Starting out flat bedding?

With almost 99% certainty every load that I every received that was a pre-load or pretarp had to be resecured and the thought process has to be are you willing to trust your life with someone elses work?? One things for sure flatbedders are a little anal about things which tends to make them safer (the successful ones at least-lol!) so personally I would always double check anything I didn't have my fingerprint on. Good luck and be safe!!

 

Just how much "redo" is required on a load of lumber,shingles or wall board ?
They use the correct edge protectors and number of straps per DOT.

Must be another one of those mystical worlds where the norm isn't the norm
and everything warrants a complaint and nobody knows any different.
Get more experience and get a job that doesn't handle junk flatbed freight,then
that mystical world goes away . . . . .

 

I have 30+ open deck drivers that would never go back to pulling a van. We don't hire drivers with less than 100K miles, but we will train someone to be a "flatbedder." Usually means staying close to home on hand picked loads and gradually expanding what they do.

I don't see any problem starting with flatbed, as long as you view tarp and securement as its own job. Don't rush through just to get on the road. The learning curve on tarp and securement doesn't change with the amount of time you spend behind the wheel. I have van drivers with 20+ years exp I wouldn't train to be an open deck driver. I also have guys with 1 year experience to pick it up quick. Tarp and securement has nothing to do with driving...you just have to be able to do both to be a flatbedder.

You will learn quickly whether it is for you or not.

 

The day you find those $3.50 per mile loads of lumber, shingles or dry rock or hell for the sake of it brick, that pays that mystical rate EVERY TIME, EVERY WEEK, you be sure to let us know. I'm sure alot of us "mystical" flat bedders will help you out with that freight?

Exactly what is mystical freight for a flatbed anyways? I've hauled equipment valued at $500,000 or more per load for $1.90 a mile before, then turn around and haul onions for $2.60 a mile. You must be into that gravy that no one knows about since all the other flat bedders out here are hauling never ending unicorns!!!

 

OH, I forgot to ask this.... If DOT says that coil won't fall off your trailer, but it does fall off your trailer.......who was wrong, DOT or YOU (the driver)??

 

While I will agree that building materials tend to move cheap, there is plenty of expensive goods that move for less that what they should. It is all about finding/partnering with a shipper that is willing to pay for great service. We deal with a very large shipper that treats transportation like a commodity. Price is the number one concern. I also have a customer that manufactures equipment that captures and cleans methane gas. They would prefer their $500K+ loads to be on my trucks, and are willing to pay a fair rate for the services they require.

 

Haven't hauled coils in 20+ years,they rate right up there with lumber and wallboard. That is Company Driver freight,low ball broker kissing freight.
Longevity and consistency is what draws the premium rate,as already mentioned customers pay when their needs are meet.

My minimum is $2 on an open deck(drop/flat) RGN is a world where money gets made and $3 wont even get the phone answered here.

 

Yep coils are the cheap freight that these super companies seem to surround themselves with....

And that is why I just pulled a load of coils grossing $4667 for 1400 miles.

 

There is no one commodity that is always cheap. Building materials tend to move cheaper, but I have had people pay up to move brick or lumber when it needs to get there. One of the reasons we haul steel (coils included) is because it often pays better than specialized freight. If I send an RGN to the East Coast it is likely it will have a load of steel on it at some point in the week. We also prefer very specific lanes and low deadhead. You can chase the $3/mi RGN freight all you want, but if you have a 500 mi deadhead to take $3 mi freight to an area that isn't great, did you gain anything? We would rather run less empty miles, grab the steel load for 2.25/mi, and get back to a good area...where we are going to have the $3+/mi RGN freight. I like consistency...good checks every week for every truck.

REDD--Midwest to the West on the coils?

 

WV to CO

Then I came out of CO with $2 per mile