Dry Van vs Reefer vs Flat Bed

Started out with reefer. Loads are always, and I mean ALWAYS heavy. I was always in the 79500+ range. You have to really know your truck. Its not just open the back doors and load. Because the weight, you have to fuel up carefully and plan your fuel stops around the weigh stations.

Second, if youre going to pull reefer in a company truck, you want 500 HP and a 10 speed minimum. The truck has to be able to pull.

The thing I hated was the grocery warehouses. Ive had to sit and wait to be unloaded for 48 hours...even with an appointment. Lumpers, unions...plain bull.

I flatbedded for many years. Yea, its tough physically, but I enjoy it. You can only load and unload in the daytime, so I normally drive at night and sleep in the daytime. Money is great if you can manage your time.

Flatbedding is also the entry level to heavyhauling. To be able to haul just about anything that can be loaded and deliver it safely is a skill.

 

The question you ask is a market to market question...For example St Louis may have 310 van or reefer loads 200 may be van loads there may only be 150 vans in the area, and only 75 reefers which causes the brokers to raise the rate on van freight...At the same time there may be 200 flats in the area for 100 loads which lowers their rate...So it's a market to market question...More importantly where do you wanna run?

 

I prefer reefers. The newer reefers are much quieter than they were 5 or 10 years ago. Normal load and unload for me is 2 hours. Worse loading experince for me was a d&h at Anhuaser-Busch. Load wasn't even ready when I got there and 15 hours later finally did get out of there. It was a nearly perfect load. It was going from the Bud plant in No. Hollywood Ca., to Yuma Az. I know many will say Yuma bites and I agree, but this load went by the house. If it was ready I would've had time to spend the night at the house. Needless to say I wasn't a happy trucker.

 

I own both a flat and a van...Right now I am pulling my van...With most of the mills down the rates on flats is worse than van freight...But it really makes little difference to me, it's all about the money...

 

Flat bed gets my vote. careful with those binders, they hurt when they snap back at ya.