Flatbed freight. Good or Bad?

It is that bad but the whole industry isn't going bankrupt.

For me it just means less time off and doing loads that suck just to survive.
That means no easy cross country runs.
More like staying in best market possible doing short runs that aren't fun.
Like multistop tarp runs, oversize tarp loads, 2 loads in a day. Etc

If I did easy loads I wouldn't have survived.

 

This thing seems more closer to a 3 year downturn. I remember reefer freight started tanking bad in early 2022. I have no idea what sort of upward blips or dead bounces it might've had since early 2023. I read something somewhere recently, probably reddit, about wonderful half ### current rates to dead zones. Hardest decision I gotta make in the here and now is do I want to run their tractor through the Blue Beacon tonight or wash it myself in the wash bay?

 

I know nothing about trucking but the unprecedented rain has slowed building projects severely at least in mid tenn . In fact i saw a telehandler buried to the frame about 2 weeks ago

 

We are in trouble guys, swifty gonna be stealing our loads.

 

Swift flatbed is hardly anyone to worry about... all the flatbed freight they do is contract stuff they have been doing for decades.

 

Anecdotally, I know 2 flatbedders and 1 car+step deck guy who are O/O. One ran on a boat contract, other two ran off load boards.

Both flatbedders have called it quits in the past 3 months after starving for a couple years now. One is going into lawn care and closing up the trucking end. The other guy is parking the truck and suspending his business operations. He can retire but likes running. The car hauler/step deck guy is selling his car trailer setup and just running step deck loads out of Savannah atm strapping containers to the trailer.

Job market for company guys is abysmal. But this thread isn't really about that

 

Most automotive plants were preparing for their 2 week shutdown that they are now finishing up. They open back up Monday and by 18th you'll notice more loads ready.

Rates are sucking right now. 72k pound loads running 43 miles only paying $700.

Or we are seeing 72k pound loads going 120 miles for $1200.