# FlatbedLTL

> Your cross-country Flatbed LTL carrier. FlatbedLTL is the flatbed-LTL specialist brand of Comet National Shipping Company, a cross-country partial flatbed carrier. Ship heavy, tall, long, and odd-shaped freight and pay only for the deck space you use.

Flatbed LTL (also called partial flatbed) lets freight that fills only part of a trailer share the deck with other loads, so shippers avoid paying for a full truckload or getting hit with standard-LTL accessorial charges. FlatbedLTL operates across the US and Canada.

## Core pages
- [Home](https://www.flatbedltl.com): Your cross-country Flatbed LTL carrier.
- [What We Do](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do): Every service in detail plus the hidden cost of standard LTL.
- [Everyone Wins](https://www.flatbedltl.com/everyone-wins): Why partial flatbed is a better model for shippers, carriers, and the road.
- [Get a Quote](https://www.flatbedltl.com/get-a-quote): Request a flatbed LTL or partial truckload quote.
- [Blog](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog): Plain-English guides to flatbed LTL, pricing, and securement.
- [Contact](https://www.flatbedltl.com/contact): Phone, email, and address.

## Services
- [Distressed Load Recovery](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#distressed-recovery) — Recover & re-secure: When a shipment shifts, gets refused, or a carrier falls through, we step in fast to recover, re-secure, and re-deliver freight so your project stays on schedule.
- [Full Flatbed & FTL](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#full-truckload) — Via Comet National: Need the whole trailer? Our parent company, Comet National Shipping, handles full flatbed, full van, full and partial reefer, and even traditional LTL — ship anything to anywhere.
- [LTL Flatbed](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#flatbed-ltl) — Partial flatbed: When you ship construction equipment, heavy machinery, raw materials, or other odd-shaped items, it can be hard to economically move a load that fills only a fraction of a flatbed trailer. With Flatbed LTL, you only pay for the space you use.
- [Rework](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#rework) — Restack & re-secure: Damaged packaging, failed inspections, or improperly loaded freight? We rework, restack, and re-secure loads to spec before they continue down the lane.
- [Transloading](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#transloading) — Mode-to-mode transfer: Move freight between trailers, containers, and modes at our facilities — consolidating partials or splitting volume shipments for the most efficient route.
- [Volume LTL](https://www.flatbedltl.com/what-we-do#volume-ltl) — Partial / shared truckload: For dry-van palletized loads bigger than a regular LTL shipment but smaller than a full truckload, Volume LTL is a great choice — shared truckload economics without the full-truck price.

