The flatcar is the simplest rail freight car — a level steel deck with no sides, ends, or roof. Its open configuration makes it suitable for over-dimensional or awkward loads that cannot fit inside an enclosed car. Standard flatcars use stake pockets, chains, and tie-down rings to secure loads. They are used for machinery, military equipment, large rolls of newsprint, and project cargo. Modern flatcars range from 48 to 89 feet in length.
Level-deck car without any fixed superstructure; load secured with chains, straps, and stake pockets for general over-dimensional freight.
Flatcar with fixed vertical steel bulkheads at each end to contain loads that might shift longitudinally, such as lumber, pipe, and steel bar.
Car with a central deck section lower than the end sections, allowing tall loads to clear overhead bridges and wire without special routing.
Flatcars handle project and heavy-lift cargo that is too large or heavy for enclosed equipment, including turbines, transformers, military vehicles, and structural steel sections that must be loaded from the side by crane.