Thinking of trying out flatbed

Looks as if it's still going strong. Information on the website dated 2025.
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Take a good look at this, my friend, it's a "securing nightmare", and you haven't even begun to figure out how to tarp such a load. I'm not trying to discourage you, but from my experience, flatbed pullers have been doing it a long time, and presents a lot of challenges you just don't have with a box. Roll tarps are great, if you have 20 pallets of shingles( or whatever), but generally, if it's going on a flatbed, it can't be hauled in a box. Where or how to secure and tarp coils of steel, once it's on the wagon, you aren't going to move any of it. If you do go for it, I was told, watch how others load the wagon, loads like this^^^ are very common, and will try your patience. Some like a challenge, wasn't for me. Good luck, I'd stay with a box.

 

https://youtube.com/@65fatmac?si=brsHIY0aiht3NX00
I subscribed to this Melton driver's channel and I enjoy watching it.

 

This is for Maine.. looks like they have two fleets for hunt in that state

 

It's not a nightmare; it's just common sense. Picture in your mind what the load will try to do in various situation and secure it for those situations; such as hard braking, sharp curves, bumpy roads, etc.
My first flatbed job didn't offer any training at all. Safety said, "If you have any questions, just ask another flatbed driver."
I ran 48 states and Canada and never had any problems at all. Hauled all types of stuff, such as a boiler for a school heating system in Burnaby, Canada.

 

Ya common sense goes a long way. When I started flatbed I got about 3 days training before I went on my own. We haul all sorts of different things. I just try to oversecure it if in doubt. Haven’t had any real problems yet.
Actually some of the worst stuff I haul is insulation. You can’t strap very tight without damaging it, and if it gets loose at all it will begin to move. I’ve lost a bit of it actually. The units of 4x8 sheets of foam are the worst thing I’ve ever hauled.

 

OMG….. did you bring up memories with this. And not good ones neither.