Do flatbed guys make more?

Worst day of flatbed is still 100x better than the best day of food/beverage service......remember that

 

Well in a former life about 28 years ago I used to fly sightseeing helicopters between Long Beach, CA and Avalon on Catalina Island. Hence the name, email etc. of Catalinaflyer. I was always envious of the people who lived on their boats anchored out in Avalon Bay. I became good friends with a guy I met there who lived on his 45' Ketch. He spends the summers in the Avalon, Long Beach, Chula Vista, Ensenada areas then in the winter he sails south to the Cabo area. He makes his living doing cash handyman work on other peoples boats. He doesn't have much but I never met someone happier with life.

To this day he's still on the same boat sailing between the same ports and still doesn't own a phone. All communication is either by HAM radio or US mail that he picks up at the marina in Chula Vista when he's in port.

 

lol

 

I'd like to know what company you work for! Sounds like perfect pay/ miles/ work days, for me. Anyway... I haul groceries for a living in a reefer trailer, and spend plenty of time unloading the huge-### grocery pallets, it's all union, and I get screwed all the time when my run gets cancelled and the high-seniority guys already taking in the money, take in just a little more, and I get stuck sweeping or doing some low-paying backhauls.. Recently lost a lost of business with our company. Looking into a couple companies that run flatbeds... I have no flatbed experience; is it hard to jump into this field and learn the ropes? How long does it take to unload.. say.. Steel? Definitely interested.. All about more money and less hours, and spending more time with my little girl. Thanks. Anyone please let me know.

 

That was a few years ago, and things have changed a bit.

I still get home on weekends, and I still gross more than the average van or Reefer driver, but I work for it.

As far as jumping over, its not that hard. Plenty of carriers who run flats will be more than happy to train you up on load securement (a good mix of good sense and survival instinct is necessary). And the money is generally better. Same with benefits and treatment.

Just research the carrier you are going to sign on with!