Lower main deck · Canada and the United States
- Extra height clearance
- Legal without permits
- Loaded from any side
A lower deck for taller freight
The main deck sits lower than a flatbed, so taller loads move legally without permits
Operated by Rite Way Freight LTD
Height without permits
The drop in the deck buys clearance, which is usually cheaper than permitting the same piece on a flatbed.
Still an open deck
Crane from above or forklift from the side, exactly as a flatbed loads — the deck is simply lower.
Two deck levels
The short upper deck over the kingpin takes shorter freight while the main deck carries the tall piece.
About step-deck transport
A step-deck — also called a drop-deck — is a flatbed with a step down behind the tractor. The short upper deck sits at flatbed height over the kingpin; the long main deck behind it sits roughly a foot and a half lower.
That drop is the whole point. Legal height is measured from the road, so lowering the deck raises the freight you can carry under it. Equipment, crated cargo, conveyor frames, and shrink-wrapped assemblies that would run over-height on a flatbed travel legally on a step-deck, with no permit, no escort, and no route survey for height.
It loads the same way a flatbed does, from above or from either side, and secures the same way. Where a step-deck still is not low enough — tall machinery, mining plant, anything that has to pass under bridges and wires with margin — the next answer is a double-drop or a lowboy, whose well sits lower still.
The other trailers we operate
Where a step-deck stops, one of these starts.
Flatbed
The standard open deck.Steel, machinery, and building materials on an open deck, loaded by crane or forklift from any side. Suited to freight up to around 48,000 lbs that fits within legal height.
Double-Drop & Lowboy
A low center well for over-height machinery.The deck drops between the axles to carry tall machinery low to the road, keeping over-height freight under the bridges and wires along the route.
RGN
Removable gooseneck — equipment drives on.The gooseneck detaches so excavators, cranes, and other tracked or wheeled equipment drive onto the deck under their own power. Configurable to around 150,000 lbs with added axles.
Multi-Axle
Axle lines added for the heaviest loads.For freight beyond standard legal weight, added axle lines spread the load so it can be permitted and moved. The configuration is engineered to the piece and the route.
Extendable
Decks that stretch for long freight.Extendable flatbeds and step-decks stretch to carry beams, pipe, and other long freight that overhangs a standard deck, with permits and escorts arranged to match the length.
Tank & Specialized
Purpose-built trailers for energy cargo.Cryogenic tankers and purpose-built platforms carry LNG and other energy-sector cargo under the handling and safety protocols the freight requires.What moves on a step-deck
- Aerospace crates and tooling
- Jet engines on stands
- Conveyor frames and idler stands
- Pressure vessels and process cylinders
- Directional drilling rigs
- Machinery over flatbed legal height
Where step-decks run
Availability follows the fleet — densest near the Montréal base, extended by contracted carriers.
Québec and Ontario
Owned equipment, and the aerospace lanes around Montréal and Toronto.
Western Canada
Contracted step-decks for mining plant and drilling equipment.
Atlantic Canada
Project and port work out of Halifax and Saint John.
United States
Cross-border lanes into the Midwest, Northeast, and Gulf.
A lower deck for taller freight
Step-decks carry much of the aerospace and conveyor freight in the projects gallery, where height rather than weight is the constraint.
Our certifications and complianceOverall rating
Communication
5.0
On-time delivery
4.9
Load handling
5.0
Documentation
4.9
Compliance
5.0
Value
4.8
All reviews to date are five stars, consistent with the 5.0 overall rating.
There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how incredible this company is. I have been using them for well over a year, almost every day.
As a carrier, I’ve been doing business with Rite Way for over 7 years. Definitely one of the best brokers.
Rite Way Freight is very professional and organized. We’ve been working with them for 5 years.
Great services, unbeatable prices, hassle-free experience. They get it right every time.
Where step-deck loads run
Over-height freight moved legally across Canada and the United States, coordinated from Montréal with local agents on the ground.
- Regions served
- Primary corridors
- Hub cities
- Other served cities
Pickup and delivery points are confirmed per load.
Who dispatches a step-deck
Meet our leadership team.
Zachary Khazzam
President
- 1987
- In business since
- EN / FR
- Languages
- 24/7
- Dispatch
Zachary leads Rite Way Freight from its Montreal headquarters, overseeing a company built over nearly four decades on a simple idea: move the loads other carriers turn down, and stay with every one of them until it is delivered.
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri · 7:30 – 19:30
- Dispatch
- 24/7 for loads in transit
Operations and administration
- Stacey PereiraCustomer Service Manager
- James CorbeilBusiness Development Manager
Ryan SmithOperations Manager- Sean KennedyLogistics Coordinator
- Coire RussellDispatch Coordinator
- Hanan HamdiAccounting & Administration
Things to know
When a step-deck is not enough
- Tall machinery needs a double-drop well
- Tracked equipment drives onto an RGN
- Overweight pieces need added axle lines
- Long freight needs an extendable deck
Height and the route
- Legal height measured from the road
- Clearances checked along the route
- Permits only where the drop is not enough
- Escorts where dimensions require
Booking one
- Give us the height, not the trailer
- We confirm whether the drop clears it
- Quote at no charge
- Rental available without transport
More pages like this
Flatbed
Double-Drop & Lowboy
RGN
Multi-Axle
Extendable
Tank & Specialized
Network & Equipment
Vetted Operators
Coverage & Reach
Commitments
Single Point of Contact
Safety
Updates
Montréal — Headquarters
Agents across North America
Solutions for shippers
Join our carrier network
Why join our team- Mining & Resources
Construction
Oil & Gas / LNG
Defense & Aerospace
Marine & Shipbuilding
Energy & Utilities
Manufacturing & Industrial
Modular & Structural
Precast & Concrete
Pipe, Coil & Reel
Cranes & Rigging
Project Cargo
Specialized Transportation
Project Logistics
Supply Chain Consulting
Cross-Border Freight
Trailer Rental
LNG & Bunkering
Full Truckload (FTL)
Drayage
Intermodal
LTL Consolidation
Expedited & Time-Critical
Warehousing & Storage