For. New driver best to start van or ok to try flatbed?

Thanks for all the info guys!! I'm glad I found this forum!!
le,
i thought I read somewhere but can't find it now. Do you get extra pay for tarpping?

You do, about $75/load. You get used to it, do it with some style, it isn't bad. Securement - don't let the stuff fall off.

 

Not all shippers pay extra for tarping. Unless the carrier receives tarp pay the driver is usually not paid extra. Some only pay about $10 and some more. Each carrier is different. Those who do pay extra often pay a lower rate for the linehaul in order to pay for tarping. There are some shippers who do pay extra for tarping. Some just consider the higher rate that they pay for a flatbed is enough. I think that any shipper who needs something tarped should be willing to pony up for the extra work. Most do pay extra for stops.

 

Name one company that won't pay a CPM company driver for tarping a load that needs to be tarped... I've never heard of one.

 

do the drivers have to purchase the tarps or are they issued to the drivers. I am clueless as to how this works.

 

its best to start out with van and reefer before going to flatbed because you get more experience, but I suggest a good company to work for is Schneider as a van team driver....solo drivers are expected to run between 2000 and 2500 miles per week making .29 cpm....while team drivers are expected to make 5000 miles and .32 per mile so...

solo- 2500x.29=$725
team-5000x.32=$1600/2=$800 each driver

plus as a team driver you always have someone to talk and hang out with, someone to help you, and someone to cover you

 

I would recommend the opposite.....a 48 foot flat with a dump valve is much easier to maneuver then a 53 foot van.

 

My first year at To Much Chrome, i averaged .48/mile and averaged 2700 a week. $1296/week for a newbie right out of school isnt bad. My trainees both make over a grand every week.

 

As someone who currently runs only flatbed (well, all stepdeck actually) and enjoys it I would recommend as a new driver to start dry van or reefer. Yes it pays less, but in your first year you won't make a lot of money ANYWHERE anyway, but you WILL get valuable driving experience. There is a LOT to flatbedding and doing it correctly. To add that to everything else you need to learn just about driving can be pretty overwhelming at times. Hell, even after 6 months driving experience, and training at Melton, load securement and tarping almost scared me off. Some of the crap you will have placed on your deck will have you standing there scratching your head for a good 30 minutes trying to figure out how to secure it.

The thing I hate to see is folks who simply want to run open-deck for the money. That's not what we are about (well, not just the money.) For most of us it's a pride thing and I don't mean that in a "we're better than everyone else" way. We love the challenge that is inherent in open-deck freight. If you are just in it for the money I'd say tanker is a better fit.

So my advice would be to ask yourself why you want to run flatbeds in the first place, then if you still want to do it get at least 6 months OTR experience with dry-vans/reefers first. Then you should be at least familiar with OTR life, driving, rudimentary load securement, etc, and would be well prepared to start learning how to flatbed.

 

Accessorials like tarping, detention, etc really vary by company. The one I am with now pays detention no matter what, as long as you call in at the 2 hour mark, whether the customer is by apt or 1C/1S, etc. I also get tarp pay ($35) whether the customer pays for it or not. Even if I just decide, out of the blue, that the load needs tarped. Course, that's within reason obviously. Being a smaller company they rely on drivers being honest and will give you the benefit of the doubt. Stop pay just for getting a can popped off after a customer unloads it. I even get hourly pay at the ports after 2 hours which, in Newark, happens almost every load unless you get in there early.