Is flatbed hard on a truck ?

Yes. Load heavy as well. Then some get off road quite a bit.

 

Depends on the operator.

 

Generally flatbed loads are heavy and deliver to construction sites/off-road driving

 

And the specs of the truck. The way the megas spec their trucks, 430-450hp, 9 and 10 speed manual or automatic, loaded near GVW, and going off-road and in and out of mud pits, and their stupid 50k oil change intervals ( they don’t care, they’re getting rid of the thing in 2-3 years), you’d be buying a truck that’s been ridden very hard.

If you’re looking to buy a truck that can actually do the job you need it to do, buy a better performance rig. All other specs equal, pulling heavy, a 500-515hp engine will get better fuel economy than the mega spec 430-450. And all things equal, a 13 speed will outperform a 10.

“So Six, why would a company not buy a stronger engine if that’s true about the fuel economy?

They’re more concerned with stupid proofing a truck rather than fuel economy. The stronger the engine, the easier it would be for Stupid to grenade the drive train.

 

I know some owner/operators that have bought used trucks from Melton and Maverick that were well spec'd, loaded with flatbed equipment (chain cabinet, storage boxes and apu) that have great success with their rig. These large companies do like to take their trucks off the road before the warranty runs out, but they will still get the job done and make you money at the same time. The good thing about buying these used trucks is that they have the longer wheel base you need for open deck and have several thousand dollars worth of equipment included. If I were looking for a used truck and was just getting into the industry as an owner operator I would contact Melton, TMC, etc used truck sales department. You might save several thousand dollars vs going through Arrow Truck Sales.

 

Something breaks every day. Plan on spending at least $200 each day on repairs. If nothing breaks that day it will tomorrow and it will cost $400

 

Milton might have decent spec’ed trucks but I wouldn’t want a Maverick truck personally.

When I worked there in 2014 I had a 2013 Freightliner Cascadia with an anemic DD13 and an automated manual 10 speed transmision, (2) 80 gallon tanks, super singles, Worthless battery bank for an apu, open headache rack, and no storage boxes. But it did have shinny wheels.