"Do not ever drive flatbed"

Yeah thats what i meant.. I read bad reviews on it but I'm trying to be optimistic.. I cant sleep if im hot at night. The owner swears it'll last all night and his other drivers never complained about it.

 

You mean his other drivers that aren’t there anymore?

Thats called a clue.

 

Yeah, i know! I'm just trying to get my feet wet here. I don't want to work for a mega carrier. This guy is 20min away. He has bought me all new equipment for the truck. The only thing i dont like is the epu. he said i can idle if i need but he doesnt want me to because it wear out the engine.

I am on paid leave with my govt job so i have a month to keep my feet wet and if i dont like it i can go back

 

I like flatbed, like the Drivers above, have did it for some time. Actually, enjoy strapping loads and making them secure. Downside? Tarping on a windy -20 morning, but like everything, the Smart Drivers showed me some tricks and things became easier. For me it was better than handbalming 60 lb. boxes of frozen Cod.

 

I work at the po so i sit 6hrs a day and feel like im 80 when im 40. I want some physical activity!!!!!

I also want to learn flatbed, and eventually buy my own rig! This is the best way to learn and i'm close to my house. I was thinking of going to TMC but i dont wanna be stuck in a truck with some guy i dont know!

The owner is gonna have me and another driver both meet and get loads together and he show me how to secure the loads. I'm really excited to learn flatbed. I know it will suck at times! I am keeping a positive attitude. I'm just gonna learn and get experience and then i can goto a better company with a APU or convince this guy to add a apu haha

I like to cook and make coffee in the morning and it seems like i wont have any power to do that. I refuse to eat junk food again. Seems like i might be forced to keep a cooler of ice.

 

You’ll be fine. I was just busting your chops. If you can idle on super hot nights you’ll be fine. You should be able to run a coffee pot with the truck running no problem. We all got to start somewhere?

 

Yes sir!! Least if this doesnt work out im 20mins from home and not 1000 and have no car.

The owner has done everything i asked him to for the truck. He bought me new tarps, straps and is having a driver in another truck show me how to secure a load properly while we both get loads. I cannot complain! I'm excited! Maybe if i do well he will get me a apu or buy another long nose and let me drive it!! Thanks!

 

Our company trucks are T680's with the epu. Your fridge runs off the batteries, but thats what the epu is, just a separate bank of batteries. They work fine. When its dead of summer, you can cool off the cab with the regular hvac and then the epu will switch on after you shut the truck off. Keeping the curtains closed helps keep it cooler. When the system senses the batteries getting down below 12V it will kick the engine on to charge them.

Lumber is tricky. Out a 4x4x8 piece of lumber (dunnage) under the very front of the load amd one at the very back. From the side, the load will have a slight V in it, this keeps it from moving forward and backwards. Yes that #### moves no matter how tight you have it.

Also if it's dimensional lumber, its almost always 48ft long. I use 14-15 straps for it just so it keeps the stuff from shifting.

Another protip, lumber mills dont always scale you, so if they ask your empty weight tell them 32k at least (get your truck/trailer weighed so you know your empty weight). This always keeps me way under gross when leaving those places and lighter weight means less fuel burned.

 

Well the employee complained about riding it and holding the brakes, but I told him company policy does not allow passengers in the cab.

 

Ok thanks. Will do that tomorrow. I'll leave extra early to hit that cat scale. I'm excited!

Should i do a X securement on the front and rear, or just front?