Dry Van/Reefer vs. Flatbedding...Consistent freight

I really don't think that you can get a 100% answer on this question. I ran flat bed all last winter hauling dry wall all over the east coast and freight remained consistent all winter. I switched to van this summer, and will never go back to flat bedding unless it pays by the hour.

 

Good question to ask.

I can tell you LTL peaks in the spring, drops mid summer, lifts again in fall , then quiet in winter.

You've considered frozen tarps . . . ? . . . Brrrrrrrrr!

 

Considering reefer - people eat all year round.

 

When I first got mh CDL back in October 2009 I pulled flatbed... and even in tne winter it isnt that bad... yeah frozen tarps are a bit of a pain... but, I would still rather fuss with a frozen tarp than fight off boredom of dock bumping...

I took a break then returned to the road... pjlled van and reefer for a few months.. and got back into flatbed..

 

I hauled beer out of miller in irwindale and its always busy. People always have money for beer even if they don't have money for food, as for that laces in their shoes.

 

As a flatbed company driver I don't see any slow down aside from road conditions. If they know you are going to deliver ok then they should have plenty of time to find you another load.

Edit:
Load planners seem to forget a few factors that affect how long it takes to make a run. Things like fueling the truck, traffic, sleep, equipment repair... If you always try to deliver asap you stand a better chance of keeping up with their planning and will stay busy.

 

Some people like to drag their feet, you'll be ok if you like to stay busy.

There are alot of spread appointment times with flatbed like 08:00-15:00, so you really don't have to deliver in the am, but it helps if you do. Or if your lucky: 06:30-15:00