Flatbed/Tanker/Reefer - Starting out?

Maverick or TMC will start you right out of school into a flatbed gig. Prime and Schneider will put you right out of school into a tanker gig. If I wasn't doing open trailer work, I would be pulling a tanker. I started out with a reefer. I haven't seen weather wet enough, cold enough, tarps heavy enough, or rates bad enough to make me ever consider joining the grocery warehouse circus again. I'd rather quit driving and throw someone the keys to my truck. I'd rather give up beer and become a vegan. I'd rather go driving big rig in Afghanistan. I'd rather run the port o John blue dye pump truck.

No more circus life for me.

 

I can speak only for flatbed because I only pulled pneumatic tanks.

i typically will leave for US Steel Sunday night and be there to unload Monday morning hop over to Nucor for anywhere. I love flatbed, it will keep you loaded. It may slow down some but you'll keep moving. When you get started look at your load and when your happy and smiling break out another strap and put it over the front. I think it's law if you don't have a head board. When you chain a little tip, on my ratchet binders to tighten you'll always be pushing towards the truck. I'm a small guy but I'm big, 5' 10" 270 lbs and I don't do well in heat or extreme cold due to bad asthma but I've never been where I couldn't handle it. I remember chaining 2 coils in Texas one time and I had to tarp them too it was hot but I stuck it out and got it done. Flatbedings fun you won't spend 24hrs waiting for some one to check your load. The longest I've waited in a long time has been 6 hours and that was some what my fault.

If your gonna flatbed:
-steel toes
-jeans
-long sleeve cotton shirt
-hard hat
-safety glasses
-reflectively vest

any questions ask.

 

Prostitution is a job too, right?

I do have my T endorsement. Never pulled a tanker trailer, but I've pulled silos, boilers, 60'x14' tanks. I don't pull flatbed trailers, but most people (drivers included) call any open trailer a flatbed. It's like comparing a powerlifter to a strongman. Both look the same, but completely different sports.

So I wouldn't be the one to get the pros and Fons for flatbedding or tanker yankering.

 

I know there are women smaller than you that I've see doing flatbed work.

As for companies that hire straight out of school: Boyd Bros, TMC, Maverick and a few others.

 

I'll take a little start with reefer. I have some friends who work at Hirschbach. I'll go there as O/O. I will use flat beds once I'll find/build my own shop or farm.