Newbie please help, good starter companies.

@Mooseontheloose could you please elaborate on why flatbed training would be recommended for someone of the OP’s age, just curious.

 

A natural progression to some of the best money in trucking is good experience in flatbedding. Get the experience from training with the best flat bed companies early. If the 150 pound tarp isn’t placed on top of your load then you better have a darn good technique to manage it. I know it’s all in the technique and not the strength. Probably tougher than dealing with the tarps and tie downs is working in all weather conditions. But aside from the physical aspect (you’ll see guys in their 70’s) it’s the early entry into some real trucking. Invest in yourself now and reap the benefits earlier in step deck, stretch, heavy haul, specialized. The sooner you learn these types of specialized trucking the more options you’ll have later. I would also recommend tankers as they pay well too

 

When you are 22 doing the pain in the ### work of flatbed won’t be a big deal at all. You will love it and love the pay.

 

Review the message that Chinatown sent. If you don’t care about driving fast Prime is a good option (You’ll find out when you hit the road) Roehl is one of the higher rated companies for new drivers, maybe, maybe not, all depends on your trainer. Chinatown should be your best friend. I would keep picking his brain.

 

I just saw a thread titled: Deciding between Roehl and Swift Flatbed. You might find it interesting. It looked like a lot of personal experience.

 

Every thread with “Swift” in the title is interesting!

 

Go with Melton. They have good safety training and their equipment is top notch. They hire in AZ. They have negatives like most companies but they can get you started in flatbed.