Newbie Needs Flatbed Advice

unfortunately Mike when that statement comes from someone just starting out or only has a couple of years under their belt it is disrespectful.
just saying

 

Yea I did not last two long! I was surprised I lasted six months. I remember a few loads where in a huge construction site full of mud and one time I fell face first into the mud. What a hell of a day!!

Never forget that!

 

I get $25 per stop for tarping. $25 an hour works for me.

 

What's really fun is loading and tarping in the rain and then unloading in below freezing weather. So much for rolling the tarps. It's like folding really stiff cardboard. Or the opposite. Always fun when you are untarping and the 10 gallons of water that was sitting in a pocket, somewhere on top, comes splashing down on top of you.

Still wouldn't trade a flatbed for anything with doors.

 

Ironic coming from a door slammer.

It is a fact. It wasn't directed at anybody in particular, but you know as well as I do that 90% of dry van drivers CAN'T cut it. People are lazy.

It doesn't matter how long I have been driving, I can make a statement of fact without having to be 50 years old.

 

Amen.

 

dude you just don't get it ....you always got the answer...just like when you were in school asking for advice and when it was given you didn't like it......

have fun with it, seriously....some people like pulling flats more power to them, I like pulling a reefer unit, from your attitude on this forum I know you couldn't handle that.....whatever kid ....you're not really worth the time to argue with....you'll grow up someday

 

"-Having to lift 50-125lb tarps. Not just to and from the headache rack, but up and over up to a 13'6" load."

I don't think I ever pushed/carried a tarp up a ladder to the top of a 13' 6" load in the 2 1/2 yrs of skateboardin' I did. Shippers will set your tarps up on the load. They are usually 'cool'. My tarps were in side boxes, too, not up on a rack behind sleeper. Makes a big difference. I'd change any rack mount to side box, fwiw.
Hey, flatbeddin' ain't for everybody, especially fat boys that are out of shape!!! There is some serious aerobic activity which is often about 2 hrs worth on a somewhat difficult tarp job. Not all loads are tarped tho. 90% at melton, imo . Or more. Pay isn't so great at tarping, either.
I like looking back in the mirror and often seeing the end of the trailer, with a flatbed. Can't do that w/53' van. I got empty in Austin at a hardwood floor store. Was doing my final paperwork after I secured everything and it ended up about 4 minutes. I at first thought I was 'ready to roll', but took a few minutes more. I normally do NOT roll, without doing a walkaround immediately before rolling and this is where I almost got into trouble. I released the brakes to go, and had to back out of that store drive,,,and all looked ok,,BUT at the last moment I noticed something about as wide as the trailer, and black colored,,,looked like it was right on the end of the trl, just a couple inches high. I thought 'what the hell is that on the of my trailer'?!
Got out to look and the 'black thing' was the 'soft-top' of a real nice BMW that had pulled up within about 4' off my rear bumper. No foolin'. He wasn't there 4 minutes before, and you should have seen the look on his face as he came out of that store when he heard me release the brakes!! It was priceless. I about 'ate it' tho,,,and was very, very grateful I saw the top of his convertable. It woulda been my fault; you can't back into people no matter how stupid they are.
That avatar of mine; 2 crates of glass, and I'm at the Rest Area at Bonneville Salt flats,,,ready for another 'record run'.

 

I usually am at places like Alcoa, Nucor, US Steel getting within 1000 lbs of max...and they don't give a #### how you get your tarp up, but they certainly aren't going to do it. I feel lucky when I get loaded with a forklift. I usually get loaded with a magnet or a crane.

 

i also never have to put the tarps on top of the load... the shippers always put them up... they don't want you hurt either...

i will say tarping in the rain is the worst even worse than snow or sub 0 temps