What Questions to Ask?

Well first step is to get a list of companies you want to work for. Then narrow that list down. Then listen to the recruiter and narrow down to what sounds believable.

I'm no @Chinatown ,but there tmc, maverick, roehl, swift, western express that do flatbeds.

 

With the majority of flatbed companies, you won't see runs over 1000 miles all that often. Some will be that and longer. But the majority, in my experience, were 600-800. That's just my experience. Your mileage may differ.

 

So you want to pull open deck. Groovy. Wheres your home 20? What's your5 yr plan?

Ask about pay and truck specs. How fast is the truck and what transmission? Any bs about fuel bonus and per diem and leasing and being a trainer is just a recruiters way of injecting sunshine in Uranus. If you need to get by the house ask about hometime and their policy of keeping your truck at the house if you need a week off. The crappier a company is, the crappier their "company policies" are.

At an entry level bottomfeeder, I would be looking for experience and to jump ship. Year max. Learn what you can and build your stamina. A champion level fighter can go 12 rounds every fight. A top driver can crank out long hours behind the wheel every day. Before you even think about buying a truck, make sure you can truck.

 

All a recruiter will do is tell you what you want to hear. His job is to get new meat for his company. Not to help you with your life ambitions. So why even go that route.
Are you settled down with wife and a family?
If not myself and quite a few others on here got started out west on the harvest run. You will gain more real world experience in 1 month than you will in a year imprisoned in a mega fleet truck.
It is getting closer to spring every day. Dump truck, Concrete outfits, and Farms will be looking for drivers.
Any Idiot can make a truck move down the highway from point A to point B now days. And the driver pay reflects it to a tee.
If you are #719 on the Mega company roster, what will you bring to the table that will put you ahead of #718?
And what will you get if you do?

I don't get the thinking most have that you have to start at a mega carrier to get a job.
If that outfit has a 100% turnover rate in a given year and has to have a permanent recruiter looking for new meat, why on earth would you consider it.
If on average 100 out of 100 guys quits in the first year are you going to believe the recruiter or the 100 guys that quit?
"But it's just until I get some experience, then I'll find a good job."

Why the heck didn't you do that from the start.
I have never worked at a place that the owner didn't know my name on sight.

 

Six beat me to it.
My problem with the "Crap of the Industry Carrier and jump Ship" theory is this is exactly what keeps them in business.
Their whole company model is based around it.
Round and around it goes. And it is slowly and surely putting the rest of us in the toilet as well.

 

I wish I could thank this twice!

 

My first question would be "what kind of miles/hours can you guarantee?".

In today's freight market, with it's ups and downs, being with a company that can guarantee work (i.e. has regular customers that aren't affected by the freight slowdown) is far better than running with the highest-paying outfit.

I'm extremely happy where I am and wouldn't even think of jumping ship for a higher rate. I work regionally, either putting loads together for the highway drivers, or delivering the back hauls they bring in. Find something that works for you and stick with it. Don't just jump into the most appealing sounding job you are offered.