Best paying flatbed companies for drivers WITH experience??

Where is your home? @Chinatown or other folks may be able to help you.

I have four years of flatbed under my belt. In that time I tarped about a dozen loads. It all depends on the type of freight your company hauls. Most of my experience was running loads to the oilfield. 99% of the time it's throwing straps. Rarely throwing chains. I have two months into my new gig and the only tarp loads I pulled they assigned me a curtainside.

There's a parable Jesus told about a guy that hired field hands for a penny for a day's work. At mid day he hired more hands for a penny. Then in the afternoon he hired more hands for a penny. When it came time to pay the hands the ones that worked all day griped. The owner asked why they were #####ing, because they got exactly what he agreed to pay.

 

Yea tarping sucks, but thats just how it is sometimes. I've yet to tarp a lumber load, but we get paid for tarping.

Your pay is pretty #### good for being a company guy. And if you're in your 1st year, you dont have that much experience. My co wont even look at someone with less than 3yrs. Company driver or lease operator and as a co guy I dont make as much as you, but I bet I also run a lot less miles.

 

For whatever this may contribute...I ruin for a smallish outfit based up in the Dakotas, about 115 trucks total, 20 or so of which are flatbed. I won't say our base pay per mile is "top tier" 46c/mile to start), but a/ we do get accessorials tacked onto that, and b/ because of HOW I run, I can maximize my miles and thus pay without breaking my back to do it. How, one may ask? Because we essentially run a dedicated operation on the flatbed side, all equipment (out of South Dakota), 90% of which are preloaded and secured, none of which require tarping, most of which average over 1000 miles per delivery, meaning less time lost waiting, loading and securing, and more time moving, thus the maximization of time and miles. (Now that's just out of SD...of course we do still deal with all the typical load/wait/ detention times when we run backhauls and broker loads, but essentially we do out-and-backs, for the most part.)

As for tarping, most of what we haul is equipment of some type, so that's why we don't tarp all that much, maybe only about 20% or so. (In fact, in four months, I've broken out my 8ft drops exactly once.) So less tarping, again, means less time lost sitting still and more time moving (& resting, if you use your hours wisely).

Back to the "maximizing my time" thing... this is one thing I've learned. I've been in this game long enough (eight years...yeah I know, lol) but also paid close enough attention to analyze "pay" from many angles. We all know trucking companies love throwing big numbers out there (up to 55 or 60c a mile! 5000 sign on bonus! Earn up to $70K or $80K per year! That kind of stuff)-- that's how they hook your attention. I've learned that many drivers, and I was once one of them, don't go beyond those "recruiting pitches" to dig deeper into seeing HOW a driver can arrive at those numbers--in other words, what all is involved, or said another way, how much work is involved, in reaching those numbers.

Here's a case example: company A pitched those numbers mentioned above to you; however, a/ their operating area is restricted to certain regions of the country, like say only east of I-29/I-49, it's all or mostly general commodities freight, meaning close to 70% of it if not more will require tarping, and the average length of haul may be only 450 miles. Now you may can get 2200 miles a week out of that--but look at how much work you're doing to get it, and that's without taking into account shipper/receiver wait times, traffic holdups, working "off the clock" (typical when parking at a customer overnight), that kind of stuff--and oh by the way, company A may or may not be micromanaging your load/unload appointments and fuel stops AND have a two-way camera stuck to your windshield while you're dealing with all that.

On the other hand, company B may offer a lower starting rate of base pay, say 48c/mile, may have a lower sign-on bonus or none at all--but because it's s smaller operation with an established customer base, that deals only with certain commodities most of the time, preload most of its outgoing freight and/or runs conestogas, averages, say, 1300 miles per trip, and oh by the way pays you for 34-hour resets away from home...see the difference? A little less base rate, but more maximized time efficiency, can actually earn you MORE money in end, as well as save wear and tear on your body. (And all of this is without even factoring into the equation company benefits or the type and setup of equipment you'll be operating.)

All of this is just my long-winded way of advocating this: it ain't just about the money (or at least, shouldn't be just about the money.) There's all kinds of other factors involved, some of which deal with the job and some of which deal with the person. We all know what many of those are, but let me also add one many may not think of, and I learned this one through experience:

How much is your peace of mind worth??

