Why become a flatbedder?

Because that's what manly men do.

 

Seriously having done van and flatbed, I wouldn't choose to hang around a grocery warehouse for a living. There are plenty of van loads that aren't grocery, but I haven't had a flabed load yet that delivered to a grocery warehouse.

 

Cuz nothing beats tarping a rusty coil sitting outside in a downpour only to deliver it somewhere they unload you and plop it back down in the mud.

 

Seriously it's what ever suits you the best. I did it for 8.5 years usually quick unload at our customers, regional, paper logs, home weekends, and basically every night. Recently steel prices took a dive, company transition to elogs and that wasn't going to cut it for me. I still kind of miss throwing chains and snapping binders. But not for the money or having to stay out and not make it home.

 

I've been wondering how steel haulers are going to deal with elogs. I could never log anything like reality when I did it. And good luck with parking for your break at most of those mills.

 

Ya it was getting ugly at certain ones... AK Rockport IN said I couldn't stay, said I'm out of hours rolled in with just under 3 plenty of time but you guys decided to play with unloading trains so I'm here for night call the sheriff if you want.

 

I've been flatbedding for the better part of 24 yrs. One thing I can say, is if you don't want to tarp, don't flatbed. Don't be a whiner. You guys who refuse to tarp a load that is supposed to be tarp only cause problems for yourself and others. Coover, many of those arent being tarped because of rain. Clean rain water or snow do not hurt them. Road grime, grease, oil, road salt, calcium chloride, etc etc are why you tarp. Not because of clean rain water. If ya don't want to tarp, don't flatbed.

 

Lol, so the salt and run off water and muck in coil yard you drive through is cleaner than the stuff coming off road? I understand finished paper wrapped coil, but black iron and billets/bars going into blast furnace make no difference. C'mon common sense bro

 

Common sense is to do what you are paid to do or find a different job, BRO.