Flat bedding--- the pros, the cons?

Warehouses suck, but you don't know that until you stop going to them. The flatbed customers are generally far more pleasant to deal with and often are happy to see you. Everyone, including other drivers, show you utmost respect for the job you do. You're also more engaged with the freight you're hauling because YOU secured it which in my opinion, makes me a better driver.

All that being said, its the money that drove me to switch from vans to flats. I drive less, get exercise, and I'm paid more. And thats the bottom line.

 

That is weird. One steering wheel holder calling other guys steering wheel holders.

 

if ur lazy, dont try flatbedding

 

I dont understand why? this Flatbed thread pros and cons turns into a slamming dry van drivers as under paid steering holders? I could name quite a few companies(dry van) that pay more than any flatbed co. out there.

 

Obviously you should stay with what you're doing... you dont have the mentality to pull open deck freight.

The one thing all drivers have in common is that we're all out here for a paycheck. But, in my experience most open deck drivers do what we do for something else... and that something else is pride in a job done right, done safely and done professionally.
Our work is out there for the world to see. And when you can look back at your trailer and know that if God reached down and decided to flip your rig upside down and the load would stay put, theres a sense of accomplishment there.

Not everyone wants to do our job (too much work, too dirty...etc) and not everyone should do it. But, I for one am proud to pull open deck, and like now be pulling loads that put me over the 200ft mark.

We can be some of the most respectful drivers out there, show us respect and we will definitely return it... but disrespect us, and we'll make darn sure that you arent going to come unsecured from that block of concrete at the bottom of the bay...

 

Give this guy a gold medal. Bingo the winner!
There is a whole industry out here that has driver's making 44 cents per mile, and the company there driving for making over $3.00 per mile. Bull crap!!!

And every Thursday all the dispatchers at the mega companies try to line up 500 + mile hauls for all the company driver's to fill up there weekend driving to make sure they are out 2,3,or 4 weeks at a time.

Company driver's should get over a $1.00 per mile, but instead are paid penny's on the dollar. And are let go at the first chance if anything goes wrong.

 

you're right, I don't have the mentality to pull open deck freight at around the same income as pulling a van or doubles.
I have my pride when I see my paycheck.

This is a good example http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-driver.html?highlight=old+dominion+rest+stop

There's no pride in my opinion when you're underpaid for the work you do.

 

yup

a guy pulling doubles gets .55 - .62 CPM.. sleep in a hotel not a truck, just drop and hooks. at unions get pension, free health insurance, sick pay etc.

Company flatbed drivers get paid .40-.50 out sleeping in a truck weeks at a time, responsible for securing loads but then they say "I get paid $25 to tarp!" Well LTL workers get paid $25 hour amount to hook/unhook their trailer, fuel etc.

Considering the garbage pay flatbed drivers earn for what they do I'd say they're the least respected drivers out there.
When a Swift driver gives you a thumbs up when you pass him and that makes you feel better so be it.

 

As far as backing, flatbed guys often have it harder and need to be more careful. Go try to back into a "well dock" at most any drywall place. Or have to back into a dark building with bright sunlight outside. Or back about 15 truck lengths in a winding curve back into dock 3, I think it is, at Nucor hot mill in Norfolk, Ne. Flatbedders may not have to back at every dock, and luckily don't do it in big city alley docks as much, but often our backing is much harder than just bumping a dock straight enough for the dock plate to fit, on the outside of a building. Oh, and I commonly do that too.

 

Normally it is a lot easier. There is an occasional offset alley dock with no room for forgiveness, a spread-axle trailer makes it a bigger challenge. Glad I did almost two years hauling a reefer on those days, you see a lot of scars on those alleys. Normally, in flatbed, it's pull straight up and we'll bring the load to you though.