Originally Posted by formertaxidriver

You get a workout with a flatbed throwing straps, dragging chains, strength training tightening up wenches and binders, and the bungees! I lost my Bingo Wings! I hauled most everything from coils to lumber to machinery, pipe, you name it... Shippers and recievers are usually happy to see you, less waiting. Flatbedders are more helpfull to each other cause you feel the other guys pain. Plus when you help someone else fold tarps, you get in quicker.

The downside? Securement in totally on you.

Originally Posted by slamjet

I've been searching around and all I come up with are the big companies. I figure that when I graduate, there would be a list or something of some other companies. I know that if I do get my "A" I would like to move out to the Mid-West next summer. I figured I would have enough experience to start over somewhere else than this 120mph rat race town. It seems like most of the transport companies are located there.

I'm thinking Nebraska. Seems boring and cheap enough for me.

Edit: Not a bad thing. Live here in L.A. for any appretiable amount of time (I'm a native) and boring becomes very, very seductive.

Originally Posted by formertaxidriver

I know what you mean about driving. My taxi life was in LA and I used to take a drive to unwind after a night of driving a cab....

A bit of advice about flatbed from my perspective. It had many good points, the first of all being fitness. You can get FAT out here, take a look around, 400 pounders aren't uncommon. You get a workout with a flatbed throwing straps, dragging chains, strength training tightening up wenches and binders, and the bungees! I lost my Bingo Wings! I hauled most everything from coils to lumber to machinery, pipe, you name it. Every load is different, you have to think about how you will secure it. All flatbedders are pack rats, you will collect alot of things to pad, protect your tarps and straps and protect freight from chains. Shippers and recievers are usually happy to see you, less waiting. Flatbedders are more helpfull to each other cause you feel the other guys pain. Plus when you help someone else fold tarps, you get in quicker.

The downside? Securement in totally on you. If it fails, you are 100% responsible. That can be scarry. I had a couple of close calls that scared me bad. Sometimes there is alot of tarping that you think is not needed and dumb, but companies collect more for tarping than they give to you. Winter, tarpcicles, strapcicles, it can be horrible. Even trying to fold wet tarps is a beeach.

The reason I went back to the box is my age, and I am female. I am fit, but as the "change of life" marches in so goes my bone density. A fall for me might be crippling. Oh, yeah, falling. You can get seriously buggered up. Fella in my company has a titanium pin in his arm where his elbow used to be complements of Arrow. I've seen it happen several times.

As for your career change, all I can say it try it you might like it. I was a driver, dispatcher and manager for one of the biggest cab co's in LA. I fell right into the truck. Best of luck to both of you computer geeks!