Newbie Flatbedder needs advice!

Getting hard to find anything over 2.00 a mile with a flat, unless you have a contract.
Not a good time for them.
Rates use to be Dry van lowest, then Reefer, then flat, then tanker.
Though oversize flat paid better than tank.
Now the big guys have driven the flat rates lower than the dry van rates in most parts of the country. Which is insane. Considering the amount of extra work involved and the added danger.
I mean, the cheapest loads we use to haul were Mulch and wood pellets out of Maine.
Those were brokered loads and paid 2.00 a mile, this was this last spring.
They may still be paying that now, but I doubt it. Since if you end up in Maine on a flat there are only 3 products you can haul out from brokers.
Lumber, Wood Pellets, Mulch.
You really do not want to take a load out west or to Texas. The rates there are around 1.00 a mile, and you will be lucky to find that.

 

Go to truckertwotimes.com and listen to his podcasts when he tried flatbed. And he is an experienced driver and was driving for a decent small company home every week.

 

Better watch it,, some of the prime 2 steppers will be dancing all over your posts...

 

I had one telling me I needed to post useful info. Wanted to know if I had actual exp or knew somone's cousins cousin, but of course this is a less than a year driver with them. I got more stick time in reverse than they do forward. I am so sick of some of these know it all no timers that one of these days I am gonna get a time out when I reply back...

 

I will give your skateboard pullin rear a time out.
Hey, that truck aint Burgandy...

 

All I've ever done is flat... Company & O/O. I seem to be doing better then a buddy of mine right now who alternates between Van's & Reefers...

But keep telling people this & scare them away... PLEASE! That way I will have more freight to haul!

I did just that & only have one answer! Flatbedding ain't for sissies!!! You have to actually get out of your truck & actually have to use some energy to properly pull a flatbed....

 

That is why I said it is a totally different brand of trucking.
The only thing that is the same with flat and box is that you will be driving a tractor.
Things that people going into flatbed need to know.
-you will get dirty
-you will have to work (hard)
-you are responsible for how the product is loaded on your truck.
-you will get wet
-you will get hot/ cold
-if the load needs to be tarped, you will be tarping it, rain or snow or sleet or shine..maybe add wind lol
-you may or may not make any more money than in other types of trucking for this work. Rates are tanked more here than the others. There is opportunity to make allot more money though.
-some tarps weigh over 100 lbs. You will have to put them on top of the load. You will have to roll them after use.

Now some good things about flat
-a good chance to make more money
-more respect from shippers/ receivers (on average)
-no grocery warehouses.
-You get allot of exercise
-you can get into oversize hauling and run with the big dogs
-more respect from other drivers (unless with a driver mill company)
-most company's will have you home weekly. You will need this for restarts. You will use allot of on-duty time in loading, unloading, and tarping. Not uncommon to use your 70 in 5 days and need that reset.
-you will have fun figuring out how to secure loads. There are so many things that go on the truck. You will be taught basics. Then you have to learn how to apply those basics to hold anything onto your truck.

How is that for a basic list lol.
I really liked Flatbed.
I will go back to it eventually. Just need to get past these slow times and see who is still standing. And need to wait for rates to go back up. Many flatbed company's pay % of load. This is not a good time to take this type of pay.
The big boys will pay 25-30%, the smaller company's will pay around 20%. You will normally make more money with the 20% company though, since they are hauling better freight. Small company's do not take low paying freight like the big boys.
Also oversize pays very well in many areas. If the small company has the contracts for it you can plan on getting some really good money on those.