Reefer to Flatbed?

Your worst day sitting and looking at an empty flatbed will be better than your best day dragging a reefer. lol.
Good luck and hope you find what you are looking for.

 

Did reefer for 3.5 years, it’s too much extra hassle for not much extra if any extra $ at all for a company driver. Grocery warehouses are the worst, and that’s mostly what you deal with in reefer. There’s extra #### that can break down that you don’t worry about with a van or flatbed. Forklift drivers seem to have trouble not tearing up the reefer chute as well for whatever reason or they just do it on purpose.
And you have washouts before certain people will load you etc. More wasted, unpaid time and work.

Then you have the jerkoffs that get mad when you park next to them. I always used to try and park next to another reefer, but if I couldn’t or found a great parking spot, you bet your ### I was taking it. I always hated dealing with brokers too. To each their own, but I don’t ever plan on pulling a reefer again. Or sleeping in a truck again for that matter...

 

Every aspect of a persons life comes on some kind of a truck. when freight gets slow, I never noticed reefers running steady while I didn't sometimes a guy might need to change lanes.
I know at times they are in short supply and rates will go way up in certain areas, but they also crash when harvest is over., so it all comes out in the wash.

 

Preach On...I'll keep pulling my refer.

 

Pulling a reefer takes a lot of patience and a good attitude. The saying, " you can get more b's with honey, than vinegar" , comes to mind, especially when dealing with receivers. If you go in a whse with a bad attitude you're gonna sit awhile. You might be sitting awhile anyway, if they don't need the product or they don't have the room. I always tried to get some sleep,during wait times, but that was before the new HOS rules went into effect, on paper it always took me 15min to get unloaded,lol.

 

Reefer sucks for company drivers.
Many flatbed recivers are closed on weekends so if you can get home its great. Keep looking for the right fit for you.

 

Pulling reefer one gets conditiond to grab both cheeks and bend over any time the doors get opened. It's called Stockholm syndrome. Try to befriend your master...
#### that! I'd be in handcuffs if I had to do it all over again.

 

Hey dont be tellin all our secrets, lol.

Op, just for an idea flatbed will kick your ace the 1st week or 2 or longer depending on how physically fit you are.

Also good flatbed co's want prior flatbed experience, because they dont want small violations affecting their csa score. Personally I think someone with a willingness to learn is great to train because they can be taught the right way.

There are some good companies out there, Melton, TMC, System Transport are a few of the larger ones that will train you right and I have complimented more than several drivers on their securement and equipment with these companies.