Question for Flatbedders

Yep...I'm interested in a professional opinion from the officials.

Gotta hit the sack for now though...Thanks for the interesting discussion.

 

This was a sudden stop!!! But my plates never moved!!!

Lost a $800.00 tire though... Actually 2 $800.00 tires. Had that one fixed sitting on 285... Then a couple hours later the front axle blew out & I sat in Columbia waiting on a service truck to come to the flying J

 

How'd that one happen? They come shooting off the entrance ramp?

 

No...

Actually was at the tail end of a backup... I was stopped. The pickup behind me was stopped. And that car was stopped behind the pickup behind me. I looked in the mirror & saw another pickup moving at possibly 80 mph (guessing the speed) coming up behind us. I knew he wasn't stopping... I started rolling with the hopes I could change lanes (my left lane was open at the time) but I just couldn't move fast enough...

The car got rear ended by that 80 mph pickup... Then she went into the pickup behind me... I was moving, but not real fast... So that pickup that was behind me swerved into the left lane to keep from hitting me & the car went flying onto the shoulder... I'm still moving now & watching the right mirror and chanting stay over there... stay over there... stay over there... But she didn't listen & and came back up under my trailer.

I'm glad I was watching my mirrors & saw everything happening... If not I would of not of tried to move & change lanes & she would have come back into my tractor right at the fuel tank!

I normally never carried my digital camera with me... I had a feeling when I left the house that it would be a slow week & I'd have some extra time on my hands... So I grabbed my camera & all that hobby photography stuff to give me something to do. I now carry it with me every time I leave!

 

red ,keep that camra with you!!! take pics of all your loads and stuff,so if you get stoped and or an accident like that for insurance purpouses to cover your but are a vidio camras , some one once told me a picture is worth a thousand words exspeacialy in a court room

 

Maverick had something happen that a camera caught. Woman switched lanes and said she didn't. Said she did not intend to switch lanes, but a pic of her car showed the turn signal on.

 

I have never pulled any thing other than a flatbed. I would not know how to slide an axle if you paid me to do it. Flatbedding is not for the weak, or the lazy. The best benefit I get outta flat bedding, is mainly the exercise. Your shippers are usually only open between 7 am and 5 or 6 pm. so there is never a 3 am appt. Most of my backing comes at truck stops, not customers. You just pull in, and they load you from the sides, and the same with the offload. If your considering making the switch to the skateboard, my only advice is to be prepared for anything.

 

Where in the heck are you loading and unloading at? I hit tighter docks and spots with a spread than when I pulled a box.

 

I got some of that running for Arrow, 3 am load times and all (appt at 9pm, lazy union shop.) Running for this company I've bumped 3 docks in two months. I load out of sawmills and jobsites and deliver to landscaping companies and feed mills. I may not get into many docks but when I say something about being way off in the woods I'm not making it up. I'll have to go down one lane dirt/gravel trails while pushing overhanging trees out of the way to get to some of these places.