To be, or not to be? That is my question.

Tarping in bad weather is definitly a drawback, even onscorching hot days. The skateboard bussiness is booming however. Tarping isn't is hard as it looks. Most flatbed companies will give you a crash course. Anything that needs to be tarped is normally loaded indoors and they allow you to throw your tarps indoors. Just hard to deal with frozen tarps. I could in my day tarp and strap a load in about an hour. Also most companies also pay you to tarp the load. Bottom line I made good money running flatbed.

 

Lmao "most places let you tarp indoors"! Too funny. You will tarp a vast majority of your loads outside. However tarping isnt bad. There are few times i dread tarping. Those are usually some weird load,which is few and far between,or freezing below zero wind in your face weather,also rare. Maverick is a grwat place to be if you want to make 45-50k your first year and still be home a vast majority of weekends. The equipment is young and well maintained and they have good benefits. Should you desire to they have a lease program as well.

 

Yes, some places do let you tarp indoors; not too many of those places though. Flatbedding is great and it doesn't take long to get the hang of load securement. Boyd Bros and Melton Truck Lines also are good companies to look at. Melton has APU's. Also, good benefits are better than fast trucks. I worked for a reefer company, OTR 48 states, one time with 68mph trucks. They had one oddball older truck governed at 62mph; a flat top & very cushy interior & quiet inside. I swapped for it and still made over $50K per year which was the same as the 68mph truck.

 

Since you are from cookeville are you working for averitt ? I live 15 minutes from cookville

 

I am very happy with my decision to drive flatbeds for Maverick. Speed is not really a concern for me- and shouldn't be for a flatbedder, as I drive a little slower for safety reasons and good mpg bonus money each quarter. I am supporting my family of four, and have fantastic benefits- including home every weekend. I may only have been in the industry for just over a year now, but I really don't know if there is anywhere else that has everything that I have now with Maverick. In my first year, I averaged over .50/mile total. I believe that is just about unheard of for a newbie company driver at other companies/dry van/ect.

 

If you want drive fast for low pay stay where you're at. You can make $.15 more per mile and drive slower, then come to maverick maverick.

Simple decision big truck or big check.

 

Wish you the best hope everything works out well for you.