Equipment
Step deck and double drop trailers
When a load is too tall for a flatbed or a Conestoga, it goes on 1 of our 4 low profile step decks or 3 double drops. Fission Logistics runs them out of Mississauga, in Ontario and cross border.
How they differ
A step deck has a short upper deck over the tractor and a long lower deck behind it. Ours are low profile with a 42 inch drop, so a load up to 120 inches tall stays legal. A double drop has a short deck at each end and a well in the middle that sits lower still, and the tallest pieces ride there.
| Trailer | Count | Loads it takes |
|---|---|---|
| 53 ft low profile step deck, open or curtainside | 4 | Machinery, excavators, crated pieces and skids up to 120 inches tall. The curtainside units take 102 inches wide under the curtain |
| 53 ft double drop, open or curtainside | 3 | The tallest machinery, presses, cells and tanks, riding in the 32 ft well |
What rides on them
- Machinery and dies: presses, robots, cells, machine tools and electrical cabinets.
- Construction equipment: excavators, compactors, lifts and crated site equipment.
- Oversize loads: tanks, vessels and fabricated assemblies, with permits and escorts by dispatch.
How we secure a tall load
- Chained to the trailer frame at the manufacturer's lifting or tie down points. The driver checks the binders again within the first 50 miles.
- Blocked front and rear, with wood cribbing under the base when the shipper asks for it.
- Rubber belting under the chains on finished surfaces. Tarped on request, or shrink wrapped by the shipper.
Lanes
We deliver to plants, dealers and jobsites across Southern Ontario, and into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky through Detroit and Buffalo.
Questions shippers ask
When do I need a step deck instead of a flatbed?
When the piece is too tall to ride legal on a flatbed. Our step decks have a 42 inch drop, so a piece up to 120 inches tall rides legal without a permit.
When do I need a double drop?
When the piece is taller than 120 inches. The 32 ft well is the lowest deck we have, so the tallest pieces ride there. Dispatch tells you if it needs a permit.
Can I load from a dock?
The upper deck of a step deck loads from a dock. The lower deck and the double drop well load by crane, or from the side with a loader or forklift.
Do you carry ramps?
No. Tell dispatch how the machine goes on and comes off, and we send a trailer that works at both ends.
How fast can you quote a permitted load?
Longer than a legal load. Dispatch checks the route for height, gets the permits and books any escort, then tells you when to expect the price.
Related
Rather talk it through?
Call dispatch with the load and the lane. They'll tell you which trailer it goes on, and someone picks up 24 hours a day.