Flatbed Winter Freight

Most times if you ask the forklift driver, they will place your tarp(s) on top of the load for you.

Eventually, you'll have a system to how you secure your load and tarp to minimize getting on/off your trailer and walking around the trailer more then needed. You'll get into flatbed shape, if you give yourself time.

I've never worked for Prime but most/all big companies have contracts or direct customers, so keeping busy in the winter isn't that difficult.

Building supplies (bricks and sticks) slow down in the winter (they pay the least) but there's a million other things you can put on a flatbed.

 

I've seen flatbed companies indicate their physical tests require you to lift 100 pounds 6 feet in the air. Some require less, some more. Go to YouTube and watch a channel put up by Dale Clay. He is former Air Force, and documented virtually every step from arriving for orientation at Maverick Transportation until truck assignment and getting loads. Maverick's orientation/testing/training SEEMS to be more thorough & strict, but I'm just hauling dry vans so I'm no expert.

 

You will only notice the slowdown when trying to go somewhere specific. Last winter was "slow". I sat for half a day twice waiting for a load and still got paid layover. They can keep you moving.

 

Primes tarps are pretty light and most of the time they will be strapped to the top of the headache rack or the trailer. more often then not you will be using the steel tarps I was flatbed there for about 6 months and used my 8ft drops like twice. they have freight during the winter but if your lease you will starve, at least I did I kept moving but the rates were terrible.

 

OP Tarping is not that hard, Gravity helps a lot, once your tarps are on top of the load. I'm older than you and, most times, put the tarps up myself.
I only tarp 10 loads a year, maybe. Usually multiple tarp oversize loads. Not your shoebox plywood loads, them are easy.
Forklift drops your tarp on top of load and you roll it out and kick it over the side. When you deliver, gravity pulls them down for you, all you do is fold and roll.
If you tarp every day , my thoughts, you will have the routine down in a couple days, a week at the most.
Good luck.

 

Everyone says taping is not hard til you wake up in buffalo ny and tarps are frozen solid, it's raining ice, now it's time to unstrap those frozen blocks of tarps, hands will freeze, feet will freeze and now it's time to roll them up.. The real trucker come out then

 

Most of my tarp loads either are loaded and delivered to warm weather areas or indoors.
Before I accept a tarp load, I research the weather forecast for the trip. Since I prefer not to accept tarp loads unless the pay includes a fair tarp pay. Most loads that have a fair tarp pay also have a protected area to tarp and untarp.

truckerlife, the picture you paint for untarping is worse if you are trying to tarp.
Good luck.

 

I know I just remember those days when my manhood got tested and wanted to quit on the spot, all I can thank about was rocky in the movie never quit, always got knockdown and got back up

 

So ice makes the weight of primes tarps like the weight of a normal tarp. Freaking 60 lb tarps....