Plural of flatbed; trucks or train cars with a flat, level cargo surface without sides or a roof for carrying large items.
Compound of 'flat' (Old English 'flet,' meaning level) and 'bed' (Old English 'bedd,' meaning sleeping place or surface). The term evolved in the early 20th century to describe commercial vehicles used for hauling cargo.
Flatbeds revolutionized industrial transportation because they could carry awkward shapes like steel beams, lumber, and machinery that wouldn't fit in closed trucks—making them essential for building modern cities.
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