Services
Reefer Services
If you are an owner operator that ships fresh produce, fresh cut floral, pharmaceuticals, fresh/frozen meats and every food that requires refrigeration, we’re here for you. We have the precise knowledge and experience finding the best loads for you and our team is capable of meeting your needs on a daily basis.
Flatbed Services
Hauling flatbed loads is probably the most difficult thing to do as a truck driver. From hauling machinery concrete, steel pipes,military loads, vehicles and roofing materials to roofing materials, our team is ready to help you and show you how to properly secure the load and give you every tip to make you a better driver
Dry Van Services
Dry Van loads loads that don’t require refrigeration or special hauling. Our dispatching team has the required experience to help you get the best dry van loads.
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Flatbed Loads
Flatbed loads play a crucial role in the trucking industry, catering to the transportation needs of large, heavy, and irregularly shaped items that cannot be easily accommodated by standard enclosed trailers. At GBA Group, we specialize in providing flatbed owner-operators with a variety of high-paying and diverse hauling opportunities. Here’s an in-depth look at what flatbed loads entail and why they are an essential part of the logistics chain:
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What Are Flatbed Loads?
Flatbed loads are transported using flatbed trailers, which are characterized by their open design and flat deck. This structure allows for easy loading and unloading of goods from any side, including the top, making it ideal for oversized and heavy cargo that wouldn’t fit in enclosed trailers.
Why choose us
Why Choose GBA Group for Flatbed Hauling?
Experienced Support Team
- Details: Our team has extensive experience with flatbed freight, providing you
with the guidance and support needed to handle complex loads effectively.
Consistent Loads
- Details: We have established relationships with a wide range of industries, ensuring a steady flow of flatbed hauling opportunities that keep you moving and earning.
Safety Incentives
- Details: We prioritize safety and offer bonuses for maintaining high safety standards, recognizing the extra effort required in securing and transporting flatbed loads.
Training and Resources
- Details: We provide comprehensive training on load securement and tarping techniques, ensuring you are well-prepared and confident in handling flatbed freight.
By joining GBA Group, you gain access to lucrative flatbed hauling opportunities, backed by a supportive team and a commitment to your success. Whether you are an experienced flatbed driver or looking to expand your skills, we offer the resources and opportunities to help you thrive.
Common Types of Flatbed Loads
Construction Materials
- Examples: Steel beams, concrete slabs, lumber, scaffolding, pipes.
- Details: These materials are often oversized and require the versatility of a flatbed for easy transport and access at construction sites.
Machinery and Equipment
- Examples: Industrial machines, agricultural equipment, construction machinery.
- Details: These items are typically heavy and bulky, needing the robust platform that flatbed trailers provide.
Vehicles
- Examples: Cars, trucks, military vehicles, heavy-duty equipment.
- Details: Flatbeds are ideal for transporting multiple vehicles at once, particularly those that are too large for enclosed trailers.
Prefabricated Structures
- Examples: Modular homes, prefabricated buildings, large HVAC units.
- Details: These items often come in large, single pieces that require the open space of a flatbed for secure transport.
Specialized Freight
- Examples: Wind turbine components, large pipes, oversized tanks.
- Details: These are usually custom or uniquely shaped items that need special handling and securement techniques.
Benefits of Hauling Flatbed Loads
Higher Pay
- Details: Handling flatbed loads requires specialized skills in securing and tarping cargo. These skills not only enhance your professional profile but also provide a sense of accomplishment and expertise.
Diverse Opportunities
- Details: The variety of items that can be transported on flatbeds means that drivers have access to a broad range of hauling opportunities, reducing downtime and increasing job stability.
Skill Enhancement
- Details:
Handling flatbed loads requires specialized skills in securing and tarping cargo. These skills not only enhance your professional profile but also provide a sense of accomplishment and expertise.
Less Wait Time
- Details: • The ease of loading and unloading flatbed trailers can lead to shorter wait times at docks and job sites, allowing for more trips and increased earning potential.
Flexibility in Routes
- Details: • Flatbed loads often involve delivering directly to job sites, which can offer more varied and flexible routing compared to traditional freight routes.
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TRANSPORTATION DIVISIONS
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A FEW HONORS WE'D LIKE TO MENTION
INDUSTRY AWARDS
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
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Dry Van Loads
Dry van transportation is one of the most common and versatile methods of freight shipping. It involves the use of an enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer—referred to as a “dry van”—to transport goods that do not require temperature control or protection from the elements. Here’s how dry van transportation works and what types of loads it typically carries:
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What Is Dry Van Transportation?
Dry van transportation uses a standard, enclosed trailer to haul a wide range of goods. The trailer is completely sealed, providing protection against weather, dust, and road debris. Unlike refrigerated trailers, dry vans do not have temperature control, making them ideal for items that are not sensitive to heat or cold.
Key Components of Dry Van Transportation
Dry Van Trailer:
- Enclosed Structure: The trailer is fully enclosed with solid walls, roof, and floors, ensuring that the cargo is protected from external conditions like rain, wind, and
- Standard Sizes: Dry vans typically come in 28-foot, 48-foot, or 53—foot lengths, with 53—foot trailers being the most common. The standard width is 5 feet, and the height is about 9 feet.
