Tarping sucks!

#### I just find them on the side of the road in my pickup. Last time I forgot how heavy they are. I couldn't imagine throwing something that heavy on a 8' tall load on an ice rink in freezing rain. Now I remember why I left flatbeding.

 

Four trucking companies later and still haven't found anyone who truly appreciated it. Always "what have you done for me lately?".

 

Judging by the negative tone of your posts I'm not surprised.

You pull a reefer and you dig up an old thread complaining about tarping????

Oh boy.......

 

I enjoyed my time flatbedding. And like I've said many times, I'd go back to it if the right opportunity came to me.

I can see where @Dominick253 is coming from to a point as far as company drivers go. But at a certain point you have to decide how much money you're willing to leave on the table because you don't want to change a light yourself. I was lucky, I worked for a small company that appreciated what the drivers did. I've never been in the position of not getting reimbursed when they said I would. We took care of things during the week and got taken care of when we came in for the weekend. Like @MJ1657 said, there are good companies out there. Most aren't hiring or have a waiting list of guys wanting to work there.

Now that I'm an o/o hauling livestock there are many things I do that you would consider "for free" because it's part of the job. If I can't get to a washout I have to scoop or broom my trailer out "for free" so it's clean for the next load. And when it's frozen I have to chip it out "for free". It's part of the job. You couldn't pay me enough to swing doors and bump docks, I'd chip out a frozen trailer any day of the week before I'd go to a grocery warehouse. It takes all of us to make the world go around. No need hating on other sectors because there's things you won't do.

 

Why work for someone for less than what you feel you are worth?

You make your deal coming in the door. If you are not earning what you want... then you only have yourself to blame.

Hurst

 

With a company driver mentality like what you are showing.. I doubt you will ever be anything else.

I got ahead in the industry by showing fortitude, integrity and a willingness to do what the other guys whine about or wont.

I would never risk a bad inspection over a few dollars for some bulbs and the few mins if took to fix it myself. I never waited until my truck needed service to report it.

Then I never worked for a meg... only O/O's. The last thing an O/O needs is to babysit and hold a drivers hand. If my truck needed something, I took it where I felt it woukd be best serviced or if I could handle it myself.. I fixed it myself and turned in the reciepts. Never an issue.

Thats the difference between a micromanaged mega driver and an old school driver who does not need his hand held.

Hurst

 

I think he has an interest in the money side of flatbed.. but not sure if the extra work involved is worth it to him.

Hurst

 

I did what you're talking about for eight years until I figured out that you're better off just doing your job and let the Mechanic do his. I've changed clutches in trucks and had the dispatcher get mad because I took to long to change clothes and wash up to take a load. Bosses love workers who do what they're told so that's what I do now. In my personal business experience I always go above and beyond because it pays! I plow snow when things are slow and I go all out and so the best job possible. My customers always come back even if there's a cheaper alternative. If you don't give an employee an incentive to do anything more then they will do their job and that's it. Which is what this post is about. People being told to tarp a load and not getting enough money out of it. That being said I could always learn something new so I try to keep an open mind.

 

Some one else here said this.. so I can not take credit for it. But its so true I wish everyone would understand what it really means.

"Money does not make a good driver".
"A good driver makes money".

Thats trucking at its heart.

Hurst

 

If it takes someone more than 30 minutes to tarp, or untarp at any time. They better go find a van. refrigerated trailer to pull. There are many tricks to learning to tarp quickly.