Lowboy

A lowboy is a specialized low-deck semi-trailer with two deck drops—one after the gooseneck and one before the rear wheels—that positions the load platform close to the ground. It is used in supply chain and transportation to move heavy, tall, or oversized industrial loads, such as construction equipment and machinery, that exceed standard trailer height limits.

In a manufacturing supply chain, a lowboy is used when inbound or outbound freight is too tall, heavy, or out of gauge for a standard flatbed: presses, CNC machines, transformers, generators, and skidded process equipment. Lowboy scheduling ties to equipment installation, line relocation, and capital project moves. The receiving team must coordinate dock access, rigging, crane availability, and route clearance before the trailer arrives. In warehousing, lowboy use affects appointment scheduling, yard management, and receiving capacity because these loads require longer unload times, special handling equipment, and a clear path from gate to staging. For raw material tracking, lowboy shipments are treated as exception freight in the TMS/WMS; the SKU may be bulky, non-palletized, or non-containerized, so tracking relies on purchase order, asset ID, serial number, or heat/lot number rather than pallet count. Trailer choice determines whether a load stays within legal height and axle-weight limits, affecting on-time receipt.