>>If this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move it, I wasn't sure where to ask this.<<
I am a new driver for Swift and have been out with a mentor and am almost done and ready to go solo. I've been looking into it, and I'm thinking about jumping from this mentor into the flatbed fleet and starting training there for a week. I have done some research on the internet, and I seem to find mixed responses. My concern is that I'm not sure if I'm cut out for flatbed work or not. How strenuous is the work? I really like the idea of getting some exercise, and tarping and strapping sounds like a decent amount of work, but not something I couldn't handle. Do you have to be really fit to do this work or something? The way people talk about it, it sounds like its either intense manual labor or no big deal if you don't want to be lazy, so I can't get a feel for the work at all. Does anyone have any insight on to their experience with flatbed work and how strenuous they find the work? It really sounds like something I want to get into, but I really want to make sure it is something I can handle.
Am I Cut Out For Flatbed?
Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by jowsuf, Jun 17, 2013.
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If you have to ask...
Kev9292, LP Bob, bucksandducks and 4 others Thank this. -
It's only as hard as you make it, I've seen 65yr olds throwing tarps still. You have to have the mind set for the job, you gotta wanna do it. You'll either hate it or love it there's only one way to find out. I've been doing it for yrs along with oversize and still enjoy it.
jowsuf, DrtyDiesel and botoler Thank this. -
BigPapiOrtiz, EV87, Giggles the Original and 1 other person Thank this.
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Critters is right, you have to have a "get it done" attitude, you'll be outside strapping/tarping in all kinds of weather, rain, snow, heat, humidity, wind and sometimes a mix of those. Sometimes you'll strap and tarp multiple times a day. But no matter what, the job has to get done.
The only way to know for sure is to get out there and do it. For me, open decking is the only type of trucking that ill ever do.FredZeppelin77, Roscopeco, jxu417 and 1 other person Thank this. -
Flatbed work is only rewarding when you do it with your own truck.
I will never ever tarp a load of freight for $50 Not even if I was 600 Pounder flounder I need to loose weight or die
When you tarp or have to do more work It Better be so you can put more money in your Pocket Not someone else
and the responsibility for shredding your tarps is yours Do you want to pay for tarps out of your check?
How a bout damage? tighten your straps around a load of drainage pipe & see what happens.
Try and tighten your straps around a load of crates like a load of house hold crates Tighten too much & you just busted the Box,Tighten a little & your Crates will end up on the hwy
What about those Steel Mills waiting all day without pay ( Part of the job? )
What about when they tell you the load weigh is 48,000 but when you scale the crap it is more Like 51,000 you really think you can Slide your Axel?
Wana try & Haul a Load of onions? & feed the critters all a cross I-80 I-40 & they say Can you haul (scale 900 bags driver)?
And you say how much wight is a bag of onions Boss & the lying sack of doo doo looks you in the eye and say the bags weigh 50 pounds each
They don't make onions in a Man Made Factory you know so when you are hauling 900BagsX50 LB = 45,000 right?
What if you ended up hauling 55 Lb Bags X900 Bags now you are talking 49,500 LB OOOOOOOOOO SSSSSSSheeeeeeeets over gross
But you try to go back to the shipper to take some off right?
Guess what it is after 5 pm and they went home better yet its Friday & it's a 4 day weekend
10/10 trucker friend need to lose wight or set in your crate @ The Chicken House
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DrtyDiesel Thanks this.
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botoler and precisionpower Thank this.
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I am thinking of flatbedding also. I have found a lot of stuff for trucking on your tube. Some are fairly long, you might give you tube a try
go to you tube and type in flat bed trucking are what ever your trying to look up there is a good chance someone has posted something.
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i agree you will either love it or hate it, i love it and I am only 5'1" tall I have modified release hooks to hold bungees to place on tarp, although you cannot ever have a lazy day it could cost someone's life if not your own. you will have good days and bad like any other job. I like it because I will never be that fat driver in the truckstop, although it does suck when the tarp and straps are frozen to the load and weigh fifty pounds heavier due to the ice build up/rain. but like critters said you will either love it or hate it. the pay is better than dryvan, just remember there are no walls to help keep load on trailer, only you and how you secure the load keep it there, Although I will not haul coiled steel, no matter how tight i put the chains never tight enough, plate steel and slinkies are no problem. you just have to secure correctly, I have seen lately a lot of incorrectly secured loads and you try to help the people and they think your over cautious, or crazy. just remember your responsible for that load and the damage you may cause for not proper securement
Last edited: Jun 17, 2013
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