Flatbed trailers need to be ultra light for fuel economy yet still amazingly strong to bear unfathomable loads. The solution is a simple one, something the Romans discovered long ago: an arch is much stronger then a flat surface. An additional benefit is true tracking of the wheels and tires.
An arched surface under load becomes flat. Were the surface actually designed flat it would sag under the load, splaying the rear wheels out, setting up torsional stresses along the axles and wearing the rear tires ruthlessly. Thus, the arch actually settles into a truer path going forward, reducing friction and torsion while increasing tread life and fuel mileage.
Photo taken on the Via Verde building lot, Bruckner Blvd.
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