Step deck trucking companies in Ontario: Fission, 4 step decks and 3 double drops
Fission Logistics runs 4 low profile step decks and 3 double drops out of Mississauga, part of a fleet of 80 trucks and 140 trailers, for loads too tall for a flatbed or a Conestoga, in Ontario and cross border. A step deck carries 45,000 lb and is legal to 120 inches tall on its 42 inch lower deck, and a double drop carries 42,000 lb in a 32 ft well for machinery and equipment.
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: the lower deck sits 42 inches off the road, so a load up to 120 inches tall stays legal. See a 120 inch crate we moved that way. 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 | Payload | Loads it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft low profile step deck, open or curtainside | 4 | Up to 45,000 lb | 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 | Up to 42,000 lb | 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. Width limits are in our Ontario width chart.
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 80 km (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.
Step deck trucking companies: how to compare
Every step deck carrier quotes the same trailer name. The deck height, the payload and the securement decide whether the piece rides legal. Our numbers for each of the 6 checks are below.
- How high is the lower deck? Ours sits 42 inches off the road, so a piece up to 120 inches tall rides legal without a permit.
- What does each trailer carry? Up to 45,000 lb on a step deck and up to 42,000 lb on a double drop, which has a 32 ft well for the tallest pieces.
- How is the piece secured? Chained to the trailer frame at the manufacturer's lifting or tie down points, blocked front and rear, with rubber belting under the chains on finished surfaces. The driver checks the binders again within the first 80 km (50 miles).
- Does the carrier carry ramps? We don't. Your rigger loads from a dock, with a loader or by crane, and we send a trailer that works at both ends.
- Can the same trailer cross the border? Yes. Step decks and double drops cross at Detroit and Buffalo, and dispatch files ACE and ACI on every load. See cross border trucking.
- Where are the trailers based? In Mississauga, with the rest of the fleet, so a GTA pickup is a short deadhead. See trucking companies in Mississauga.
Lanes
We deliver to plants, dealers and jobsites across Southern Ontario, and into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky through Detroit and Buffalo. Tall machinery for Toronto plants is covered under flatbed trucking in Toronto. See the lane list for flatbed trucking companies in Ontario. Appointments, tracking and border paperwork on a machinery move are described on our logistics company in Mississauga page.
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. The lower deck on our step decks sits 42 inches off the road, 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.
How much weight do they carry?
Up to 45,000 lb on a step deck and up to 42,000 lb on a double drop. Send the weight and the footprint of the piece, and dispatch tells you which one it goes on.
Is a step deck the same as a drop deck?
Yes. Step deck, drop deck and single drop all mean the same trailer: a short upper deck over the tractor and a long, lower deck behind it.
Is a double drop the same as a lowboy?
Close, but not the same. Lowboy usually means a heavy equipment trailer with a removable gooseneck that loads from the front. Our double drops carry up to 42,000 lb in a 32 ft well and load by crane, forklift or from the side. Send the height and weight, and dispatch tells you if a double drop is the right trailer.
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?
It takes 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.