Going to Gary on June 13th!

lol you're not kidding. I've driven the company car to walmart alone. Gary is a craphole. Who has security posted at a walmart? lol

I'm hoping to be starting at Roehl again in June, got all approved, just have to figure out when. Maybe I'll end up there around then.

 

Hey let me know if Boe Cambron is working at Gary orientation, if he is ask him what running regional flatbed is like. He used to be on my fleet.

 

Yeah went out with a trainer was going to go van, they only had a flatbed trainer available. By the time I finished he pretty well had me brainwashed into flatbedding. I have trouble with the idea of pullIng vans now. lol. That was back in 2008, been working local for a few years and am going back out because times are rough just like everywhere. One thing good about pulling flats is if freight is slow flats can pull vans, but vans can't pull flats if their freight is slow.

If you've never done flat before, I will say it is dirty work sometimes, but you usually get to deliver at decent hours, none of this 11pm or 1am door times. Lots of job sites and the like daytime M-F deliveries typically.

 

On top of that there are less appointments and more first come first serve. If you want to be successful you'll do a proper trip plan and arrive early. Always call your customers and verify your appts times/windows and double check the directions. If something needs to be set get with your FM and make him do some work for a change. There may be times you need to break at your customers, call them in advance to see if they have facilities. Typically if you ask them first they'll take care of you, some will not but the more communication you have the better.

 

I only got maybe 3 late night delivery loads. honestly if you talk to dispatch and tell them thats not your normal hours. they could change the delivery time or see what they can do with it. Flat isnt worth all the bs when you can just close the doors and take off down the road in a van.


And that walmart sucks ### dont walk around with a cart when its busy they have no respect for anyone there and will just stand in the way of everyone not caring a single bit.

 

Yeah good point, I had forgotten that, I rarely had appointments and if you can arrive early most places will usually take you. Then you're ready to get your next load and get moving. Many times the time you are sitting at a shipper is only the time it takes you to strap or tarp. You don't have to wait for 30 pallets to be loaded, you get your 45,000 lbs of steel dropped on, strap it up, (tarp it if needed) roll out. You get paid for tarping and untarping as well.

I always liked hauling the roofing shingles, they were nice and low and heavy, most times didn't need tarped unless some goofbag consignee wanted it that way for some reason. Rebar is nice too, heavy and seems like you have an empty trailer when you look back.

 

Buy a truck GPS also. It will save your ###! I use a nuvi 465t it follows roehls routing almost 99% of the time.