 

Well said Buc. Glad to hear you are doing well. This same company where as you know I work also just recently worked with me to allow me more home time. Yes I now have a bit less pay but I am home more often for my family which was much needed. Take care out there and hope to see you again sometime soon!

 

Ok......I am trying to see the problem here. That's just flat bedding. Those max height loads suck but you gotta do it. At least its lumber and that's an easy tarp job. You've gotta good gig and your only complaint is tarp pay? Just ask your company for 25 dollar tarp pay like the other companies pay. That should take care of your malcontent. I may need to call Central Oregon

 

I've been thinking about calling them, because i've talked to their drivers over the years, and none were really hating the place so much. and the way I look at the tarp pay, if you're over all net income is in line with other companies, than I think its just something that a driver has to bend over and take. because its hard to argue with numbers. i'm in the oil field now hauling crude, and i'm looking at taking a paycut just cause i'm sick of breathing the H2s, and am really really really sick of off pavement driving for 10-14 hours a day. I sware in a certain way i worked less as a OTR flatbed driver. or suffered less....................
tarping a few loads a week vs, 10-14 hours of getting the crap beat out of you by the road, and breathing in H2S, and being covered in dirt, mud and oil. the oil field makes up in duration what flatbed sometimes makes up in intensity.
i hate my job. money is here, but money isnt always worth it. cotc has that benefits package, and I hear because their also a brokerage that you never wait for loads.
you got cameras and their stupid tarping policy, but I cant find anyone really better that offers as much.
but i'm open to suggestions if any of you got them

 

I gotta buddy who works for P & S Transportation and loves it there. They travel all 48 and are located in Birmingham, AL. They pay percentage on their loads. They also have their own brokerage too, and a serious customer base. You ought to give them a call.

 

Ah, this reminds me of my old flat deck job. Great mileage rate, lots of miles, but horrible accessory pay and lots of unpaid wait times at shippers (average 3-6 hours). A guy could make a good sum of money ($80k CAD or more a year), but that would require always getting lucky with always having a reload setup on schedule or getting a pre-loaded trailer.

I gave liquid a shot for three months at another company, but didn't really enjoy it and am starting tomorrow for a new flat deck outfit that pays very, very well for work outside the truck (along with good mileage pay). $50 for every live load/unload, $50 for every tarp/untarp and even $25 for a smoke tarp. All additional picks and drops are paid as well.

So had I been stuck at Atlas Tube in Harrow, ON working for my old company, taking 6 hours to put a 60 foot load of steel tube on the trailer and tarp it, making $10/hr for the $60 flat rate for the whole shebang, at the new joint, that'll be almost $21/hr, a much fairer wage for the work done.

When I'm motivated, I can usually tarp a regular load between 45 and 60 minutes (full trailer of steel or lumber). I like tarping, I take pride in doing it well. But I want to be paid for the work I do. If it takes me 2 hours from the time I show up at a shipper to the time I'm leaving, fully tarped, my new company is promising to pay me $50/hr for that work. That's WELL worth my time.

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You've got to look into other opportunities. Complaining is fine, but you have to do your part to better your situation. Don't like to tarp? Find an equipment hauling outfit. Chances are, if you ever have to tarp, you are going to be paid handsomely for it, because it'll likely be a big job, but worth the money. And the rest of the time, you'll likely be throwing a few chains onto the deck, dragging them around and putting a small tarp over a windshield.

 

tarping doesn't really bother me, but every one has heard of central Oregon tarp company and their tarping policy. I'm just looking for a good Flatbed company because I want a place that is good enough to deal with. at this point, I think i may go with cotc just because they've already called. and dispite their tarping policy, I have talked to drivers before and they all just shrug their shoulders at it and still say that they're not really Unhappy. which is good enough for me. I just need to get out of the oil field. i feel like i'm in that bill murry movie "groundhog day" every day is the same thing, same place same truck, same paperwork, same roads, etc etc. its a funny lesson to learn that money isnt always worth it. and i'm sick of breathing H2s
but i'm still looking around P&S dont look so bad either, i think i'm really just going to pick something and run with it.