Chosing the right flatbed company to start off with?

I wish you the best of luck and skate boarders are always in demand even if they can not back up. I will honestly say do not try swift or Schneider.

 

Don't rule out Melton Truck Lines; worth researching. This company also has APU's and a rider & pet program.

 

I'd replace Western Express with Melton, myself. Some of the crap I've been hearing from a few buddies of mine in WE's flatbed side are getting a bit discouraging. Lack of miles, lots of sitting type stuff. by that I mean even more sitting than is normal during winter.

Also look at PGT....

 

How about PGT and Howard Transportation.
Boyd Bros. has lots of freight through Louisville and so does Falcon Transport.

 

Maverick...Maverick...Maverick...Maverick. You are in their sweet spot for freight. They pay FAR better than any of those listed. They have far better home time than those listed. Get over your aversion to automatic trucks and join a company you could have a career with. I am not a driver. I own an open deck trucking company, so I could be considered competition to any of these. I have nothing against Roehl. They are definitely a respectable company, but you will get more of what you are looking for with Maverick. Stay away from Western and I don't know a ton about Boyd. Read up on this site. I think you will be hard pressed to find a Maverick employee with anything negative to say. Do the research yourself, but if you go into it with an open mind you will find their package is far superior to the rest you named.

Good luck with your search!

 

I'm with Pape. Look into Maverick and deal with the auto. Or look into TMC. With those two you would be home almost every weekend and would still take home great money. Your in an awesome spot for flatbed work also which is a huge plus!

 

I currently drive for roehl and yeah i like it but they have moments that i would like to just say screw it and find something else. I can truthfully say they get me home when i need to be home. But I am also new to industry, this is my first job in trucking. I have absolutley come to love open deck, I want to stay with it at all costs.

I also know staying with Roehl is most likely not a good idea for me. I really want to get into more challenging stuff. Oversize and what not, So eventually i will leave the company to find something that will get me closer to my goal.

All in all I think Roehl is a good company to start with. I have learned alot in my short time i have been doing this. But i also hunger for more eventually.