Swift Flatbed Division... ?!

Oh yes, there's a swagger with a flatbedder that can't be emulated with flip flops.

 

It gets in your blood quick, and i mean quick. Theres a certin point, when the switch flips, you will actually know it, its like all of a sudden, "yup. This is me, im a flatbeder. "

 

There will be grate weeks and not so great weeks. Try to establish savings to tide you over for low mile weeks.

It may be they are trying to keep you on a short leash to make sure you get in securement training. Ask the planners if they have any local loads that need to be covered. It's a good way to make money if you are stuck at a terminal that doesn't have much outbound freight, and the planners remember that and tend to reward you with good long hauls after you helped them out.

I don't know if securement training is paid, it wasn't when I was pondering switching to flatbed when I was with Swift. But I have heard that has changed. Ask your DM.

 

Hang in thee you need to get your time in.

 

Well it's not any better over here. 2 weeks ago my truck was due for service. It ran out of miles 3 weeks ago. Had to sit at a terminal for 3 days before I got a loner. Returned it this past Wednesday afternoon and sat till Friday morning because they had to service the trailer I had. All this due to poor planning from the higher ups. Nothing you or I can do about it! As long as they have the freight covered they will not care about us.

 

RedRover, if your "mentor" didn't clue you in, pay attention to the "bubble map" when you are at terminals. It's a flat screen map of the USA with green and red bubbles. Green bubbles mean there are more loads available than trucks to haul them. Red bubbles mean there are more trucks available than loads to haul.

The bubble map likely applies only to van loads. But as long as you are pulling a trailer with doors pay attention.

When you get to Platinum status you can request up to three load offers and choose from them. Try to get to areas with green bubbles. It changes by the minute. Sometimes the southeast is nothing but red bubbles and sometimes it's nothing but green bubbles.

Flatbed at Swift does their own thing and run different lanes. I never met a Swift flatbed driver that claimed to be running anything less than 2800 miles a week, most were north of 3000.