Why do flatbed over van/reefer? I don't see the extra money

Cinnamon breeze, currently - that’s what it smells like in my truck.

It hangs just outside the shower, opposite the closet of clean clothes.

 

I started in reefer, switched to dry van, and just recently moved over to flatbed/stepdeck, all for the same mega company.

Reefer was terrible for the fact that no other driver cared enough to maintain trailers and I was doing trailer washouts 3-4 times a week not being paid for the time wasted. So I switched to dry van. They claim it's 90% drop and hook but it was more like the complete opposite. I'd get a good spell of easy to work with shippers and customers, and then a month of flat out every where I went taking 3-4 hours to load or unload me. Now I'm on flat/step deck. I like that most places work on appointment windows and I'm not punished and told to sit behind those empty trailers over there for 3 hours because I was 15 minutes early or late. I like that you're treated with respect more often. Going to distribution centers they will flat out stare at you and make you stand there for 30 minutes before taking your paper work, while playing on their phone. Pulling a flat, I arrive, we greet, and we get to work. No miserable office clerk to deal with.

The miles are not that bad either, you just have to work efficient. If you're getting loaded with palatalized dry wall, then you should have a pair strapped by the time they load the second pair of pallets side by side. Instead I see a lot of people just screwing off while getting loaded and then pulling out of the way and wasting 3 hours to do a 30 minute job.

 

I'm gonna agree with some of that and some places. Alot of union steel mills or receivers suck. But you should open your eyes. There are men and women that are professional in the industry. I wouldnt call hauling steel "grocery delivery". Those types are in evey aspect. I own,operate,repair and drive my equipment. I'm very proud of myself and treated great by my customers. Then again showing up on time, not crying and completing a task at hand properly goes along way. Lots of folks haul coils, some do it properly, and some do it well.

 

A slight orange scent is almost always discernible in mine. I use the citrus spray cleaner just about everywhere, and my leather seat gets hit with it daily.

 

Currently muddy rotten soy beans are the scent in my driver foot well with a sprinkle of wheat harvest dust and steel mill mud. If it stops raining it's getting vacuumed. Just kinda waiting on that.

 

Perfectly describes why I enjoy flatbed.

Never wanted to dismember bodies until I met warehouse staff.

Just like you say, turn up - shake hands - get to work.

 

Actually - that was possibly the most closed minded, incorrect, pompous garbage statement I’ve read so far today.

But - if it’s what you believe then I’ll happily cash my checks and work half the time for what you probably earn the whole year.

 

I agree, everyone should move to flatbed or reefer, especially in Oregon on the I-5.

 

I've seen old timers secure a load without ever climbing onto the trailer, and doing it faster than everyone else there.

 

Blair stop giving away are secrets. They can think what they think.