Flat bedding--- the pros, the cons?

There are no cons

 

Pros= better pay, make you get a little exercise, cons= winter, -20 and having to tarp,

 

Exactly. Better starting pay for sure.

 

don't forget -20 and having to tarp in the wind with ice over everything lol

I considered flatbed when starting out but the "extra pay" wasn't worth the extra work involved in my opinion.
I was earning .43 CPM with less than a year experience going to .48 CPM Jan 1st pulling a Reefer and got the miles... don't see how I could do much better at all working a flatbed.

You guys should be paid a whole lot more

 

Yup, no matter how you slice it....

An 8' drop tarp and 48,000lbs of lumber is a con!

 

Well I do make better than .48, but not by much, about have my loads are hazmat, then I get .06 more a mile, must of the hazmat loads, I can barely call them hazmat, it's usually 1 pallet, just over the weight limit that make it require placards,

 

I'd rather do that then slam a door and bump a dock. Any day of the week any weather.

 

yeah but you have 20 years experience and I have 1 lol.

I can get .48 doing OTR Reefer, LTL dudes just doing drop and hooks gets .55 - .62 just being steering wheel holders. Flatbed drivers aren't paid what they're worth.

I don't think flatbed drivers are paid for the amount of extra work/risk involved for the type of work that they do compared to others.
A guy pulling doubles doing drop and hooks at company terminals should not earn more $ than a flatbed OTR driver but they do! It's crazy!

 

As a flatbed driver I drive less miles = better for the body. as a flatbed driver when it is Arkansas and pure ice I stay where I am at. the guys with ltl got to go. I never have to go to a grocery warehouse. I don't have 1 am delivery appt. I have to think to secure my loads sometimes. It is what ever floats your boat. I don't tarp much and am home every night. You can say that when you succeed in securing and tarp your load at -20 you did a good job in a difficult situation or you can complain about your miserable job. Most jobs dont pay what they are worth. You cant pay me enough to go into some grocery warehouses. I can run a flatbed because I like hands on work. freightwiper If you start today you will have 20 years experience in 20 years Just like everyone else. and you can get great jobs pretty quick if you pay attention and try to get a great job.