## Blog (guides)
- [5 Mistakes SMBs Make Shipping Awkward Open-Deck Freight](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/5-mistakes-smbs-make-shipping-awkward-open-deck-freight): The five open-deck shipping mistakes that cost small shippers money and time, and how to avoid every one of them.
- [5 Open-Deck Freight Quoting Mistakes Contractors Make](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/5-open-deck-freight-quoting-mistakes-contractors-make): The quoting mistakes that turn a fair open-deck freight quote into a bill that wrecks your job budget, and how to avoid every one.
- [A Locked-In Quote Is a Feature, Not a Favor](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/a-locked-in-quote-is-a-feature-not-a-favor): Why your flatbed LTL price shouldn't move after pickup, and how a locked-in partial flatbed quote keeps your budget intact.
- [Big Iron, Small Load: Partial Flatbed for Construction Gear](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/big-iron-small-load-partial-flatbed-for-construction-gear): When your machine is too big for LTL but too small for a full flatbed, partial flatbed moves it on the deck space you actually need.
- [Carrier Fell Through Last Minute? How Load Recovery Gets You Moving](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/carrier-fell-through-last-minute-how-load-recovery-gets-you-moving): When your booked carrier no-shows, distressed load recovery re-secures and re-delivers your open-deck freight so the project stays on schedule.
- [Cross-Country Partial Flatbed: Coverage Across 48 States and Canada](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/cross-country-partial-flatbed-coverage-across-48-states-and-canada): How partial flatbed moves open-deck freight across the lower 48 and into Canada, with direct dispatch and a locked-in quote from origin to destination.
- [Cubic Capacity and Capacity Load Charges: The Fine Print That Re-Rates Your Load](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/cubic-capacity-and-capacity-load-charges-the-fine-print-that-re-rates-your-load): How Cubic Capacity and Capacity Load charges quietly re-rate LTL flatbed freight after the fact, and how a locked-in partial flatbed quote sidesteps them.
- [Densely Packed or Wide Open: Why Your Freight Bill Swings](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/densely-packed-or-wide-open-why-your-freight-bill-swings): Freight density is the hidden lever behind LTL invoice surprises. Here's why the same weight can cost wildly different, and how partial flatbed avoids it.
- [Direct Dispatch vs. the Terminal Network: Fewer Handoffs, Less Damage](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/direct-dispatch-vs-the-terminal-network-fewer-handoffs-less-damage): Every extra handoff is a chance to break your freight and lose a day. Here's why direct dispatch protects open-deck loads better than a terminal network.
- [Distressed Load Recovery: What to Do When Freight Shifts or Gets Refused](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/distressed-load-recovery-what-to-do-when-freight-shifts-or-gets-refused): A load shifted, got refused, or your carrier vanished. Here's how to keep the project on schedule and get your freight moving again.
- [Failed Inspection or Damaged Packaging? How Freight Rework Saves the Shipment](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/failed-inspection-or-damaged-packaging-how-freight-rework-saves-the-shipment): When freight fails inspection or shows up loaded wrong, rework restacks, repackages, and re-secures it to spec so your shipment stays on schedule.
- [Equipment Rental Houses: Stop Overpaying for Empty Deck Space](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/equipment-rental-houses-stop-overpaying-for-empty-deck-space): Rental houses ship skid steers, scissor lifts, and generators that don't fill a trailer. Partial flatbed lets you pay for the deck you use.
- [Flatbed LTL to Canada: What Equipment Shippers Should Know](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/flatbed-ltl-to-canada-what-equipment-shippers-should-know): Shipping open-deck equipment across the border on partial flatbed? Here's what to plan for, from paperwork to securement to a locked-in quote.
- [Freight Too Big for LTL, Too Small for a Full Truckload?](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/freight-too-big-for-ltl-too-small-for-a-full-truckload): When your palletized load falls between regular LTL and a full truck, here's how to move it without paying for space you don't use.
- [From Port or Rail to the Road: How Transloading Keeps Freight Moving](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/from-port-or-rail-to-the-road-how-transloading-keeps-freight-moving): Transloading moves your freight between containers, railcars, and trailers so it rides the cheapest mode as far as it can, then hits the road right-sized.
- [How a Density Minimum Charge Turns a Cheap Quote Into a Big Bill](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-a-density-minimum-charge-turns-a-cheap-quote-into-a-big-bill): A low LTL quote can balloon on the invoice thanks to the Density Minimum Charge. Here's how the trap works and how partial flatbed sidesteps it.
- [How Deck Space Pricing Works for Machinery and Bulk Goods](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-deck-space-pricing-works-for-machinery-and-bulk-goods): See how partial flatbed pricing charges you for the deck space your machinery or bulk freight uses, not a whole trailer or a surprise surcharge.
- [How Everybody Wins: The Simple Math Behind Shared Flatbed Deck Space](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-everybody-wins-the-simple-math-behind-shared-flatbed-deck-space): See the plain math behind partial flatbed shipping: pay for the deck space you use, so the shipper, the carrier, and the freight all come out ahead.
- [How to Get an Accurate Flatbed LTL Quote for Machinery](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-to-get-an-accurate-flatbed-ltl-quote-for-machinery): The measurements and details that make a partial flatbed quote for machinery accurate and locked in, so your invoice matches the number you were given.
- [How to Get an Accurate Partial Flatbed Quote the First Time](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-to-get-an-accurate-partial-flatbed-quote-the-first-time): The freight details that make a partial flatbed quote stick, so the number you're quoted is the number you pay. No surprise accessorials.
