New driver here - flatbed question

When I was in the wind game around 2004 or so I just stayed in hotels. I kept my same two girls and we would just split a room between the three of us. My truck was heavy as hell. When I went into the sites I would drop my stinger and pin the axles the drop my jeep and go in on 8 axles. That was in NY. I actually watched a guy completely destroy and collapse a brand new like 0 hour 888 on site.

Edit: so are you officially out of the wind game now?

 

no not out of the wind game - I have a brand new almost 300k tower trailer. I just don’t have steady work for it at the moment. Hopefully things pick up next year. I am in for the long haul.

when I am running wind, I do the same and go to the hotel every or nearly every night.

when I am running little
Trailers like the one I just bought - I rarely have pilot cars - so hotels are more if a pain than anything.
Parking or off route shoots that in the foot.

here is my wind set up

 

These are strange times brother. I don't think they are going to end anytime soon either, unfortunately. When I was in the game, we hauled the heads, blades and hubs. The Canadians always hauled the towers. That looks like a nice setup. The setup the Canadians had was like your front section, but on both sides. It would bolt to the tower if I remember right. They were all French Canadians, so I didn't talk to them much, can't stand those ####ers.

 

I don't think you have enough axles Ron.

 

I have the neck extension to add a jeep for 3 more axles….

one can never have enough axles like money

 

I tried to tell my boss that this week and they said “Fine! Here’s a nine axle load!” Freaking jerks.

 

########!

may least you were short and no pilot car needed

 

Ha I remember when we use to have to load the trailers and push the freight down a dusty trail to the next town.

 

I don't know that tarping is the worst thing you can do for your back I have pre existing shoulder problems and tarping probably made them better not worse. But I have Cordura tarps for the light weight and I spend more time fixing the tears than if I had heavy vinyl. It's fine by me because I like to be able to carry a tarp if need be.
As far as driving and the various niches, you probably won't know what you want until you try 1 or more. I detest reefer because I feel absolutely tortured having to do so much 2am unloading etc. I'd much prefer tarping in a blizzard to midnight backing into a food warehouse against the blinding bank of lights and all the trucks moving around at the same time. Beyond stressful for me. Flatbed I have few set schedules, few after hours at work, I feel physically tired more than bored and depressed like the reefer life.
But if you're happy to play video games while the lumpers have a rave party in your truck then go for it.
Sitting for hours is hard on a spine, as is gaining weight so those 2 adversaries should factor into your decision.

 

It's funny, my boss and I were joking the other day about how flatbed drivers are so stubborn and never want to do anything but flatbed. We are hiring a roll-off driver to deliver job boxes, which is probably the easiest job ever, but nobody wants to do it. I don't know why but flatbedding is my passion and is just what I was meant to do.

Other people may think we are all nuts... and maybe we are LOL.