Equipment, matched to your lane
Dedicated trailer
Full Truckload (FTL)
Full truckload (FTL) shipping gives your freight a dedicated truck and trailer from pickup to delivery, with nothing else riding along and no terminal stops. Summit Link arranges the truck through a carrier partner and manages the shipment for you.
- Trailer
- Typically a 53-foot dry van, refrigerated trailer or flatbed, matched to the load
- Handling
- Loaded once and delivered once, with no terminal transfers
- Scheduling
- Pickup and delivery windows confirmed before the truck rolls
When full truckload makes sense
- Your freight fills most of a trailer, or is heavy enough that shared space stops making sense
- The shipment should go straight from your dock to the delivery dock
- The freight is sensitive enough that you want it handled as little as possible
- You ship the same lane on a regular schedule
Enclosed trailer
Dry Van
Dry van trailers are enclosed, non-refrigerated trailers for palletized, boxed and packaged freight. They are the workhorse of manufacturing and distribution, and the most common equipment on full truckload and many LTL moves.
- Trailer
- Enclosed, 53 feet as standard
- Floor capacity
- Typically up to 26 standard pallets
- Weight
- Most loads top out around 42,000 to 45,000 pounds of freight, depending on the equipment
- Not for
- Freight that needs temperature control
What moves in a dry van
- Palletized and packaged goods
- Finished product and components
- Most general freight
Shared trailer
Less‑Than‑Truckload (LTL)
Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping moves smaller shipments in a trailer shared with other shippers' freight, so you pay for the space you use. Summit Link coordinates the details, from freight class to delivery appointments, so the shipment moves without surprises.
- Shipment size
- Typically one to six pallets
- Priced on
- Weight, dimensions, freight class and distance
- Handling
- Moves through carrier terminals, so good packaging matters
- Extras
- Liftgate, appointments and limited-access delivery quoted up front
When LTL makes sense
- A few pallets at a time
- Smaller, frequent orders
- Shipments where a full trailer would be wasted
Temperature-controlled
Refrigerated (Reefer)
Refrigerated (reefer) shipping moves freight in a temperature-controlled trailer held at a set point. Summit Link arranges reefer loads through carrier partners equipped for your temperature range, confirms the set point before pickup, and stays on the load until it delivers.
- Trailer
- Insulated, typically 53 feet, with its own refrigeration unit on the nose
- Temperature
- Held at a set point you specify, from frozen to chilled or a steady mild range
- Run mode
- Continuous or start-stop cycling, set to what your product needs
- At pickup
- Trailer pre-cooled, set point written on the bill of lading
What moves in a reefer
- Temperature-sensitive products and materials
- Freight with a required temperature range
- Some medical and industrial supplies
Open deck
Flatbed and Step‑Deck
Flatbed and step-deck trailers carry freight that is too tall, wide or heavy for an enclosed van, or that loads from the side or top. Summit Link matches each load to the right deck, confirms securement before pickup, and keeps you informed through delivery.
- Flatbed
- Open deck, typically 48 or 53 feet, about 5 feet off the ground
- Step-deck
- A lower rear deck, about 3.5 feet off the ground, for taller freight
- Freight height
- Typically up to about 8.5 feet on a flatbed and 10 feet on a step-deck before a load counts as over-height (varies by state)
- Freight width
- Up to 8.5 feet before a load typically needs an oversize permit
What moves on an open deck
- Lumber, roofing and building products
- Machinery and large components
- Steel, pipe and long materials
- Freight loaded by crane or forklift from the side
Lanes first
Know your lane? That is all we need to start.
FAQ
Equipment questions
Do I need to know what equipment I need before I ask for a quote?
No. Tell us the lane and what you are shipping, and we will match the load to the right equipment and a carrier partner equipped for it.
What is the difference between FTL and LTL?
Full truckload (FTL) gives your freight a dedicated truck from pickup to delivery. Less-than-truckload (LTL) combines smaller shipments from several shippers in one trailer, with stops at terminals along the way. FTL usually makes sense once your freight fills most of a trailer.
How much freight fits in a full truckload?
A standard 53-foot dry van typically holds up to 26 standard pallets on the floor, and most loads top out around 42,000 to 45,000 pounds of freight, depending on the equipment.
What temperatures can a reefer trailer hold?
Reefer trailers can typically hold freight frozen, chilled or at a steady mild temperature. Tell us the exact range your product needs and we will match the load to a carrier partner equipped for it.
What is the difference between a flatbed and a step‑deck?
A flatbed has one flat deck about 5 feet off the ground. A step-deck has a lower rear deck, about 3.5 feet off the ground, so it can carry taller freight without going over the legal height limit.
When does a load need an oversize permit?
Generally when it is wider than 8.5 feet, taller than the legal height limit or heavier than legal weight limits. The rules vary by state, so tell us the dimensions and weight and we will tell you what the load needs.
Freight Moves. Relationships Endure.
Tell us about your next load.
A real person reviews every request. Call us at 502-463-3192 or email operations@summitlink.biz.