reluctant about first job.

And I thought that stuff was just for holding headlights back on after you smash them a couple times you mean that's what flat bedders use to tie down their loads under those tarps

 

How much do you know about the position? Is it OTR, regional or local? Do they specialize in a particular type of flatbed load or do they go for any kind of load they can find?

The answers can make a difference.

I got a job doing flats with a small company when I was about 3 months out of school. When I got the job, I was told I'd get about two weeks of training. That's what I was told. What I got was an hour or so of watching some old videos and about 3 hours of riding with another driver to a couple of local stops where I got to watch him explain what he was doing as it he did it at about a million miles an hour (an effective teacher he was not). Then I was on the road in my own truck before lunch.

So I won't say it can't be done. But that was a local job and we did steel coils 98% of the time i.e. only one type of flatbed load. So once you learned to secure and tarp the coils, you while the securement varied from load to load, it was usually in the same ballpark most of the time.

All that being said, I don't know that is something I'd recommend to anyone. I got through it without any major issues but it was NOT easy. My first few months at that job were incredibly stressful. Even though we were doing the same type of load (steel coil) 98% of the time, they still come in all sorts of sizes and loading configurations (suicide, homicide, eye to the sky) and while the basic concept is the same for all of them, they each have their own quirks. And I had to teach myself how to deal with those quirks all the while knowing if I got it wrong, someone could get hurt. And it seemed like that happened at least once a day every day for the first several months. Like I said, stressful.

And that's just securement. Then there's tarps. And again, I more or less had to teach myself and pick up tips from other drivers who were gracious enough to educate me when I'd ask. And I still had to get back in the truck and learn all the ins and outs of driving the truck and every new driver has to learn once they get out on their own. Like I said, it was stressful. If I had been doing flats with a company that took any and all types of flat loads instead just specializing in steel, I'm pretty sure I would have quit from the stress.

Can you do it? If you're smart and careful, probably. Should you do it? I wouldn't recommend it.

 

So much validation for what has been going through my mind. Thank you all. I know for a fact they don't have the resources nor the will to properly train me and that just poses too many safety and professional risks.

It's one thing to be nervous about a new job but this is intellectually and logically a bad idea. My greatest concern is my zero experience with load security. Additionally, they want to put me in a nearly 20 year old rebuilt vehicle with a cat engine when my only experience thus far is 1 hour a night for 2 months in a newer model freightliner that drove like a charm. They gave me a wopping half hour to get a feel for a totally different machine and were then ready to put me on the road come monday.

It's just better for me to put myself in safe and professional hands.

 

funny i never went to a school got in a truck and went down the road ....hauled flats with everything imaginable for over 30 years and never had anything fall off

no amount if training will prepare you for every scenario

just a little common sense goes a long way .....

also did a lot of work for jrc .....what office ?

 

As another student looking for work I'd have to say I would pass on that one. Someone already said it but worse case scenario if you hurt someone you are in a heap of trouble. No amount of training can prepare you for every situation but that doesn't mean it is OK to go with no training at all.

That's my 2-cents.

 

Because he'll work for free!

 

I happened across something like this in South Dakota. Guy had six months experience with a van, then went to work for a small flatbed outfit with no flatbed training or experience. He didn't even know what his V-boards were for, how many straps the load required, etc. He had big plastic tubs of... I don't know what was in them, honestly. He had a load shift on I90, and lost one of the tubs.
You're right to be wary of this job. This could very easily be your situation, and the ramifications could be much worse. It could be a suicide coil or pipe. It doesn't even have to be either of those things - items improperly secured on a flatbed can very easily come off of that trailer. They could injure or kill somebody.
Pulling an open deck is not something to take lightly.
Don't let this be you.

 

That would be hilarious

See if you can get someone to video tape their response..

 

I know you would LOVE to jump out there and start turning and earning, but trust us when we say get with someone that is willing to train you.

I had zero of anything on my record. Attended a college accredited school and have a letter from the school identifying me as Top of Class with a final combined score of 98%. I have straight tank service, cargo, box, and stake bed experience. I also have every available endorsement and driving experience in the Navy. With everything I had to my benefit, I still had no idea how to be a trucker; I have an experienced trainer to thank for that knowledge. Do yourself a favor and find someone to train you.

Swift has a great training program if you can get on there. Swift may not be the choice of many once a driver is trained, but to get that training, I don't believe you can go wrong. Get on there and stay for 6 month or so.

I don't recommend you lease with them once you get to that point.