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

I vowed to never see a grocery DC again after 9 hours at Buzzotos to pull 8-9 pallets off. Take that reefer and stick it up your ###.

 

If it says Cheshire CT it's automatic no go

 

Open deck is like a brotherhood. Not afraid of a challenge with securement and loading, having pride in your appearance/tarp job. Personally from experience there is a lot less wait overall when unloading flatbed loads as opposed to van and reefer and less chance of misload/miscount with the load.

I have done my fair share of van drop and hook which comes with its own challenges such as bad equipment and poorly loaded trailers.

Give me all the no tarp loads you can throw at me and I am a happy driver.

 

I enjoyed my 9 years as a driver pulling flatbed. I liked tarping and tarping well. It gave me a great sense of pride when the load looked shrink wrapped and the tarps didn’t billow out going down the highway. I don’t imagine that same sense of pride would come from dropping and hooking a box.

The problem with rates is when flatbeds pay well then everyone wants to pull one. And the rates drop. So now people will go back to a box because the rates are up. Until that market becomes over saturated with trucks. Then they will all come back to flats because the rates are higher.

 

You might want to tell some of our salespeople that. "If it fits, it ships. If it doesn't fit, we'll make the MF'er fit and ship it anyway."

(It really isn't that bad, but sometimes you wonder why you're trying to deliver flatbed freight in a pup....)

 

I'm a fat man that doesn't want to get any fatter.

 

And miss all the wrestling that stiff plastic in the wind. Slipping and falling on your ### trying to secure the tarp.. oh and we can't leave out trying to fold that tarp when it's -5?

 

Reminds me of what Gunnery Sergeant Hartman said to Private Lawrence on the subject of eating jelly donuts:

“Because I’m heavy, sir!”

“Because you are a disgusting fat-body!”

Semper Fi

 

Just have to find the right flatbed company that does pay more.
I get 75cpm running Midwest and 80cpm running east. $75 extra stops. Conestoga so no tarping. Get home 2-3 times a week. No problem getting 3000 miles a week too.