Flatbedders: In it for the money?

I'm considering TMC as my first company. I have been reading threads and they seem to be a respected company (for the most part). I just feel pulled toward flatbed. I like the idea of staying physical no matter the weather.

 

really? no tight docks? ever tried some steel plants downtown chicago or that fiberboard shipper by harrisburg, pa where you back into the dock 48' deep and 2" on either side of the trailer ? I have been in some really tight spots with flatbed, but love every minute of it. don't want to pull a van or reefer, maybe a tanker later on in life, but for now, flatbedding is what I love.

 

No tight docks???? I have hit tighter docks with this spread than I ever did pulling a van for all those years,,,, and I hit some tight docks with a van...

 

TMC definetly has some nice looking trucks! I have heard,(and that should be taken with the usual grain of salt!) that they pay less and drivers can get in trouble if things arent done just so. Ex. tarps done the TMC way etc, truck dirty and so on. I guess they have some kind of points system. I run for ATS out of MN, and Notarps runs for Maverick. Just a couple of others to consider. Youll love flats or hate it! I dont think theres much room in the middle!

 

Before I went to flatbedding I asked about bumping docks, early or late pick-up/deliveries, staying on the hardball (from the guys I know who went from construction to flats), and it was like "Oh, it's easy if you don't mind tarping and you load/drop between 7am-5pm".
Heh, You bump docks and tight ones too, 5 am drops...yep, I have had to drop loads where I would never take a low-side.
You pull a flat, expect the unexpected.

 

I dropped loads N/O Moab UT on a site where the sand was deeeep and I didn't stop going through not even for the welders and their helpers.
Nothing ruins a day more than getting stuck in sand to the axles on a "well maintained" Right-of-Way.

 

A guy hiring on with us said he wanted to tarp for the excercise...I told him if he wants to work out, tarp every load whether it needs a tarp or not. Then untarp it and retarp it at ever 10-hour break.

 

Okay what I meant is you "usually" don't have to 90 around a long nose Pete at the wharehouse like you do with a van. There are few places like that with a flat. Most of a time with the docks your talking about you don't have to worry about you front-end.