Flatbed versus Refer

The time it takes to secure a load is usually far far less than it takes to unload a van.

Usually pays better. Most customers are actually happy to see you.

What would you rather?
Get to a customer and be treated like something they scraped off the bottom of a shoe and then sit for 4,6,8 or more hours or, show up be treated like a human and do 1 to 2 hours of moderate work and leave?

 

Flatbed hands down!!

 

I used to pull reefer for a mega, it sucked. The loads are heavy, so you'll need to scale basically every load at a cat scale - not paid for this time.

The customer with a W sucks. I feel guilty shopping there after the mistreatment.

Sleeping with a noisy reefer sucks. You get used to it, but I always slept better with it off.

Driving extra unpaid miles out of route and sitting at truck washes to get the trailer washed out sucked - unpaid time too.

Having to log the trailer temperature twice daily sucked. Extra busy work - unpaid of course.

The company I worked for controlled where we fuel so I had to beg and ask to fill up the reefer before dropping a loaded or empty reefer - that time is also unpaid. You may have to wait extra time if the guy in front of the pump just sits there on his thirty minute break, as you can't fill the reefer tank with him there.

Reefer work is basically like a half step up from dry van, if that, so don't expect any respect from your fellow drivers.

 

If you have to ask then you will probably hate flatbedding. If you hate fla bedding you take shortcuts. If you take shortcuts loads get damaged and people get hurt.

 

In the beginning you're going to be slow anyways. You will learn how the best ways to secure loads. It's often not as hard as it looks. Won't lie, sometimes it's harder than it looks, but the beginning is easy stuff. Work your way up to OS/OD freight. That's where the fun and the money really show up.

 

There is truth in this. Some guys just like to research the crap out of something too.

 

lol there's a few things I can say I hate and haven't tried!! I've never eaten the arse out of a skunk but I know I hate it!