good flatbed companies to get started with

Hi to all, Hope everybody is doing fine. I have a question? I already have my CDL class A license with hazmat and tanker endorsement, but don't have any experience driving a truck. My question is which Company do you guys recommend to do a refresh course? I have my license for over 2 years now. Thanks in advance to all and please be safe put there.

 

Just make sure you dont leave a penny on your floor board or a piece of paper in your cup holder! God forbid lol

 

Or nuts.. I'm gonig to call the Father/Son owners of the company I work for today and thank em..For being them,,

 

How is he supposed to trust you on this when you give him no information at all?

 

The sad thing is it really shouldn't. I'm 5'6" tall and 130ish lbs. I'm by no means a hulking brute. But I have used 120lb 2 piece tarp sets before. Ya, it's a lot of work, but if you you use your body smartly it isn't that dangerous. I used to work for UPS and they would teach all new hires working on the docks how to properly position and move your body to lift and maneuver packages safely. That training really helped out when dealing with those tarps. Like is usually said, lift with your legs and not your back; keep the tarp as close to your body as you can for best leverage. Wedge the tarp between your body and the trailer and push it instead of just lifting it. Use a small ladder or step stool to help get to the deck. There are lots of things a driver can do to make getting tarps to the deck or the top of a load easier.

Course, it would be better with lighter tarps or help from the shipper too.... but if surprises me that companies that train new flatbedders will spend a week on securement and tarping without showing them safe and effective ways to lift tarps.

 

I wonder if I would have trouble getting hired at one of these big flatbed companies at the age of 44?? With nothing but reefer and dry van experience before? Clean record etc.........

 

If I had to bet $$-nope.

 

When I was with PGT, I was in orientation with a 50 year old that had to go out with a trainer.

However, to the OP. PGT is another option. I live in SC and was home weekly with them. They pay well also. Not the greatest to deal with after you get moved from your training DM to a perm. DM. But, if you are one that can handle idiots, PGT is a good paying place to work. You use steel tarps (lighter) and mostly deal with steel hauling. And they take new drivers, fresh out of school.

Now I work for Melton and they are also taking people fresh out of school. Although Melton isn't a home weekly company (NC is bi-weekly as long as you request it), they are a great company to work for. I met a driver the other day who is 22, so I'm guessing they hire them. Melton also has a great home time policy. You rack up home time 1 per every 7 out. If you choose to stay out longer than 2 weeks and bank up a few days, but don't use all that you banked, you don't lose them. They also don't count days at home under a load as home time days. For instance, I'm going home this weekend. I'll be there two days and even though I requested the time, I won't lose the 2 days due to me being under a load. So, those two days are still available to me later. I have a friend that has banked up a month's worth of time and used it all at once.

Melton also allows you to go out of route to go by the house when you have time. You can go up to 75 miles one way to hit the house. Just let your DM know your doing it. But, you have to have enough time after you deliver to pick up another load and roll a couple of hours with it. If you stay home so long that once you deliver, you have to take a 10 hour break, you will lose the out of route privilege. So just make sure when going out of route to go home, you give yourself enough time to make your delivery with hours left on your clock. I've even had my route reworked and fuel stops changed just so I could go out of route to stop at home for a day.

I don't know about the other companies, but being a family man, home time is everything to me and being allowed to run by the house on the way to a delivery is a nice perk. Their equipment is nice also. Nice KW's with nice interiors, apu's, 1500 watt inverters already installed, pets are allowed (with pet deposit of 750.00 or 37.00 weekly until 750.00 is paid). And the best part, you won't get docked any pay for having a penny on the floor.

I'll admit that I miss the percentage pay of PGT, but Melton takes care of their drivers much better. Sometimes, being happy at your job is better than a little more money.

 

Hey Chip, I used to drive for Melton a couple years ago before my ex-gf went batty on me and made me quit for a local job, at the time they had 13 speeds in all their trucks. Now, I just looked on their website where they are selling trucks and the only they have listed are ultrashifts. Did they swap completely to autos or did they just test out a few?