Short answer
A Conestoga trailer is a flatbed fitted with a tarp stretched over a rolling frame. The cover slides open so freight can be loaded from the side, from the rear or from above by crane, then closes to protect the load the way a van would. A flatbed Conestoga is 48 or 53 feet long and carries about 44,000 pounds, with freight up to roughly 100 inches wide and 96 inches tall.
Some freight has to stay dry and clean but can’t go through the back door of a van. Machinery that’s set down by crane is one example. Crated equipment that a forklift loads from the side is another. A Conestoga is the trailer built for that freight. This post covers what it is, how much fits, and how to decide between a Conestoga, a flatbed and a dry van.
Conestoga is a brand name the whole trade uses
Conestoga is a product made by Aero Industries, and the name is a registered trademark. Aero says its history “includes the introduction of the first rolling tarp system, the Conestoga, in 1984” (Aero Industries).
In everyday freight talk the word covers any trailer with a rolling tarp system, whoever built it. If a shipper asks for a Conestoga, they mean the trailer type.
Aero builds the system for more than one kind of equipment. Its brochure lists models for flatbeds, drop decks and straight trucks.
Conestoga trailer dimensions and weight capacity
Published numbers for a flatbed Conestoga agree on the weight and differ a little on width.
| Source | Deck length | Freight width | Freight height | Freight weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Trucking Service | 48 or 53 ft | 100 in (8 ft 4 in) | 96 in (8 ft) | 44,000 lb |
| DSV | 48 to 53 ft | 96 in (8 ft) | 96 in (8 ft) | 42,000 to 45,000 lb |
| Gebrüder Weiss | 48 or 53 ft | Lists the trailer at 102 in wide | Not listed | Up to 45,000 lb |
Sources: ATS, DSV and Gebrüder Weiss.
The rolling cover also goes on lower decks, for taller freight. ATS lists a step-deck Conestoga at 41,000 pounds and a double-drop Conestoga at 35,000 pounds.
Plan on 44,000 pounds, 100 inches wide and 96 inches tall for a flatbed Conestoga, and confirm with the carrier when the freight is close to any of the three.
Why the inside is smaller than the deck
The deck under a Conestoga is a standard flatbed. The frame and the tarp take space from it.
Aero’s order form spells out two of the losses. The system adds about six inches to the trailer’s overall width, so a 102-inch trailer finishes at about 108 inches outside. And the inside height is three inches less than the system height the buyer picked.
The tarp itself drops between the bows that hold it up. Aero’s product page says how far depends on the bows: 8 to 10 inches of tarp drop with one type, 4 to 5 with another, and 2 to 3 with a third.
So two Conestogas on the same 53-foot deck can have different clearances. When a load is within a few inches of 96 tall or 100 wide, get the inside measurements of the trailer that’s coming.
Conestoga vs. flatbed vs. dry van vs. curtainside
| Trailer | Weather protection | How it loads | Freight weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conestoga | Full cover that rolls open and closed | Side, rear and top | About 44,000 lb |
| Flatbed | Tarps, put on and strapped down by the driver | Side, rear and top | 48,000 lb |
| Dry van | Full, with hard walls and a roof | Through the rear doors | 42,000 to 45,000 lb |
| Curtainside | Curtains on the two long sides, with a fixed roof and rear | Side and rear. No overhead crane | 40,000 to 43,000 lb |
Conestoga and curtainside figures from ATS. Flatbed figure from DSV. Dry van figures from our 53-foot trailer dimensions post.
The comparison with a flatbed comes down to tarping and weight. ATS notes that a Conestoga “does not require manual tarping to protect commodities in transport.” The price is payload. The frame and tarp are extra weight on the trailer, and going by the figures above, a Conestoga gives up about 4,000 pounds against a plain flatbed.
The comparison with a curtainside is about the roof. ATS explains that curtainsides “only feature tarps on two sides (the left and right),” while a Conestoga’s cover makes up its roof and rear too. A fixed roof rules out a crane.
When a Conestoga is the right trailer
Ask for one when the freight needs a van’s protection and a flatbed’s access.
- The shipper loads from the side or by overhead crane, and the freight can’t get wet.
- The freight has a painted or polished finish that a tarp dragged across it would mark.
- The freight is awkward to tarp, and you don’t want a driver climbing on it.
- The shipper or receiver wants a fast load and unload with no tarping at the dock.
Skip it in three cases. Freight taller than about 96 inches or wider than about 100 won’t fit under the cover, so it goes on an open flatbed or a lower deck. Freight heavier than about 44,000 pounds needs the extra payload of a flatbed. And palletized freight that loads through a rear door at a dock belongs in a dry van, which is easier to find.
A Conestoga is a specialty trailer. Ask for one early, and don’t assume the flatbed rate applies.
What to tell the carrier
A Conestoga load goes wrong when the trailer that arrives is an inch too short inside or the wrong deck type. Get these from the shipper and put them on the rate confirmation:
- the length, width and height of every piece, crating included
- the weight of every piece and the total
- how the freight loads and unloads: side, rear or crane
- whether it needs a flatbed, step-deck or double-drop Conestoga
- whether 48 feet of deck is enough or it has to be a 53
A carrier that shows up with the wrong equipment because the details were thin can bill a truck ordered not used charge, and the shipper’s crane crew is still standing there. Vet the carrier the same way you would for any other load. Our carrier onboarding guide covers the checks, and check the carrier’s cargo insurance limit against the value of the machine you’re moving.
Where FreightVero fits
FreightVero is a TMS for freight brokers. The rate confirmation is generated from the load, so the load details your team entered are what the carrier signs. See rate confirmations.
Final thoughts
A Conestoga is a flatbed you don’t have to tarp. You trade about 4,000 pounds of payload and a few inches of clearance for freight that stays covered and still loads from any side. Know the dimensions of the freight to the inch before you call a carrier. For smaller open-deck loads that need to move fast, see our post on hot shot trucking.