Flatbed or reefer

If you are already learning flat bed, then start with that. You can switch over at any time. (like winter)

Me too.... i guess if that happened, the line for that job would be long

 

Flatbed is where it's at. Securing a load doesn't take much time, tarping can, but you get paid for that time.

If anything falls off your flatbed under normal circumstances, chances are you're either incompetent or negligent, or both.

prime pays the same for flatbed and reefer as far as I know.. except you reefers guys take a slight bonus in exchange for driving those tiny little trucks.

 

I'm doing reefer, not for long but most shippers I've dealt with have been drop and hook.
Waiting around hasn't been much of an issue, only thing I find that sucks about reefer is crazy appointment times all the time. In one week you could have 3 deliveries, one would be at 4pm, 11pm and the next at 4am.

With a good company you might earn a little more doing flatbed but it's not much. if a reefer driver can earn .44CPM.. and get good miles.. how much better can a flatbed guy do?
Oversized sure but might as well compare that to car hauling.

 

Revisit this question once you start getting stuck in dick doors for 12-15 (or more) hours. The remember us flatbed don't ever sit for more than an hour (unless it's windows from Viran). That'll put us up about 3 loads by the end of the week.

Besides the fact that our truck payment is cheaper (which I still haven't figured out)

 

What is current Prime tarp pay?

Flatbeds don't run eco 49 trucks, but do tankers?

 

I believe the minimum is $50 for tarping, but if a shipper pays more than you get it. I got paid like $85 not long ago, and the shipper did the hard part.

 

So mostly, doing the actual tarping seems to average out to a 20+ dollar per hour thing?

 

ECO49s? No, but yer gittin' side skirts. Looks funky!

Tarp pay??? Not nearly enough.

 

Line yourself up for what you want to do later on. If you ever want to be an owner/lease opp. reefer rates freight out of florida are mostly poor, you would have to deal with that coming back out after hometime. If you ever want to become an owner opp and be completely on your own meaning you have your own truck and trailer. Consider the cost of the equipment a reefer trailer is going to cost you much more than a flat trailer. While reefer rates are slightly less than flatbed. Are you looking to be local or regional latter look on, look on craigslist and see which has more opportunities. I dont envy flatbed drivers when its -10° out, and theyve gotta trap, while i just back in and open and close the doors. Until im in an area of the country that has 60mph winds capable of turning my high profile reefer trailer on its side. There are pros and cons to both. Just consider what it is that you want to do later and get experience with that. Be smart plan ahead.

 

Ya know what's really hilarious? All of the flatheaders who start whining about their o'dark-early reefer delivery appointments when the economy crashes and flatbed freight goes to hell.