- Load Capacity: A standard 53-foot dry van can typically carry up to 45,000 pounds of freight, depending on the cargo and legal weight
Loading and Unloading:
- Rear Door Access: Most dry vans have rear doors for loading and Some may have side doors for added convenience.
- Dock-Level Compatibility: Dry vans are designed to match the height of loading docks, making them easy to load and unload using forklifts or pallet jacks.
- Flooring: The floor of a dry van is typically made of wood or metal, providing a sturdy base for heavy goods. Some trailers may also have logistics tracks or e- tracks to secure cargo during
Types of Goods Transported
Dry van transportation is highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of non— perishable goods, including:
Consumer Packaged Goods:
Items like electronics, furniture, clothing, and household products are commonly transported in dry vans. These items are not temperature-sensitive and are well-suited for the protection provided by an enclosed
Building Materials:
Construction materials such as lumber, steel, and roofing materials can be transported in dry vans, especially when they need to be kept dry but do not require temperature control.
Non-Perishable Food and Beverages:
Products like canned goods, bottled drinks, and dry foods are often shipped in dry vans. While these items need to be protected from moisture and contamination, they don’t require refrigeration.
Paper Products:
Goods like paper, cardboard, and books are commonly shipped in dry vans, where they are protected from humidity and damage.
Automotive Parts:
Many automotive components, from small parts to large assemblies, are transported using dry vans, ensuring they stay clean and undamaged during transit.
Machinery and Equipment:
Industrial machinery, tools, and other equipment that do not require temperature control are often shipped in dry vans.
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Refrigerated transportation
Refrigerated transportation, often referred to as “reefer” hauling, is a specialized type of freight transportation that involves moving goods that need to be kept at a specific temperature to preserve their quality and safety. This is particularly important for perishable items like food, pharmaceuticals, and certain chemicals. Here’s an explanation of how refrigerated transportation works:
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What Is Refrigerated Transportation?
Refrigerated transportation uses insulated and temperature-controlled trailers, known as “reefers,” to transport goods that must remain within a specific temperature range during transit. These trailers are equipped with refrigeration units that can cool or even freeze the cargo area, ensuring that the products maintain their required conditions from pickup to delivery.
How Refrigerated Hauling Works
1. Pre-Cooling:
Before loading, the refrigerated trailer is pre-cooled to the required temperature. This ensures that when the goods are loaded, they immediately enter a controlled environment, reducing the risk of temperature fluctuations.
2. Loading:
The cargo is loaded into the trailer carefully to ensure that air can
circulate around the goods, which is crucial for maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the load.
3. Temperature Setting and Monitoring
Once loaded, the refrigeration unit is set to the specific temperature required for the cargo. Throughout the journey, the temperature is constantly monitored, and any deviations can trigger alerts for the driver or fleet manager to take action.
4. In-Transit Adjustments:
The refrigeration unit adjusts its cooling power based on external conditions, such as ambient temperature, to maintain a consistent internal environment. This is particularly important when driving through areas with varying climates.
5. Delivery and Unloading
Upon arrival, the cargo is quickly unloaded to minimize exposure to external temperatures. The trailer is often kept running during this process to maintain the temperature until the last item is offloaded.
Key Components of Refrigerated Transportation
Refrigerated Trailers (Reefers):
- Insulated Trailer Walls: The trailer walls are insulated to prevent outside temperatures from affecting the This insulation helps maintain the temperature inside, even in extreme weather conditions.
- Refrigeration Unit: Attached to the front of the trailer, this unit controls the temperature within the trailer. It can cool, freeze, or even maintain a specific level of humidity, depending on the cargo’s
- Temperature Monitoring: Modern reefers are equipped with sensors and monitors that track the temperature inside the trailer in real—time. This data is often recorded and can be accessed remotely to ensure that the cargo remains within the desired temperature
Types of Goods Transported:
- Perishable Foods: Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, seafood, and frozen foods are commonly transported in These items need to be kept at specific temperatures to prevent spoilage or contamination.
- Pharmaceuticals: Many drugs and vaccines require strict temperature control to remain Reefers are essential in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
- Specialty Chemicals: Certain chemicals must be kept at specific temperatures to maintain their stability and effectiveness.
Challenges in Refrigerated Transportation
Maintaining Consistent Temperature
Any failure in the refrigeration unit or insulation can lead to temperature fluctuations, potentially spoiling the
Energy Consumption:
Refrigerated trailers consume more fuel to power the refrigeration units, which adds to operational costs.
Regulatory Compliance:
Transporting perishable goods, especially food and pharmaceuticals, requires adherence to strict regulations (such as the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act in the U.S.) to ensure safety and quality.
Route Planning:
Drivers must plan routes carefully to avoid delays, as time is critical in maintaining the quality of temperature-sensitive goods.
Importance of Refrigerated Transportation
Refrigerated transportation is crucial in the global supply chain, ensuring that products like fresh produce, dairy, and medicine reach consumers in optimal condition. Without this specialized service, the shelf life of many goods would be dramatically shortened, leading to increased waste and higher costs for consumers.
In summary, refrigerated transportation is a highly specialized and vital service in logistics, requiring advanced equipment, careful planning, and precise execution to ensure that temperature-sensitive goods are delivered safely and efficiently.