any tips for pulling flatbed

He wasn't lying either lol.. That's my approach to coil / steel hauling.

 

Several things as some have already said.
1. Take your time. No matter what your hauling, make sure it's secured to stay on the trailer in the event of an emergency.
That may not be your wife, son or daughter in that car next to you on the freeway, but they do belong to someone. Don't give them a reason to feel unsafe next to you.
2. When you're done loading and securing, step back 20 or 30 feet and look at the load all the way around. You may catch a weak spot in your securment that you don't see standing right next to the load.
3. When you're done take a picture from both sides of your load. I keep a photo record of all loads. It helps in the event that I have similar loads down the road as a reference point and it helps in the event of a minor mishap, not that one will happen.
4. Get in the habit, every time you stop, whether to visit the men's room, grab some joe, have a smoke, etc., everytime you stop check your load.
Safe travels and good luck in the new venture.

 

Copper and aluminum should both be plastic wrapped before tarping. If the shipper doesn't provide it, do like I do.
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up a roll.
The stuff I get usually runs about 40 a rool, but I can usually get 5 or 6 loads before having to replace it.

 

Control what you can control and pray over the rest.

 

In addition to that, don't EVER leave anything where it's not supposed to be that's not visible in your mirrors. If you're going to set something down on something, set it on the edge of the deck and overhanging if possible. That reduces the chance of forgetting about it and driving off with it like that.

 

Some things that are worth more than they cost.

Sharpies.
A good quality metal measuring tape at least 25 foot.
A good quality Utility Knife and blades.
A pair of lineman pliers.
Tin snips or metal shears.
Hammers, Framing and a 3.5 to 5 lb sledge, an Engineers style is also good to have as an option.
Pry and wrecking bars.
A 10 and/or 12 inch pipe wrench.

The tool list is just a few of the things I have needed over the years to load and off load freight. Some seem odd, but when you need them, you need them.

 

Just don't look in your mirrors. A lot of trucks that I pass when oversized seen to do just that. Seems to work for them.