Flat-rolled steel transportation
Coil, sheet, plate, slit coil and coated product, from the mill to the processor and on to the service center. Grid-Line has hauled flat-rolled steel on flatbeds across the Midwest since 2014, with single coils up to 72,000 lb and same-day or next-day delivery inside a 300-mile radius.
Coil, sheet and plate.
Flat-rolled steel is steel that has been through a rolling mill into a flat strip: coiled for transport and processing, or cut to sheet and plate. Each form sits on a trailer differently. For coil in depth, see steel coil hauling.
Hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil
Flat-rolled steel wound into coil is the densest thing on the deck. Standup coil rides in a coil rack or cradle with the eye across the trailer; skidded coil rides on timbers with the eye to the sky. Single coils go up to 72,000 lb.
Sheet and plate
Cut sheet and plate ship flat and stacked, on dunnage, with edge protection under every chain or strap so the steel and the tie-down both survive the trip. They are a regular load on our Butler and Louisville lanes alongside coil.
Slit coil and mill rolls
Narrow slit coil and mill rolls are lighter per piece and ship several to a load, strapped as units and blocked against rolling the same way a master coil would be.
Coated and finished
Galvanized, painted and pickled-and-oiled product has to arrive dry and unmarked. It is tarped once secured, and loaded so nothing bears on the finished face.
Racked, chained and tarped.
Flat-rolled steel is loaded by overhead crane or forklift, from above or from the side, which is why it moves on open-deck flatbeds. On our coil lanes we run 48' and 45' flatbeds set up for standup and skidded coil.
Standup coil rides in a coil rack or cradle with the eye across the trailer, blocked at the sides, with chains through the eye and over the top. Skidded coil rides on timbers, eye to the sky, blocked and chained down. Sheet and plate stack flat on dunnage with edge protection under every tie-down. The FMCSA cargo securement rules in 49 CFR Part 393 set specific requirements for metal coils, and the tie-downs on any load have to be rated for at least half its weight in total.
Product that must arrive dry or unmarked is tarped once secured. The person doing all of this is the driver: every Grid-Line driver has at least two years of verifiable CDL experience, including a year on flatbeds, and completes our two-week flatbed and steel securement training program. For the full picture across coil, long steel and pipe, read how steel is transported.
Dense freight, legal loads.
Flat-rolled steel reaches its weight long before it fills the deck. A single coil can be the whole load, so the quote starts with the piece weight, not the footprint.
- Single coils up to 72,000 lb. Our equipment is set up to move heavy single coils safely and securely.
- Typical coil loads of 42,000 to 47,000 lb depending on the lane, and heavy two-coil loads well over 59,000 lb of cargo on some lanes.
- The 80,000 lb line. The standard federal gross vehicle weight limit is 80,000 lb for truck, trailer and cargo together, so the heaviest single coils need an overweight permit for the route.
- Oversize and overweight permits handled. We know the regulations and permits needed to move this material within legal guidelines. See transportation solutions.
Regional lanes, loaded both ways.
Most flat-rolled steel makes at least two truck moves: master coil from the mill to a processor, then slit coil, sheet or blanks on to a service center or manufacturer. The strongest lanes carry coil one way and finished steel back.
- A 300+ mile radius around our Schererville, Indiana base, with same-day or next-day delivery as the operational standard.
- Six key markets: Chicagoland, Indianapolis, Butler, IN, Delta, OH, Jeffersonville, IN / Louisville, KY and Granite City, IL, plus our home region of northwest Indiana.
- Two-way coil. Coil runs both ways between Granite City and Chicagoland, Butler ships coil west with coil backhauls coming in, and Louisville takes coil in and sends finished steel north.
- Recurring schedules. From 10 local coil transfers a day to a steady weekly plan, with trailers dropped at your facility for next-day pickup when you need it.
Every market is on our service areas page; the statewide view is on Indiana flatbed trucking.
Flat-rolled steel FAQ
What is flat-rolled steel transportation?
Moving coil, sheet, plate, slit coil and mill rolls by truck between mills, processors, service centers and manufacturers. Flat-rolled steel is loaded by crane or forklift from above or from the side, so it travels on open-deck flatbeds, secured and tarped by the driver.
How heavy is a flat-rolled steel load?
Single steel coils go up to 72,000 lb. Typical coil loads on our key lanes run 42,000 to 47,000 lb, and some two-coil loads are well over 59,000 lb of cargo. The federal gross vehicle weight limit is 80,000 lb without a permit, so a single heavy coil can need an overweight permit; we handle that within legal guidelines.
How is coil secured on a flatbed?
Standup coil sits in a coil rack or cradle, blocked at the sides, with chains through the eye and over the top. Skidded coil is blocked on its timbers and chained down. The FMCSA cargo securement rules in 49 CFR Part 393 have specific requirements for metal coils, and every Grid-Line driver completes our two-week flatbed and steel securement training program.
Do you tarp flat-rolled steel?
Yes, when it needs to arrive dry or unmarked. Coil, sheet and coated product are tarped once the load is secured.
Where do you haul flat-rolled steel?
Across a 300+ mile radius of our Schererville, Indiana base, with same-day or next-day delivery: northwest Indiana, Chicagoland, Indianapolis, Butler, IN, Delta, OH, Jeffersonville, IN / Louisville, KY and Granite City, IL.
Can you run a recurring mill-to-processor schedule?
Yes. From 10 local coil transfers a day to a steady weekly schedule, tell us how many trucks you need and how often. We can also drop trailers at your facility for next-day pickup.
Start with the piece weight.
To quote flat-rolled steel we need the product (coil, sheet, plate, slit coil), piece weight and count, coil dimensions or sheet size, whether it ships standup or skidded, whether it needs tarping, and the pickup and delivery points and timing. We come back with pricing and availability within one business day.
Get a steel quote →