Newbie Flatbedder needs advice!

On securing inside. The forge we work out of we could do that most of the time. When there were other trucks waiting we would go outside though. Unless it was one of ours. Then the waiting driver would come in and help the driver in the bay.
And we took turns that way. Plus there were 2 doors.
Most of the GP trucks are gone.
One mill closed.
Allot of the drivers went over to another forge we work out of and are working dedicated for JB hunt and pulling OUR fright.
JB made a little deal with them about a year and a half ago that they would haul as much freight as they could with like 8 dedicated trucks at a set rate.
Well, there freight dried up and the forge was paying them the same amt anyway, so they had to give them our freight to keep the trucks they were paying for moving.

I think there may be one GP plant still open though. I really do not know though since we did not have a contract there. I know for sure that one closed.

On the blowing snow ect. Nope it is not like that all the time. Many days it is nice and I like being out there active and doing it. But in the region I live and haul we get allot of snow. Mostly my last company was a nice grid on the map. Chicago to Northern Maine down to Alabama, and everything in between. Nothing west of the Mississippi unless it paid really well and we had a load set for the return before we left.

 

One of the really good things about pulling flats is he will see a lot of interesting places and get to go in a lot of unusual places. I've seen a lot of stuff that I never would have seen while driving a van. Places that make weird or heavy items use flats very often. Pulled a large piece of a reconditioned printing press from North WI out to San Francisco and watched it get installed. You Just never know what you are going to get next and its never dull...hardly ever two loads alike. It can be tuff at times but the pay is better and I never had anyone complain when I pulled in. They almost always really wanted what ever I was bringing. Learning the ins and outs of cargo securement is a never ending adventure in itself. Winter tarping on snow and ice will keep you on tour toes. All in all much more fun

 

If people are loosing eyes to straps breaking they are doing something wrong.
If your strap has a tear in it you cannot use it. If DOT finds you using a strap with a tear in it you will get an unsecured load violation.
Most injury's occur when the bar slips out of the winch. You have to be carefully how you crank those baby's down. Also allot of injury's occur when releasing binders. You really have to learn how. I hate the safety bars for it, they are a pain in the rear to use, but they really do keep you from having your arm yanked off by tight ones, and they are safer.
What Flatbed fleet is hiring there? Gypsum?
Not many take people off I-86

 

Losing and eye from a strap she is probably talking about bungee cords. There is a limit to tears in straps that makes them unserviceable. If memory serves me right it it more than 3/4 inch. I don't use torn straps, but seems like I read that.

 

I go for the safe side. If it is noticeably torn I will not use it.
Probably was bungee's. I have had a few get stuck and got pegged in the forehead a few times, left a mark. Could take an eye easy.

Any flatbed company will have you go to a securement training. This can be done on the road with another driver or larger company's have it in there terminals.
It is really not that hard. But there are many rules for distances from the ends of items. How to secure stacked items ect.
Plus you really really do not want them to move.
Coils will kill anyone in there way when they go. Pipe or round stock steel can and will go thru your headache rack, thru the sleeper and thru you.
You really don't want it to move.
Coils loaded eye to the side (otherwise known as suicide), can and will come thru the cab if they come loose.
Flatbed is one of the most dangerous types of trucking. Securement is a HUGE deal. Dot will check it. And if they find it not secure you will get OOS till it is. With good reason.

 

Well you will have lots of fun with flat decking. I did it for a few years but decided to pull vans. Got tired of tarping in the cold and having to pile all my frozen straps in the cab to thaw out so I could use them. There is nothing like pulling the straps and not being able to roll them up. But honestly its not all that bad. I have had a few bungies break on me but never had any come close to takeing out an eye. The real fun part is tarping in the wind, just pray you can run faster than the tarps can fly. Being that you ride with him you shouldnt have to much of a problem with tarps flying away and there are more and more places where you can tarp inside.

 

Flat is not worth it as a company driver. I used to say it was good for owner operators but the rates have been driven down to the point of not being worth it unless you have three or more trucks.