Flatbed Freight Shipping Services Defined. Flatbed shipping is transport for freight that might not need the enclosure of a dry van, can’t load or unloaded from a dock, or doesn’t fit within the measurements of basic truck trailers. A flatbed’s style enables cranes and forklifts to fill products from all angles. Advantages of Flatbed Freight Shipping. Flatbed shipping supplies added dimensional versatility for big freight as there are no physical walls. Where dry van trailers are filled from the back, flatbed trucks can be packed from either side, in addition to the leading and back. Flatbed devices consist of step-decks, drop-decks, double drops, and RGNs.