I gotta find one... I gotta!

It is if you know what your trainer is making on the loads that you're training on, and he's making a higher percentage than you are. Munrkr, I forgot to mention that I was training during a time that freight was slow (Dec. - Jan.), which meant a lot of sitting around waiting for loads. Which, in my eyes meant not making any money. You may be at a different point in your life and can afford to see if this is something that you really like. I've already done grunt work in my life for next to nothing. By all means, I'm not trying to be negative. I just don't sugar coat or paint bright pictures about something that's not all that great. If you have your heart set on driving flatbed, go for it and do your best. Be safe & good luck!

 

So you trained for 3 weeks in the slowest period of trucking and you can evaluate that there is no money in flatbedding? Something I learned a long time ago. Don't tell your fellow co employees what you make or how many miles you are getting. If one of them says man they have cut the miles, just say I know what you mean. You tell them you are getting decent miles/ pay then they tell their dispatch well so and so is getting good miles why is that? Then there is all kinds of havoc. Your trainer might have led you to believe his pay was bad or he may have been a deadbeat.
Point is 3 weeks is not enough time, heck 3 months is not.

 

I'm a believer if you enjoy a Job, the money will come.

During my short venture in Trucking, I did pull Reefers, Dry Vans and Flatbeds. I did steer away from flatbeds, but not cause of I did not like it, for I enjoyed it very much. But I do have some medical Issues that made it very hard to do.

But I am now looking into going back into Trucking. Coming out of an Early retirement. Though I will start out with a Dry Van, but I plan on getting back into Flatbeds. But the only way I can do a Flatbed it will take a Tarping System to help out. I can through a Strap over, or chain down a load if need be, but I have a very hard time with the tarps. But if you are in pain from the Neck down you could understand. I hurt no matter what, so Why sit at home and Stare at the walls close in on you?

So I will say do what ever you enjoy. If you enjoy doing flatbeds then Please do. if you do not enjoy a job, it will only hurt you and others in the long run. If something you like, you can always find a way to do it.

Flatbedding can be fun, and it al;so have as much headachs as the Reefers and Dry Vans. Example, I was hauling a load of PVC Pipe. Shifted on me less than 10 miles from the shippers, I turned around and they reloaded it. I got half way to the receivers, it shifted again. SO here I go up I 20 east bound with Pipe hanging to one side. Reduce speed to cause less friction, and just took my time. When I got to the receiver, I was put in front of 4 other trucks to get unloaded so I did not flip over in their lot. Straps were not removed till the forklift was in place to lift that stack.

Another example of headachs in Flatbeds, I was hauling Granite Markers Tombstones and such. I looked in my Mirrors and noticed one stone had worked it self out from the Straps.. Easy fix. I took it and it was a very small piece so I was able to lift it by hand. But I did have to find a bettter place to rework the load for a better securment. I carried my own Crane.

So you will have headachs, but I still enjoyed the job. I would done more of it if it was not for my medical problems.

 

Better tak em training wheels of if your gonna run with the gang,brother.And i suggest you graduate with a PHD from ucla if you think your inline for some big money."Smithway offers a fair pay for a days work.priemer flatbed company",quote from the late/great Bill Smith.Good luck with your paper route,Happy Motoring !

 

There is a trailer tailor made for you actually 2 of them. One isa curtain side or soft side some call it. it has a roof and back doors just like a van but it has curtains on the side you can open and side load like a flat bed. super nice trailers and very versatile. The other is the covered wagon with a roll over tarp system this is a flat with a side kit and a grain hopper type tarp on it they work real well. Just a couple of options for those of us with back and neck problems i have a 2 crushed vertebrae from falling off a load of lumber so i looked into all the possibility and they are good ones that work well.

 

Come back and post when you have unloaded your first 53' trailer of toilet paper. Or, after you have bumped the dock and and have two dozen pallets stuck in front of your nose and they tell ya get busy breaking them pallets down LOL. You'll be begging to get them nasty dirty tarps back.