- [How to Read a Flatbed Freight Invoice Line by Line](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/how-to-read-a-flatbed-freight-invoice-line-by-line): A contractor's guide to reading a flatbed freight invoice, spotting the accessorials that inflate the bill, and paying for the deck you use.
- [Is Your Freight a Fit for Partial Flatbed? A Quick Gut Check](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/is-your-freight-a-fit-for-partial-flatbed-a-quick-gut-check): A plain-talk size-and-weight checklist to tell whether your open-deck freight belongs on partial flatbed, Volume LTL, or a full trailer.
- [It Pays to Be Partial to Partials: Pay Only for the Deck You Use](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/it-pays-to-be-partial-to-partials-pay-only-for-the-deck-you-use): Partial flatbed lets small shippers pay for the deck space they use instead of a whole trailer, with a locked-in quote and no surprise accessorials.
- [LTL Accessorial Charges, Explained: How a $500 Bill Becomes $3,500](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/ltl-accessorial-charges-explained-how-a-500-bill-becomes-3500): The four LTL accessorial charges that quietly inflate flatbed-type freight bills, how they work, and how a locked-in partial flatbed quote sidesteps them.
- [Odd-Shaped and Oversized Freight: When Open Deck Beats a Dry Van](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/odd-shaped-and-oversized-freight-when-open-deck-beats-a-dry-van): Some freight was never built to fit through the back of a dry van. Here's how to spot it, and why open deck moves it cheaper and cleaner.
- [Open-Deck LTL for Small Shippers Without Big-Shipper Clout](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/open-deck-ltl-for-small-shippers-without-big-shipper-clout): You don't need a logistics department or a rate agreement to move open-deck freight. Here's how partial flatbed levels the field.
- [Partial, Full, or Specialty Flatbed: Picking the Right Service](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/partial-full-or-specialty-flatbed-picking-the-right-service): Not sure if your open-deck freight needs a partial flatbed, a full trailer, or specialty handling? Here is how to choose the mode that fits.
- [Partial Reefer, Full Flatbed, or LTL? Picking the Right Mode](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/partial-reefer-full-flatbed-or-ltl-picking-the-right-mode): A plain-talk guide to matching your freight to the right shipping mode so you pay for what you need and nothing you don't.
- [Partial vs. Full Flatbed for Rental Equipment Fleets](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/partial-vs-full-flatbed-for-rental-equipment-fleets): When your rental fleet moves one machine or two, here's how to pick between partial and full flatbed so you pay only for the deck you use.
- [Prepping Your Equipment for an Open-Deck Move: A Shipper's Checklist](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/prepping-your-equipment-for-an-open-deck-move-a-shippers-checklist): A practical checklist to get your machinery ready for an open-deck flatbed move, so pickup goes fast and your freight arrives whole.
- [Reading Your Freight Invoice: The Accessorials That Inflate It](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/reading-your-freight-invoice-the-accessorials-that-inflate-it): Learn the LTL accessorial charges that quietly raise your freight bill after the fact, and how a locked-in partial flatbed quote sidesteps them.
- [Restacked and Re-Secured to Spec: What Rework Really Means](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/restacked-and-re-secured-to-spec-what-rework-really-means): When freight fails inspection, shifts, or was loaded wrong, rework restacks and re-secures it to spec so the load keeps moving. Here's how it works.
- [Securing Buckets and Attachments on a Shared Flatbed Deck](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/securing-buckets-and-attachments-on-a-shared-flatbed-deck): How loose attachments and buckets get secured separately on a shared partial flatbed deck, and why doing it right protects your freight and everyone else's.
- [Securing Heavy Equipment on a Flatbed: Chains, Binders, and WLL](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/securing-heavy-equipment-on-a-flatbed-chains-binders-and-wll): How chains, binders, and Working Load Limits keep heavy equipment safe on an open deck, and why proper securement is part of every partial flatbed shipment.
- [Shipping a Skid Steer That Won't Fill a Trailer? Read This](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-a-skid-steer-that-wont-fill-a-trailer-read-this): One skid steer doesn't fill a flatbed and won't fit dry-van LTL. Here's how partial flatbed moves it without paying for empty deck.
- [Shipping Building Materials on Open Deck: Brick, Lumber, and More](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-building-materials-on-open-deck-brick-lumber-and-more): How to ship brick, lumber, concrete, and scaffolding on a flatbed without full-truck prices or a surprise invoice: partial flatbed done right.
- [Shipping Construction Equipment Without Paying for a Full Truck](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-construction-equipment-without-paying-for-a-full-truck): How to move skid steers, generators, and other big iron on shared flatbed deck space, and pay only for the room your equipment actually needs.
- [Shipping Generators and Compressors Without a Full Truck](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-generators-and-compressors-without-a-full-truck): One generator or a couple of compressors rarely fills a trailer. Here's how partial flatbed moves them without a full-truck price or a surprise invoice.
- [Shipping Generators, Transformers, and Compressors: A Guide](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-generators-transformers-and-compressors-a-guide): Heavy industrial gear is too big for LTL and too small for a full flatbed. Here's how to ship generators, transformers, and compressors without the surprise bill.
- [Shipping One Pallet of Rebar Across the Country the Smart Way](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-one-pallet-of-rebar-across-the-country-the-smart-way): One pallet of rebar is too small for a flatbed and too awkward for LTL. Here's how partial flatbed moves it cross-country without a surprise invoice.
