Another Physical Demand Thread about Flatbedding. Specifically Height...

I’m friends with people who have been up to 13 feet on loads. Brokered loads even. I’m jealous of people in $500 cars, just FYI. If anyone has a problem with that, I point them to the Smokies.

 

Take what he says with a grain of salt.

Many flatbed loads are low. I have a covered wagon, which has 4' high sides and the center is about 7' tall. Steel loads are only a couple feet off the deck. Depending where you run, you may never see a lumber or insulation load.

 

I used a covered wagon, you are walking about with the tarp at head level above the deck more or less a foot or two in the center for really BIG coils.

I cannot remember ever getting up on a coil. That's one thing you don't do. If you slid off in one direction towards a rough cut sharp sheet edge....

 

Thats an actual osha reg. You can not be 4 feet or higher off the ground without a form of fall protection. However it specifically excludes truck drivers from this, but most safety folks at plants or job sites dont realize there is a truck driver exclusion.

 

I was born & raised in Robertson County. Went to 10 day cdl school in Murfreesboro many years ago. TDI is the name of the school and I think they've lengthened the course and moved the school a little further south to Chistiaa
Do you want to run the roads or stay close to home?
Estes Express Lines in Smyrna may have a driver trainee program for new drivers.

 

One of my first jobs was hauling Pro-Craft boats out of the factory in Murfreesboro. I think there's a boat hauler near you around Murfreesboro. I can't remember the name of the outfit now. The Pro-Craft drivers went there when the Pro-Craft merged or closed or whatever happened to it.

 

Here's 3 flatbed companies to consider:
Melton Truck Lines - coast to coast
McElroy - home weekends
Transport National - Winchester, TN hires new cdl grads. Drivers say they average $1500+ weekly.

 

Thank you for your service, on both counts.

To your question, if you really want to do open deck work, look for a company that hauls freight you will be comfortable with. Hauling steel could be a good way to go, depending on where you live. Coils, beams, tubing, stuff that will not require getting on top of a high load to tarp.

There's plenty of flatbed freight you can haul without having to worry about getting up on top of the load. You just have to find the right fit for you.

 

R. E. West in Lebanon has flatbed division and dry van division. This company hires new cdl grads. Don't know what the flatbed division hauls, but dry van hauls hot water heaters out of A.O. Smith in Ashland City and runs all over the country.

Freymiller is refrigerated and hires new cdl grads. www.drive4freymiller.com and click on "Recent Graduates."

 

Fwiw I got 46k of sheetrock on my flatbed right now. Thats 19 bundles of 1/2".

Its 4ft off the deck. So go stand on something about 7 1/2ft off the ground and that's where you'll be IF you have to get up on top for whatever reason.

We haul for USG and they tarp and strap the loads. But I set my own edge protectors at some of the facilities because they are lazy ##### and will lose those and bungees.Only reason Im on top of the load and there are ways to put edge protectors on from the ground.