Load tore up and destroyed tarps... what next

The problem with flatbed freight on the west coast is there isnt any industries out here . Midwest is the steel industry . But its not just steel because then u have all the companies that make products out of that steel and the process keeps going on and on, its alot of flatbed freight in the midwest. West coast we have lumber and building materials and equipment. All of that is construction related. Which when the jobsites close for the winter , good luck finding anything. I spent all winter running midwest. Probably be the same this year

 

Does DSV has a lot of freight in the Southeast? GA, SC and NC more specifically.

 

You'll never make real good money working for large companies. Even the small co I work for, I dont make what we as flatbedders are worth.

You also got into trucking at a terrible time. WE is a competitor of ours, even though they're much bigger. So is Systems, Lonestar (Daeske), and P&S. The problem is, to keep having freight they keep having to run it cheaper and cheaper it seems. The economy is screwed up and will be for a while. We're all competing for the same freight essentially and there's only so much to haul. Most of the companies you can get on with after a year is a lateral move, sure the truck is a little nicer and you'll make a little more money, but you'll run mostly the same heavy crap.

Why pay you great money when they can pay ahkbar and kumar the same amount and run twice the freight?

 

I’d like to see how any foreigner regardless of ethnicity stacks up against any American flatbedder worth his salt, doesn’t seem like good business having to replace a totaled truck or lose a load due to improper securement

I just want to make enough to get my own truck asap, gotta hit the books though so that I get the right one with the right specs for the job

 

It doesn't matter how well they stack up to an American or how much experience they may have. What matters is money and shippers/brokers are going to pay the least amount possible and it just so happens foreigners will haul it for less.

 

My point was cost effectiveness, I understand that portion; if having to buy new trucks and other expenses is cost effective then have at it I suppose

 

The right truck is the least of your worries. Better figure out operating costs, variable and fixed. How do you plan on handling a breakdown? You gonna call a road service because your alternator died and left you on the side of the road with dead batteries 35mi out in the middle of nowhere and eat probably $700-800 bucks? Or a water pump and now you need a $500 tow on top of the $1500 repair. You gotta take some real time to learn the ins and outs,learn from the mistakes of others like me and others who have been at this even longer. Figure out what truly works for you. After 5yrs Im burnt out on flatbed. I want back in to the more specialized freight running a stepdeck or rgn, which if the trucking gods allow it, might be real soon.

 

Ha yeah I do need to be more efficient with handling breakdowns before then

 

When you own the truck, you're the driver, mechanic, accountant, etc. It all falls on you. There's no calling your dispatcher to help you. Obviously as you can tell I dont sugarcoat much when it comes to trucking. Its a hard profession and Ive fought every step of my way, with no real hand holding. Working in construction before this also kinda made me an ahole.

 

Luckily I prefer the blunt truth over a bunch of unhelpful bs; apart from joking about @TripleSix ’s sister (if he has one) you seem like an alright guy to me lol