Transportation
Maridum offers reliable, on-time delivery of your goods to many locations in the continental United States. Call us to see what we can do for you.
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Our business keeps expanding, and we are always in search of experienced owner operators. If you think you have what it takes, consider joining our family.
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As a trusted name in the transportation industry, we are always looking for good people to join our team. Check out the current openings that we have available.
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We are committed to offering value at a good price. We know that your bottom line depends on keeping costs low. Our excellent services are at affordable prices.
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At Maridum, we are not satisfied with second best, and that is why we insist on only hiring the most experienced staff available. That is the key to our success.
Read moreFlatbed
Maridum also has a range of flatbed and step deck trucks available for your needs. A flatbed is simply a trailer bed without a cover on top. A step deck was invented to add a little bit more versatility and convenience to a conventional flatbed trailer. A step deck is sometimes called a drop deck trailer because it can allow for taller cargo loads. The trailer on a step deck trailer sits closer to the road.
When choosing the type of trailer that you need, you need to understand that there are several different variations of step deck trailers. A flatbed is excellent for items such as construction machinery that can be loaded and unloaded using a ramp and its own power. Most step deck trailers have a single upper deck and lower deck. Some have a double drop trailer, which has a front upper deck and back upper deck with a lower deck in the center. The heights and dimensions of the decks can vary. Some of them have a top deck that can range anywhere from 5 feet to 11 feet. They have bottom decks that can range from 36 inches to over 8.5 feet. You have a wide range of choices when it comes to finding a flatbed or step deck truck.
Step deck trucks come in tandem axle and spread axle versions. Tandem axles have the wheels close together, and spread axles have groups of axles that are 10 feet apart part. The difference between these two types of trailers is that tandem axles can allow for 17,000 pounds per axle or 34,000 pounds for the entire tandem axle group. With a spread axle truck, each axle is treated as a single axle, which has a load limit of 20,000 pounds. However, a spread axle trailer can handle up to 40,000 pounds combined.
A spread axle trailer is more forgiving on loaded weight and weight distribution than a tandem axle trailer, but a tandem axle trailer is a little more maneuverable and can get into tight or difficult locations more easily.
Another variation is a lowboy truck, where the entire deck is only a few inches off the road. The advantage is that these types of trucks are excellent for hauling oversized equipment because they allow for the maximum vertical room. Cargo that is above 8 feet faces certain restrictions, and lowboys provide additional maximum footage in height. A step deck truck allows you to haul equipment that you could not otherwise move because of its size and dimensions.
One of the advantages of flatbeds and step decks is that they are easy to load. You can use a crane to drop the load in from overhead, or you can load it from the side. Most of them have a ramp coming off the back of the trailer, or you can back them up to a standard loading dock.
One thing to consider is that a flatbed or step deck is an open bed and your equipment will be exposed to the elements unless you provide a cover. One of the advantages of these types of trailers is the versatility and the types of commodities that they can haul. Many of them can even haul overlength loads, which extend over the end of the trailer, but state regulations differ as to whether this is allowed and what is required to do this. Some types of loads may require a special permit. If you have a load where a flatbed or step deck truck would be appropriate, be sure to give Maridum a call and we will be happy to get you started.
