Conestoga dispatch
Conestoga trucking: covered freight, booked at covered-freight rates
A conestoga truck does what a van cannot and what a tarped flatbed does slowly: it covers the freight and still loads from the side or top. That combination is worth money to the right shipper. We find the conestoga freight that needs it and do not let it get priced like an open flatbed load.
Closed: weatherproof, ready to roll
What a conestoga trailer is
What is conestoga in trucking?
A conestoga trailer is a flatbed or step deck with a rolling tarp system: aluminum bows wrapped in a heavy tarp, riding on tracks along both sides. Roll it back and the deck is open for forklifts and cranes; roll it forward and the freight is covered and locked down against weather. The name, and the look, come from the covered wagons. Some brokers post them as a conestoga van, but it is open-deck equipment.
The trade-off is space. The bows and tracks set a fixed box. A flatbed conestoga typically gives about 8 ft of usable height and about 100 in of width inside the tracks; a step deck conestoga gets more height on the lower deck (Inbound Logistics). Your exact numbers depend on the system, so measure yours and we book against them.
Typical flatbed conestoga box
- Length
- 48 or 53 ft
- Usable height
- about 8 ft
- Usable width
- about 100 in
- Loads from
- top, either side
Conestoga freight
Freight that needs a conestoga
Tarp-sensitive goods
Finished steel, aluminum, coated products and machinery that a strap or tarp could mark.
Side-load freight that cannot get wet
Palletized building products, packaged goods and crated parts loaded by forklift from the side.
Top-loaded covered freight
Items lifted in by crane that still need to arrive dry.
Shipper rules
Some shippers simply will not let a driver climb and tarp on their property. A conestoga keeps you on their list.
Conestoga trailer hauling also cuts the time and risk of tarping by hand. If you are weighing a conestoga against a set of tarps, our flatbed tarping guide lays out both sides.
Rates vs open deck
Pricing conestoga freight
There is no public national average for conestoga rates that we can cite, so do not trust anyone quoting one. What we can say: fewer trucks run conestogas, and the shipper avoids tarp damage and delay, so a conestoga load should pay at least what the same freight would pay tarped on a flatbed, and often more.
The EXAMPLE on the right compares one load both ways. The numbers are illustrations, not market data. Our fee stays the same: 6% of gross, 5% for 2+ trucks. Run your own load in the rate and profit calculator.
Rate confirmation
Tarped flatbed
Coated steel, 640 mi
| Linehaul | $1,900 |
|---|---|
| Tarp pay | $150 |
| Gross | $2,050 |
Plus your time tarping and untarping.
Rate confirmation
Conestoga
Same load, 640 mi
| Linehaul | $2,150 |
|---|---|
| Tarp pay | $0 |
| Gross | $2,150 |
No tarping; roll the system closed.
Fee and onboarding
How we book conestoga loads
- We record your conestoga box: inside height, width between tracks, length, and flatbed or step deck.
- We search conestoga postings and offer you to brokers who move covered freight.
- Every load is checked against your box before you hear about it.
- You approve every load; we handle the rate con, check calls and paperwork.
Read how onboarding works and the pricing. New to open deck? Start with what flatbed trucking is or how to start a flatbed business.
Dispatch my conestoga
Pick what you pull. Three short steps, about a minute.
6% of gross for one truck, 5% for 2+ trucks. No haul, no pay.
Conestoga FAQ
Conestoga questions
What is a conestoga truck?
In trucking, a conestoga is a flatbed or step deck trailer with a rolling tarp system: aluminum bows covered by a tarp that slide on side tracks like an accordion. Closed, it protects the freight like a van. Open, it loads from the top or either side like a flatbed. A conestoga truck is a semi pulling one.
Is there a step deck conestoga?
Yes. A step deck conestoga puts the rolling tarp system on a drop deck, which gives more interior height on the lower deck for tall, covered freight. It is less common than the flatbed version.
Do conestoga loads pay more than flatbed loads?
They can, because fewer trucks run them and the shipper gets covered freight with side loading. There is no published national conestoga average we can point to, so we price each load against its lane and compare it with what a tarped flatbed load would pay.
Can a conestoga haul regular flatbed freight?
Yes, as long as it fits inside the frame with the tarp closed. The side tracks take a little usable width, so check wide freight before booking.
Covered freight deserves a covered-freight rate
Apply in a minute and tell us your conestoga box. We do the searching and the negotiating. It is part of our flatbed dispatch desk, built only for open-deck trucks.