Oversize freight pays the best rates on the open deck and hides the most cost. We quote lowboy and RGN loads with permits, escorts and travel restrictions priced in, so the number you agree to is the number you keep.
Heavy haul is the highest-rate open-deck work on the board and the easiest to lose money on. A load that looks great at $6.50 a mile turns into a bad week once permits, escorts, a curfew and a Sunday travel ban are priced in. As your dedicated heavy-haul dispatcher we:
Lowboy and RGN freight follows construction, energy, agriculture and mining: excavators, dozers, loaders, cranes, farm and harvesting equipment, drilling and oilfield gear, transformers and electrical equipment, industrial machinery, and modular structures. It is project-driven work, which means the lanes shift with construction and energy activity rather than with retail seasons.
Permits, escorts and restricted travel days can take a five-figure load down to ordinary money. Every heavy-haul quote we send you has those costs accounted for before you say yes.
| Step deck | Fixed-neck lowboy | RGN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical deck height | ~3.5 ft | ~18-24 in | ~18-24 in |
| Loading method | Ramps or forklift | Crane or ramps | Drive-on, neck detached |
| Best for | Tall but legal freight | Heavy, non-rolling loads | Rolling heavy equipment |
| Permits | Often none | Usually required | Usually required |
| Rate level | Above flatbed | Heavy-haul | Heavy-haul |
Oversize freight comes with a stack of variables that do not exist on a van load: state-by-state permits, curfews, escort thresholds, bridge and route restrictions, and daylight-only travel in some jurisdictions. Working that out from the driver seat while a broker waits for an answer is how good loads get taken at bad rates. We do the arithmetic before the commitment so the truck runs on freight that is worth the trip.
New authority moving into heavy haul, or adding a lowboy to an existing operation? See our New Authority dispatch page, or read the 4-step process — most operators are dispatched within about 24 hours.
Both carry tall, heavy freight on a low deck. An RGN (removable gooseneck) detaches at the front so the deck drops to the ground and equipment can drive on, which makes it the usual choice for rolling machinery. A fixed-neck lowboy has to be loaded by crane or ramps but is lighter and often cheaper to run.
Heavy equipment and oversize freight: excavators, dozers, cranes, loaders, farm and mining equipment, transformers, industrial machinery, and modular or prefabricated structures. Most of it is over-dimensional in height, width or weight.
We book the freight, negotiate the rate, and make sure the load and route are quoted with permits, pilot cars and escorts priced in rather than coming out of your pocket. The permits themselves are pulled by the carrier or a permit service, and we coordinate the paperwork.
Per-mile rates are substantially higher, but so are the costs: permits, escorts, restricted travel hours, slower transit, and more time loading and securing. The money is real but it comes from disciplined quoting, not just a high line-haul number.
We bill a percentage of linehaul or a flat weekly fee, agreed up front before we book anything. On heavy-haul we are especially careful that permits and escorts are quoted into the rate so your net holds up. Contact us for a free quote.
Tell us your deck specs, axle count and home base. A dispatcher will come back with a plan — no obligation, no long-term contract.
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