Flatbed - hard work?

It's definitely work. I wouldn't necessarily call it hard work.

The guys that have sat in a dry van for 20 years doing nothing but bumping docks (nothing wrong with that if it works for you) are the ones that call it hard work.

 

I flatbedded teaming with my wife for 1.5 years and I think it's the best kind of trucking. (But for a team you need long runs to make good money, not little 600 mile hops) The work is not that hard. Tarping is a challenge once in awhile, but usually it is very straight forward. Most flatbed companies have rules about how to secure different loads that they routinely haul. We had a binder full of sketches that we carried that they gave us at one carrier. It outlined how to wrap straps on certain loads, where to position and how many chains on coils and etc.

What is cool about flatbedding is that at least out west here, 50 percent of loads are either lumber or construction sites. At either place they have plenty of equipment (ie big ### forklifts and zoom booms) to get your #### off your deck. You pull in, somebody points, you go there and untarp and unstrap and two guys on forklifts are taking your stuff off. Done in 20 minutes while you are rolling up your tarps.

So much better to me than going with a tin can to some mega distribution center in the center of some town and getting in line till so and so comes back from lunch and begins unloading the five trucks in front of you.

 

Show me trucking. Central US. Flatbeder. I'm 53 years old 160 pounds 6ft. IV worked some rough jobs grain mills. Loging. Cutting fire wood hand splitting for a living. Dariy farming .roofing hay hauling out of the field to the loft square bails. What I'm getting at is we worked at what ever we done it was just how it was . Flattering is just another job .its cold and hot .straps freez and won't come loos tarps are like blocks of ice that won't bend it's so cold up north the rubber bungies won't stretch back in place ..and the heat has its bads days too. It's really just another job that takes work. Like any other job.

 

You'll be good. I run tanker and have to help out the flatbed side once in a while. My tarp jobs look a little questionable at times, but if you ever question the securement of the load, add more straps lol I had 18 straps on a lumber load once cause I wasn't comfortable with it. Then again, there were 98 skids on that trailer.