Flatbed Question

I did flatbed type for 15 years after doing my obligatory 6 months at a mega. I really liked it, but I had a covered wagon (flatbed with a side kit). After DOT audit resulted in the company owner selling off the equipment and closing shop I went to dry box fleet. I miss flatbed. I thought dry box would get me out of the weather more in winter time. That was my only dislike in flatbed. I was born and raised in the tropics. I'm 5'9"" and 160# soaking wet. My body was designed to dissipate heat. 105 degrees and 98% humidity doesn't phase me in the least. 60 degrees and I'm breaking out Long Johns. In winter I looked like one of the kids in South Park. All you could see under my Eskimo clothes were my eyes and I had sunglasses or safety glasses over those. LOL. Keep you tolerance for working in inclement weather in mind and also consider a covered wagon. The only time a skateboard beat me outta the tarp and securement area was when it was a no tarp load. I didn't get tarp pay, though, but if I had to break down the kit and stow it and break out lumber tarps and run it like a conventional flatbed I got $75 bucks for that. Plus, I was able to pick up some dry box loads that they wouldn't have shipped on a regular flatbed because I had sides. I don't know of many, if any, shippers or forklift drivers that will drive onto a regular flatbed with no sides. Afraid of the forklift going off the side, which is totally understandable. The guys that drove onto mine were like a rookie driver on his first mountain run. VERY attentive because even though it has sides they only come up four feet so the forklift base is below them but most of the driver is above them. Bird's eye view of their fall if they messed up. One dock I had three drivers pull up and go; Nope til the fourth said he'd do it but that was one cautious and attentive Dude. LOL. Also, I picked up some loose, floor loaded produce loads (onions and potatoes). They top loaded with my full sides and back up with a conveyor then when I got to consignee I'd drop and a tipper rig would position by a bin below ground level that had a chute and conveyor below it, pull out my back boards and tip the trailer so all the produce rolled out into the bin. Usually at a mass production food facility where damage like bruising and cuts wasn't an issue because the product was going to be ground up as an ingredient in the product like soup or something like that anyway. Didn't matter what the product looked like, just that it was an onion or potato or whatever and it wasn't rotten or moldy. It wasn't store quality to start with. Those loads generally originated out west like CA and were how the company got me back east into the metal freight lanes after a western run. Run metal out west then palletized dry box freight or produce going back east.

Best of luck and be safe.

 

A little off topic but if it looks like it can be an issue on or down the road you can always call 911 and explain what you see. Or pull up beside the tractor and motion driver towards his load, maybe he will get the hint.

 

As a flatbedder option B is much preferred, a loose strap is usually just the extra thats rolled up coming loose, the load is still secure, most thats gonna happen is it'll go under the tire and rip off so please don't call 911 over that.

 

AZS...you still with Lone Star?

 

It didn't even occur to me to call 911. I was just wishing i had a CB. I was worried about the strap tangling around the wheels like always happens with my lawn tractor if I'm trailing something. Didnt even occur to me the strap would tear that easily. The truck was going way too fast for me to safely catch up. I figured one of the other truckers would call on his CB and let the guy know,