How to get into heavy haul

You need to find a small company. Forget about lease or purchase.

 

ATS will start you with flats and work you up to heavy haul. Another company that does heavy haul that is not on your list is Daily. I think they are based out of Pennsylvania. Most drivers start out with flats and move into oversize slowly. After getting some flatbed experience the next step is usually steps, double drop and/or RGN. After that you start adding axles. When we are young we always seem to be in a hurry. You only have a year of flatbed experience behind you. I don't know where you live, but if you want to buy a truck and get into over sized freight, you may also want to check with Landstar, Universal AmCan and CRST Malone. Malone doesn't do much, if any, heavy haul. but some do oversize freight. I have a friend who is leased to Universal AmCan and he does a fair amount of oversize loads. He has hauled load up to 16' wide. He has been pulling flats for several years. Some carriers won't lease on owner operators who are younger than 25. That is mostly for insurance purposes. You are learning the basics about securing loads pulling a flatbed. Take your time and learn as much as you can. Give yourself time to grow into the business. Having a year of experience at your age is a plus. I would check with some of these carriers and see what they say concerning your age. Some carriers will take you on when you are 23. Good luck.

 

I would wait till you have a little more time under your belt. What all have you hauled as of now? Securing OD freight is different then wallboard and coils. No offense meant by this. I started out and did a couple over size loads my first year I pulled a flat. Long rebar, wide plate steel, and I think that was it. After a year I was given the opportunity to get onto my old companies specialized division. Pulled flats and steps for a year on that until I could pull an RGN. Only did 2 axle trailers, nothing bigger. I honestly wouldn't want to pull anything bigger trailer wise without a good 2 or 3 years of nothing but 2 axle RGN work.

Let's start off by where do you live?

 

Midwest will put you right behind a 2 axle RGN.
Here are the requirements
http://midspec.com/driver_requirements.html

Looks like we need 2yrs of flatbed/open experience, which I would highly recommend anyways.
Your location?

Martin

 

I would highly recommend staying where you are till you have a solid 2 years experience. That's something to work with, what you have done. Your getting a chance to haul all sorts of freight not just a couple different things.
Keep at it and it will all come together for you.

 

Depending where in Ms, it may be a dead area for us. We go to Corinth at times to Cat Reman there.
You can bounce home of course, and will make enough to do so. But you need the experience first though.

Martin

 

I have been with them for @10yrs now, and I am still here......If that tells the story?
I have hauled 2 axle RGN's, 3 axle stretch RGN's and a very occasional 3 axle stretch step, Windmill blade trailers, combine trailers, and the current 3 axle RGN that I have been hooked to most of this year and have no plans on giving up.
Always made good money, and the office folks are the best I have ever worked with in my 20+yrs.

Martin