Buying Securement Equipment..

cpape, you are giving advice based on your company's operation. You know your operation well. i think overall the advice posted here has been good. mercer for example will tell you they are primarily a flatbed company and they do have steps however. ramps are not necessarily a must, but we show quite a few loads on our board listed for flat or step but the step must have proper levers.

it all depends on where you like to run, who you may be leased to, etc. you cant make a blanket statement saying one is better than the other.

get a bunch of us together (mercer) and we both, flat or step, can tell stories of loads we missed because of type of trl.

at mercer we end up doing equally well for the most part whether we have flat or step.

the o/p needs to decide who and where he will run and base it on that. cause we all have our preferences, you stated it very well in your last two sentences. and until he decides something we can only offer advice based on our experience.

 

Mercer has both flats and steps. They have 48, 51.5, & 53' steps. Brands are typicaly transcraft for steps, they might even have a few wilson's. I don't remember what the fleece payments are, I came to Mercer with my own trailer. I don't believe there is a credit check or deposit. There is an escrow built into the payment. I would not lease a trailer, unless you are not sure if you are going to stick with this type of work. You will be money ahead to buy your own trailer elsewhere.

 

The question is what would give me the most freight opportunities. It doesn't say anything about Landstar, Mercer, Pape, etc. I answered the question based on my experience in open deck transportation, not based on Pape Transfer, with the exception of the driver I have that has ramps/levellers.

Most flatbed freight can be hauled on a step deck. No step deck freight can be hauled on a flat. If you pull a step deck you will miss out on some loads, but do they really pay that much better than what you end up finding.

Please reread my post. The point was to be versatile. I think this is true no matter what you are doing.

Safety is also an issue. It is much better to work from the ground than 5' in the air.

I don't really see how any of these points apply only to Pape Transfer.

 

yep, its like sitting around the old coffeee counter.

 

I like pulling the stepdeck due to the TYPES of loads you pull and they are much easier to load, and secure due to their lower height. I like running machinery as it just needs chains and you book it to the delivery. Seems to me with a flat you will tarping more loads than not.

 

I agree with you SHC

 

I will say this about the difference between LS and Mercer for flats and steps. I get the feeling from Mercer that anything they offer outside (to me) is because they can't find a Mercer driver first.

And with LS I have been flat told by LS Brokers they would rather load a higher rated outside carrier than take a call from BCO they have not used.

Regardless what has been happening with freight, Mercer is still looking to internal drivers first.

 

We used to broker a fair amount from Mercer. I think Bill is right. It is rare we are offered anything from them worth hauling. Their drivers probably take all the good loads.