- [Shipping Pumps and Panels Between Jobsites, State to State](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-pumps-and-panels-between-jobsites-state-to-state): Moving a pump or electrical panel to the next jobsite? Here's how partial flatbed gets it there without a full-truck price or a surprise invoice.
- [Shipping Structural Steel, Rebar, and Long Materials on Partial Flatbed](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/shipping-structural-steel-rebar-and-long-materials-on-partial-flatbed): Long steel and rebar too small for a full flatbed? Here's how partial flatbed moves long materials without the surcharges LTL loves to add.
- [Tarping, Blocking, and Bracing: How Open-Deck Freight Rides Safe](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/tarping-blocking-and-bracing-how-open-deck-freight-rides-safe): How tarping, blocking, and bracing protect open-deck freight in transit, and why the right prep is part of what a partial flatbed quote should cover.
- [The Linear Foot Charge, Explained: Why Long Freight Costs So Much](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/the-linear-foot-charge-explained-why-long-freight-costs-so-much): Long freight triggers the Linear Foot Charge on LTL and inflates your bill. Here's how the rule works and how partial flatbed sidesteps it.
- [The Real Reason Your Equipment Freight Quote Doubled](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/the-real-reason-your-equipment-freight-quote-doubled): Your equipment freight bill didn't balloon by accident. Here's the hidden LTL math behind it, and how a locked-in partial flatbed quote stops it.
- [Too Big for Parcel, Too Small for a Full Flatbed: The Gap](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/too-big-for-parcel-too-small-for-a-full-flatbed-the-gap): Open-deck freight stuck between parcel and a whole trailer has a home. Here is how partial flatbed fills the gap and why you pay for only the deck you use.
- [Transloading Explained: Moving Freight Between Trailers and Modes](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/transloading-explained-moving-freight-between-trailers-and-modes): What transloading is, when it saves you money, and how splitting or consolidating freight keeps your open-deck loads moving efficiently.
- [Volume LTL vs. Partial Flatbed: Which Shared-Truck Option Fits?](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/volume-ltl-vs-partial-flatbed-which-shared-truck-option-fits): Not sure whether your freight needs dry-van Volume LTL or partial flatbed? Here's how to pick the right shared-truckload mode and pay only for the space you use.
- [What Is Partial Flatbed LTL, and When Is It the Right Call?](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/what-is-partial-flatbed-ltl-and-when-is-it-the-right-call): Partial flatbed LTL lets you pay for only the deck space your freight uses, with a locked-in quote. Here's when it's the right mode for your load.
- [When a Rental Return Needs to Move Yesterday: A Recovery Story](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/when-a-rental-return-needs-to-move-yesterday-a-recovery-story): A booked carrier vanished and a rental return was late. Here's how partial flatbed recovery gets stranded equipment moving again fast.
- [When to Graduate From Partial Flatbed to a Full Truckload](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/when-to-graduate-from-partial-flatbed-to-a-full-truckload): How to know when your open-deck freight has outgrown partial flatbed, and when a full trailer with Comet National is the smarter, cheaper move.
- [Why Big LTL Networks Reject Your Six-Pallet Flatbed Load](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/why-big-ltl-networks-reject-your-six-pallet-flatbed-load): Big LTL networks reject or surcharge six-pallet and open-deck freight. Here's why it happens, and how partial flatbed gets your load moved.
- [Which Freight Mode Do You Actually Need? A Plain-English Guide](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/which-freight-mode-do-you-actually-need-a-plain-english-guide): Parcel, LTL, partial flatbed, volume, or a full truck? A no-nonsense guide to picking the right freight mode without overpaying.
- [Why Contractors Get Burned by LTL Quotes on Heavy Equipment](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/why-contractors-get-burned-by-ltl-quotes-on-heavy-equipment): Heavy equipment doesn't fit standard LTL rules, so quotes balloon on the invoice. Here's why it happens and how partial flatbed avoids it.
- [Why LTL Networks Reject Your Long, Awkward Equipment](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/why-ltl-networks-reject-your-long-awkward-equipment): Long, heavy, odd-shaped freight gets rejected or surcharged by LTL networks. Here's why it happens, and where that freight actually belongs.
- [Why Securement Matters More on a Shared Flatbed Deck](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/why-securement-matters-more-on-a-shared-flatbed-deck): When your freight shares a deck with other loads, securement stops being your problem alone. Here's how it works and why it protects you.
- [Working Load Limit 101: The Number Behind How Your Load Is Tied Down](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/working-load-limit-101-the-number-behind-how-your-load-is-tied-down): Working Load Limit is the number that decides how many chains hold your freight. Here's what WLL means and why it matters on an open deck.
- [You Shouldn't Need a Logistics Department to Ship Three Pallets](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/you-shouldnt-need-a-logistics-department-to-ship-three-pallets): Small shippers get treated like a problem by big LTL networks. Here's how partial flatbed moves your awkward freight without the runaround.
- [You Shouldn't Need a Logistics Team to Ship Three Skids](https://www.flatbedltl.com/blog/you-shouldnt-need-a-logistics-team-to-ship-three-skids): Small shippers get squeezed on partial flatbed freight. Here's why moving three skids shouldn't take a logistics department or a surprise invoice.

## Contact
- Phone: (800) 831-5376
- Email: sales@cometnational.com
- Address: 4138 Arcadia Industrial Circle, Lilburn, GA 30047
- Hours: Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm ET

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