The Truckers’ Report flatbed Hall of Shame.

Yea. I just didn’t take my time doing it like I should have. I was hungry and it was like 106 degrees inside of the warehouse they made me load in. They stood over me while I secured it and then stood back and watched me struggle to get it tarped. Can’t really tell from the pictures but these ####ers spin around on the base that they stand on, hence the straps wrapped around there. When the guy was telling me how other guys load it, he basically said they throw a couple chains on it and throw a strap over the center of each one once they are tarped. They are about 16-17k each, and my scrawny ### could spin them by hand, though I had to give them a good push to maneuver them. In my estimating, that’s a big hazard having that much weight able to spin freely on the deck. So I wrapped them. And like a #######, I didn’t slide any winches down to throw a few extra straps over the tarp. By that point I was about to pass out anyway and I’d already downed a gallon of water. I threw some bungees on it and rolled. And the wind promptly caught it and broke a lot of bungees one by one. So I broke out the shock cord, which being in a hurry, I didn’t pull as tight as I normally would. Been fighting with it all the way from Kentucky to Iowa now. Still haven’t told my company about the tarp. I’ll wait until Monday sometime before I deliver. That way they know to get me back to the yard for new tarps. #### sure not using 9 foot drops on every load. I don’t want to use them on loads that need them lol

 

Get a bowl, fill it with water. Dunk your shirt in it, then put it back on before tarping. 100+ degree temps get much more comfortable.

 

find a good cotton boonie hat and wet it down too
between the two I have found that I can work an extra 1/2 hour outside in 100 degree heat and 85% humidity. take many cool off breaks.

 

I wish they would've loaded them this way when I picked up the new Kubotas over there south of KCK. It would've been a lot of fun to watch.

 

Better yet, get a job where you never tarp. I just left a flatbed job where I hauled steel for almost a year for a manufacturer, and the company didn't even own tarps. In fact, it's on my 'never' list: never tarping again.

I should've made that rule when I had the worst load ever from St. Louis to Montana. Had to tarp a really goofy shaped printing press. Shredded my tarps. Really sucked. I took pictures, but that was like three phones ago or I'd share them.

 

Neither have I

I have, unfortunately, discovered many expensive and time consuming processes to successfully complete loads.

 

I'm so stealing that line. I love it.

 

The company that I work for just raised top pay $104,000 a year, otherwise I would go work for another company. But as for now, I will wait on the list for a curtain side until I get my own authority here in a year or two. As many miles as I have been running, I actually stand a pretty good chance of hitting the top pay level this year.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't have left my last job if it paid more and I could have seen the wife more often. Or even if it just paid more, like $104k per year.

 

I’m confused, how can a mileage job have a cap?