What to do if Im not liking the flatbed gig

What part of flatbedding do you not like?

 

does your truck have a suspension gauge? if so, learn to use it.

does your trailer have spread axle? cuz that can haul 40k pounds provided it's 10 foot spread.

load heavier to the back then the front.

also, pay attention to your steers weight. get the 5th wheel in position to where your steers weigh around 12.3 with a full tank of fuel. cz you'll never have a reason to make the steers lighter.

 

Stick it out for a year then jump ship that way you have a year OTR which opens up a lot of doors..

 

Yikes - that is spacial acuity dude & "TALKING to all other" flatbedders that you meet!! That is HOW I have made it out here! EVERY chance that I had to sit with the old Road Warriors - I asked TONS of questions about driving, truck repairs, HOW TO make "my job" easier (I drive van & reefer)!!

SO - ask every guy that you meet - "What, How, Why, When, Where, etc, etc!" BUT IF you still seem out of place - there are "MANY" other areas of the trucking industry to explore and maybe in time you will find your niche! I drove box, reefer, car carrier, tanker, & flat - but I DO prefer driving boxes!!

 

Great info right there... I'm switching from Dry Van to flatbed, starting tomorrow... I think in order to do your job better and accurate you have to love what you, and maybe the signs that the OP don't like flatbed, maybe the whole trucking thing it's not good for you. Just make a re-avaliation of what you really want to do as a career.

Good look!

 

Load placement will come with time. It's not like you will load a different product everyday for eternity. What a mean is, once you've figured out where to put a coil at, you will know for every coil load you pull, same for lumber, flat steel, etc,etc. If you don't know how to load something, just ask another driver loading beside you, or ask the guy on the forklift. With the rate exception of the few union steel mills left, they will ask be willing to suggest how other drivers place the load.
As for tarping, ya it sucks, but with time and practice you will get faster at it. And no matter how bad tarping sucks, it sure does bear sitting at a dock for 8 hours at some #### cold storage warehouse. Van and reefer guys get treated like garbage by shippers and receivers, flat bed guys get treated like equals by them. In the long run you will be much much happier with your job if you stick it out through this learning curve your going through.

 

Go tanker and you won't have to fool with all that mess