significantly decrease the turning radius of the rig for easy maneuvering in tight spaces, or to reduce tire wear during empty/deadhead miles of travel. Under

1178-472: The standing end goes through the loop, it will close under load. In tightening the trucker's hitch, tension can be effectively increased by repeatedly pulling sideways while preventing the tail end from slipping through the loop, and then cinching the knot tighter as the sideways force is released. This is called "sweating a line". If the tail end is wrapped through the last loop twice, the resulting friction may render manual cinching unnecessary. Once tight,

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1216-399: The suspension system when parked, the deck lowers down and will likely pop a trailer tire. Some trailers have an air scale. When the driver learns how to interpret the scale properly through experience, combined with their knowledge of how much the rig weighs when empty, they can interpret how much cargo can safely and legally be loaded onto the trailer. With different varying loads of cargo,

1254-404: The term 'truck' most commonly relates to railway vehicles, with the word ' lorry ' more commonly applied to road vehicles. Trucker%27s hitch The trucker's hitch is a compound knot commonly used for securing loads on trucks or trailers . The general arrangement, using loops and turns in the rope itself to form a crude block and tackle , has long been used to tension lines and

1292-448: The trailer) with flags/banners/flashing lights to warn drivers behind and to the side of impending danger of impalement if they follow too closely behind and the truck suddenly stops. In extreme cases, permit loads require an escort vehicle in the front, rear, or both for oversize/over dimension cargo/equipment. Some vehicle recovery tow trucks have flat beds and are able to winch a recovered vehicle entirely on board. They can then drive

1330-484: The truck for easy loading, then both bed and load winched back aboard as one. Railways also employ flatbed trucks in engineering trains and freight trains. In Britain and the Commonwealth the term bogie flat is often applied to a bogie flatbed truck. Although less common, flatbed railway trucks on rigid frames and axles are sometimes used, with both 4-wheel and 6-wheel versions being extant. In British English,

1368-433: The trucker's hitch is often secured with a half hitch , usually slipped for easy releasing and to avoid the necessity of access to the end of the rope, though a more secure finish, such as two half-hitches , may be called for. Under large loads, the finishing half hitch can jam, especially if it is not slipped; the difficulty of releasing it can be compounded by the fact that the knot is typically still under tension when it

1406-401: The vehicle away for repair without needing to tow it. This allows a faster journey, does not require a driver in the vehicle being towed, and allows a damaged vehicle to be recovered when it cannot be towed. As these flat beds usually slope gradually to the rear, unlike the level bed of a cargo flatbed, they are known as 'beavertails'. Some tow truck beds are demountable and may be lowered behind

1444-493: Was made with the general replacement of ropes by flat webbing straps , tightened with a ratchet. These reduced the skill of 'roping up' and improved the control of tension, leading to fewer shed loads. Flatbeds became rare in the 1980s as the majority of road freight changed to either containers or pallet loads carried on larger and more efficient trucks, optimised for quicker loading by fork-lift trucks . Containers are carried on specialised semi-trailers with twistlocks in

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