Choosing a steel hauling company
Steel is heavy, dense and expensive to get wrong. Before you hand a carrier a 72,000 lb coil, there are six things worth checking. Here is the list, and how Grid-Line answers each one.
Six questions for any carrier.
Steel hauling companies all say they haul steel. These questions separate the ones that do it every day from the ones that will figure it out on your load. None of them takes more than a phone call to answer.
Authority and identity
Every interstate carrier has a USDOT number and an MC number, and most that bill large shippers also have a SCAC. Look them up yourself on the FMCSA SAFER site before the first load, and make sure the legal name on the authority matches the name on the quote.
Insurance you can verify
Ask for the auto liability and motor truck cargo limits, then ask for a certificate of insurance naming you. A carrier that hauls steel should be able to state its limits and issue a certificate the same day you ask.
Steel experience, not just flatbeds
Coil, plate and long steel each load and secure differently. Ask what the carrier hauls most, which lanes it runs daily, and whether its drivers are trained on coil specifically.
Who is driving
Ask the minimum CDL and flatbed experience the carrier requires, whether drivers complete a securement program, and whether they are company drivers or owner-operators. Both can be excellent; you want to know which you are getting.
Regional or over-the-road
A regional carrier whose trucks are home most nights is usually in the right place for a same-day or next-day pickup inside its radius. An OTR network is built for the long haul. Match the carrier to the lane.
Equipment and tarps
Confirm deck lengths, whether trailers are set up for standup and skidded coil, and that finished steel is tarped once secured. Ask whether drop trailers are an option for recurring work.
On the record, in public.
Our authority and insurance limits are published on our carrier profile: USDOT 2554662, MC 879988, SCAC GLNS, auto liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit and motor truck cargo of $100,000. You can check us on FMCSA SAFER right now, and certificates of insurance are issued directly during carrier setup.
Steel is the core of what we haul. Since 2014 we have moved coil, flat-rolled sheet and plate, bar, beam, pipe and tubing for mills, processors and service centers across the Midwest, with single coils up to 72,000 lb on 48' and 45' flatbeds set up for standup and skidded coil. Oversize and overweight material moves within legal guidelines, with the permits handled by us.
Every Grid-Line driver is an owner-operator with at least two years of verifiable CDL experience, including a year on flatbeds, and completes our two-week flatbed and steel securement training program. Our fleet runs a 300+ mile radius of Schererville, Indiana, home most nights, with same-day or next-day delivery as the operational standard.
What a good quote needs from you.
The fastest way to compare steel hauling companies is to send each one the same complete request. A carrier that quotes without asking these questions is guessing.
- Product and weight. Coil, sheet, plate, bar, beam or pipe; piece weight and piece count. The heaviest piece decides the truck and whether a permit is needed.
- Dimensions and orientation. Coil OD, ID and width, standup or skidded; sheet and plate size; pipe length. See how steel is transported for why each matters.
- Tarping and finish. Whether the product must arrive dry or unmarked.
- Pickup, delivery and timing. Addresses, receiving hours, and whether this is a one-time move or a recurring schedule. Drop trailers for next-day pickup are an option on recurring work.
- Lane. Our key markets are Chicagoland, Indianapolis, Butler, IN, Delta, OH, Jeffersonville, IN / Louisville, KY and Granite City, IL; every market is on service areas.
For the coil side in depth, see steel coil hauling; for everything else we move, see transportation solutions.
Steel carrier FAQ
How do I verify a steel hauling company?
Look up its USDOT or MC number on the FMCSA SAFER website, which is free and public, and check that the legal name and operating status match what you were quoted. Then ask for a certificate of insurance. Grid-Line's numbers are USDOT 2554662, MC 879988 and SCAC GLNS, and they are published on our carrier profile.
What insurance should a steel carrier carry?
Auto liability and motor truck cargo coverage at limits your shipment and your contract call for, confirmed by a certificate of insurance issued to you. Grid-Line carries $1,000,000 combined single limit auto liability and $100,000 motor truck cargo, and certificates are issued directly during carrier setup.
What experience should steel truck drivers have?
Verifiable CDL time, flatbed time specifically, and securement training for the product. 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. All of our drivers are owner-operators.
Regional carrier or national fleet for steel?
It depends on the lane. For mill-to-processor and service-center freight inside a few hundred miles, a regional carrier that is home most nights is usually faster to pick up and easier to reach. Grid-Line runs a 300+ mile radius of Schererville, Indiana with same-day or next-day delivery.
What does a steel hauling quote need?
Product and piece weight, piece or coil count, dimensions, standup or skidded for coil, tarping, pickup and delivery points and timing. Send it through our contact form or call (219) 440-7526 ext. 6; we respond within one business day.
Can a steel hauling company handle oversize or overweight loads?
The good ones can. Ask who pulls the permits and plans the route. Grid-Line handles oversize and overweight material within legal guidelines, and the plan is made before the truck is loaded.
Ask us the six questions.
Send your origin, destination, product and timing through our contact form, or call (219) 440-7526 ext. 6. We respond within one business day, and rate quotes are good for 30 days with a written confirmation.
Get a steel quote →