Flatbeds...skateboards...why?

Oh yeah, the chicks say, "Hey ol buzzard want to meet my grandma"?

 

And you really won't see them hauling cars.
Most of my career has been as a flatbedder (with a lot of dropdeck involved) and I loved it. I've also done a substantial bit of car hauling and that's what I'm going back to. Of course, if that falls through, I have a douledrop with my name on it waiting for me. Yes, they both can be miserable in inclement weather, but I wouldn't trade either of those for a job dragging a trailer with doors on the back and especially one with a fuel tank and engine hanging off of it. Did that in a moment of weakness.

 

I draw the line with I will not pull a trailer I have to pay someone to unload the product they ordered.

I don't think I've ever seen a fat guy hauling cars. Would be hard to squeeze in them at 400#.

 

Flatbedding feeds my ADD... Every day is different, and every load is different, so it keeps my attention for longer than 30 minutes...

Flatbedding feeds my OCD... Every load has to be PERFECT...every time....no matter what.

Flatbedding feeds my inner "Control Freak"... The product must be loaded exactly how I like it, or they do it over.

There are no shortcuts in flatbedding, that will get you and somebody else hurt, or killed. Oh, and I kinda like it.

 

I would want to pay someone more to carry a five foot tall, 48thousand pound coil for me than someone that has a load of clothes. Sipmly put, I feel as if flat bed is more dangerous. No, I don't enjoy the high winds and freezing temperatures. (like when you pull a tarp off a load of lumber and the tarp maintains the same box shape on the ground as it did on the trailer) lol. Then there are the times when its nice to be outside in the 70 degree sunshine. Flat bed can be alot more dirtier, but more rewarding. I have pulled both flat and dry box, when it comes to live loads, more times than not, you can get loaded/unloaded alot faster with a flat. There are a few exceptions. I have found that some places that I have gone to, the workers are willing to help untarp/tarp, strap/unstrap etc, which I believe is because most of those places, the people there are already used to "working", not just riding around on a forklift inside a building. Never had to load/or unload the actual frieght, and I have never heard of having to pay a lumper either. The best part, you don't have to worry about a load of flat steel scraping an overpass..lol

 

I'd rather spend time securing a load than waiting for some guy to unload me when he feels like it or have a bunch of other trucks in front of me waiting.

 

Flatbedding is a way of life. I've also dun both n needless to say, the other only lasted for five months. With this job is something "new" everyday. The respect between flatbedders is way higher than that of vans. We help each other out all the time. Someone we don't know m may never see again. I'll sit here and say it all day, Van drivers r lazy. N the one who aren't are very few n far between.

Also, we do it with straps n chains. Some chicks dig that, other r scared, n the rest r curious.

 

Today, I started my "skateboard" career with an outfit that hauls crushed cars in No. Cal. Yes, its dirty, and dangerous. You need to use common sense, and double check your securement.

As far as picking up chicks....... unless you want the billy goat with the dragon breath chicks. lol

As far as pay it varies, steel coils, lumber, machinery, etc.......

Here is my first load......

 

everyone fussing about the heat.....I think flatbeddin' in the winter sucks quite a bit more. I'd love to see a door swinger fold/roll a couple of 8' drop tarps in a snow covered lot at 5AM on a -30* morning.

flat's WILL separate the men from the boy's in a hurry.