Do you need a headboard on a flatbed??

IMO a nice polished aluminum headache rack looks sooo much nicer than the back of a cab.

 

Personally, it depends on the truck. And the setup. My company trucks definitely look best with the rack because we run almost all highboys. It just "fits". But then you get a rig like those with Rollin' Transport, that blue and orange one with the 325" wheelbase, MAC trailer with colour-matched rolling tarp system, then it would look out of place.

I think the best looking trucks on the road are the stretched Pete's, with a flat top 63" sleeper pulling shiny trailers (deck or otherwise). I wouldn't want to own/operate one, just drive it.

 

I have been to a few pipe places in Houston that will not load you without having a headache rack or head board.

 

I have a cabinet. Makes for easy storage and it is lockable! Only part of my equipment in the rain year round is tarps. So saves on chains and binders I'm sure.

 

What works me is having to wear frc's in refineries, if that #### ever catches fire, no FRC is going to save you.

But let's risk dehydrating everyone in 100 degree weather.

 

Let me throw this into the conversation, and maybe see what you guys think. I am an owner/operator leased to a small company. We do mostly pneumatic work, but we do some flatbed as well as other stuff. We are out of western Oklahoma, and everyone knows this is about as dead of an area as you can get into as far as flatbed freight.

Now, when we drag the pneumatics, we have to be as light as possible, so we can scale 50,000 pounds of frac sand. So no headache rack for me. We have always had headboards on our flatbeds, so no biggie. However, we recently looked into hauling sheetrock for a plant near here, but they won't load us with a headboard on the trailer.

It's either sheetrock, or a looong deadhead to get to some freight.

So, remove headboard and haul sheetrock with very little deadhead, or keep headboard and do a lot of deadheading to find freight? What says ye?

 

@ShooterK2 Personally, I'd say limiting the total amount of deadheading would be best. It might also depend a lot on how much pneumatic freight the company gets versus the amount of sheetrock and the length of the contract. Is this going to be consistent work or just something that will be available a ton right now but fizzle out later?

To me, I'd say go with the more consistent freight. In addition to that, I'm assuming frac sand is petroleum? I can't see that being in massive demand in the next little while with the way the price of oil is going (but I have no experience or knowledge with this market so don't take my opinion on it).

But hey, that's just my two cents.

 

Thanks Zeviander.

I've been with this company for over 3 years, and frac sand has always been our bread-and-butter. Even though prices are down, we have still been fairly consistent with it, if you look at the big picture.

It's the occasional slow week that gets me hooked to the flatbed.

 

I don't have a headache rack for the same reason. I pull a hopper ocassionally and don't want the extra weight. All of the flatbed equipment is kept on the trailer.

 

Having a headboard Depends on the work you do. I haul treelenght in the winter and wouldn't even be able to get loaded with a real forestry approved cabshield. In summer I take it off and have a nice headboard with doors to hang chains and straps. It's not needed but the convenience aspect of it is well worth it