Were all you flatbedders nervous when you started driving?

Dont be lazy, take part of the tarp off and check it out. You are responsible for the securement of that load. Might as well as do it right.

 

Hey Iceman1984.

Did you attend CFCC for your CDL?

I am there now and plan to accept a gig with Melton after graduation.

It will be very interesting to follow your journey through orientation until you get your first truck assignment.

I hope it goes well for you.

 

All I want to say is my first load was like being in a boxing match with the young mike Tyson and literally getting my ### kick. I almost let the tarp get the best of me but 2.5 hrs later I won lol and then I ran out on bungee straps too, so sad but I made The delivery on time and slept like a baby afterwards

 

Is only natural to feel that way when you first start. You'll be fine, I've seen people with questionable IQ's doing ok with it. Just don't rush and always ASK! Customers are usually very helpful on giving tips on how to secure their freight. Walk around truck stop lots and see what other people are doing with their open trailer freight and pick up lost mud flaps while at it, specially the rubber kind, they make awesome edge protectors when cut in strips.

 

I have over 10 yrs safe otr driving. Mostly 53 van and doubles. Had a month of curtain side a few years ago but was just hauling lumber. Right now I run for a company pulling for different accounts and one account I have been at for the last 2 months has 2 vans 1 phenumatic trailer and 1 48' flat. I only haul pallets of sand products and pallets of bagged salt. Also 1 HZ load with stuff in huge bags.. Was hard to keep the straps tight luckily it was a veRy short run. Surprisingly I enjoyed the flat work. I liked the exercise.
If I went to Melton would I also have to ride with a trainer? Or just spend time in their class on securing loads?

Forgot to mention I have never tarped a load. They don't have any
Ty

 

HAHAHA.. I was just thinking about this. 3mo in and Im nervous. I double check my securement and then again. Every load is new, even if you have hauled the same stuff before. ASK ASK ASK if youre not sure. I look at other guys loads all day. I have asked several different drivers from other companies. ALL have been helpful from securement to tarping. Kind of a club sort of thing. Everyone was new at some point. Good luck... No worries

 

Nervous? Hell yeah. Thought I was going to roll over with every gust of wind and every corner. I think I must have slowed to 10 mph on the off ramp. But then I noticed that all the rollovers are vans and to this day I have only seen one flat on its' side. Even the worst open deck is secured better than most vans. Heck that stuff is just sitting in there.

I still remember the CB chatter about that flat that was flipped. It was at the NB entrance to the I-476 blue route in Phillie.

Trucker 1: What's the hold up?
Trucker 2: An empty flat rolled over on the NB side.
Trucker 1: How the hell do you flip an empty flat?
Trucker 3: He's empty now. The coil is over in the bushes.

 

I took my first coil load tonight. 47300 single coil loaded suicide. I put the required 6 chains on it, and then threw on 1 more to make it 7, and then done my company requires a strap, I threw a strap over it to. 50,000lbs of securement, and I was nervous top say the least.

 

Every one was nervous when they first started... You're naïve if you weren't... Its scary when you are going through load securement class and they talk about coils loaded "suicidal" and "homicidal"...... But you learn to respect the load and get better and more comfortable with load securement. Just never take ANYTHING for granted.... The day you know it all and have seen it all... QUIT!!!