Learning experiences with Flatbedding

Load securement and tarping, like previously mentioned, are the biggest things.
You can never have too many straps or chains holding the load down. Sure, takes longer, but its alot less time than picking the load off some poor suckers car....

When tarping, remember that big flap sticking out the end goes to the front and you fold the front side ends underneath the flap, otherwise you end up with a big parachute going down the highway.
Ask me how I know.
Also, I agree on the point of having a forklift put the tarps on top for you. Only once was I stupid enough to carry my wide tarp up a ladder on my shoulder.

There are some days I know my mother calling me sonny, wasnt cause I was bright....

 

I pulled a set of doubles to a ridiculously laid out jobsite and broke them up to unload. When hooking them back up, I jumped the pin on my pup and had to get the crane to lift it up as I drove out from under it. One of my finer moments...

 

I've pulled vans,reefers, hoppers, pneumatic tankers, bull racks, and dumps. Flatbeding is the best in my opinion. Lots of physical work involved. One of our drivers is a 74 year old man who does it, only thing he refused to keep on his truck was his 8ft tarps. And he didn't really refuse it was the company's Christmas present to him.

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...g-forum/208365-shut-down-scale-44-000-my.html

 

Ive done that a couple times snagging back onto a convertible single hop jeep... Every single time I talked like a sailor.
Managed to get it apart with dunnage and air ride each time though.

 

Yeah, never had to much trouble getting into a job site heavy. Now getting out light, sometimes ya just got to go find some help. But unloading a pivot system is always fun when you show up and an eight wheeled tractor is waiting for you with a six inch rope tied to his rear. Them boys came prepared that day!

 

Ya I was trying to crank the landing gear and lower my bags, but I'm not exactly as strong as some of you manly sorts I'm actually pretty strong for my size, but the problem is that my size happens to be 5'0 and 110lbs soaking wet haha. Time to eat my Wheaties...

 

As others have said, backing, people think you should be able to put these trucks anywhere, job sites can be very tough sometimes backing through mud and rutes from other equipment, spread axle trailers aren't as manuverable as closed tandems.
Sometimes its all about the challenge to see if ya can do some of the stuff they want.

 

Sometimes its all about the challenge to see if ya can do some of the stuff they want. [/QUOTE]


That why we all are running open decks, we love a Challenge!

 

Haha indeed we do. That, and abusing our bodies on a daily basis...