A Conestoga costs more than a flatbed, so it has to earn more than a flatbed. We book the tarp-required freight that shippers will pay a premium for, negotiate the rate, and keep your payload honest.
A Conestoga is an expensive trailer to own, so the economics only work when it stays on freight that actually pays for the rolling tarp. Booking it like a plain flatbed leaves money on the table. As your dedicated Conestoga dispatcher we:
Conestoga freight clusters around manufactured goods that cannot ride in a dry van and cannot sit in the rain: machinery and industrial equipment, steel and aluminum coil, building products, crated and palletized freight, aerospace and defense components, and high-value packaged goods. Manufacturing corridors through the Midwest, Southeast and Texas generate steady Conestoga demand year-round.
There are far fewer Conestogas on the road than flatbeds. When a shipper needs one, they need one — and a dispatcher who knows that is worth more than a dispatcher who books you at flatbed rates.
| Standard flatbed | Conestoga | |
|---|---|---|
| Weather protection | Hand tarps | Built-in rolling tarp |
| Load/unload time | Add 45-90 min for tarping | Roll the curtain back |
| Payload give-up | Tarps only (~150 lb) | Tarp system ~2,000-3,000 lb |
| Loading access | Top and side | Top and side, tarp open |
| Typical rate | Market flatbed | Premium over flatbed |
| Competition for the load | High | Low — fewer trailers exist |
Conestoga loads do not sit at the top of the load board the way dry van freight does. A lot of the best freight moves through brokers and shippers who call the carriers they know can cover it. Our job is to be in those conversations, know which of your lanes are worth running, and keep the trailer on freight that justifies what it cost you. Not every load that fits your deck deserves your trailer.
If you are moving up from a flatbed or just getting your MC set up, we help new operators get compliant and loaded — see our New Authority dispatch page. Running already? The 4-step process gets you dispatched in about 24 hours.
A Conestoga is a flatbed or step deck fitted with a rolling tarp system on a steel frame. The tarp slides back like a curtain so the load can be side- or top-loaded, then seals the freight without hand-tarping. You get flatbed versatility with dry-van weather protection.
Usually yes. Shippers pay a premium because the rolling tarp protects the load and cuts loading time, and because far fewer Conestogas are on the road than standard flatbeds. The trade-off is roughly 2,000-3,000 lb of tarp-system weight that comes out of your payload.
Anything that needs weather protection but cannot go in a dry van: machinery, steel and aluminum coil, building products, crated equipment, aerospace and defense parts, packaged goods on skids, and high-value manufactured freight that shippers will not leave under a hand tarp.
You still need chains, binders, straps and edge protection for securement, but you skip the hand-tarping that eats an hour or more per load and causes a large share of flatbed injuries. That saved time is part of why the rate is higher.
We bill a percentage of linehaul or a flat weekly fee, agreed before we book anything. Because Conestoga rates run above standard flatbed, the fee is typically covered by a single well-negotiated load. Contact us for a free quote.
Tell us your trailer specs and your lanes. A dispatcher will come back with a plan — no obligation, no long-term contract.
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