Flatbedding: Advantages and Disadvantages??

flatbedding is probably considered more dangerous. But my question is how many people teaching driving classes and stating how dangerous flatbedding is compared to dry van actually drove flatbed? It is dangerous if you dont do it right, but if you do it the right way every time, its no more dangerous than driving dry van. I personally am so used to securing the load and knowing what and where my load is that someone loading a dry van while i sit on my tush and not knowing how high up it is or how stable the load is as a whole would scare the crap out of me. I want to tell the loader, hey put that there and put this here. You are the one behind the wheel and youll learn that loads ride differently but you can make them ride better if you put the weight on the bed a certain way. These loaders just load your truck and dont care how it rides.

 

all my limited experience has been hauling dry van for dollar general, the loads were typically lighter then max. I mean toilet paper and paper towels just don't weigh that much. they did stack the trailer to the ceiling, but the "toppers" as the refered to them were the lightest boxes.

I'm thinking of maybe giving flatbedding a whirl, but here in Florida at least half of the ones I see are dead heading somewhere. it probably depends on the company but they pay you loaded/unloaded at the same mileage rate right?

a funny thing happened in my third week driving for dollar general. the vans all say "DOLLAR GENERAL" on the side in 2' bold, black lettering. we were unloading at a stop and another truck driver came around the back and asked us which store we were delivering to. I shoulda said "K-mart"

 

i pulled my first flatbed on a intrastate run, with a backhaul already set up. i loved it! it is definitely more labor than drop and hook vans, but good experience in securement and driving practices. i was taught well too, which really helps. if u like to be on ur rear end gettin kidney stones and no touch freight, this isn't the way to go