Why would anyone want to pull flatbed trailers?

I haul coils, and before this ran wreckers. Everyone has wrecks. But ill tell you I have recovered trailers by slings in a coil and lifting trailers with it. There are guys out here that will not loose one because of thier securement.

 

A lot on that post
But
I would assume the driver who a knows how to properly secure a load is also a better driver period
The one who has no clue is most likely the same guy I see watching movies on his iPad driving down the road

I have seen prime drivers with coils strapped with the Walmart 1” straps
Something I would use for my bicycle

It all still comes back to the driver

Was it placed correctly on the deck? Secured property?
And did the driver operate the truck in a manner warranted by the load on the deck?

Poor driving. Poor securement and whatever else we can think of still points to the driver

If I secure the load properly and then some. But I’m still not sure how it will go in a hard brake then I as the professional should take the necessary precautions to make a safe trip and in this case it would or may be driving like I’m on ice

 

I have respect for anyone willing to work. So I don’t ever look down on dry van, or reefer or whatever honestly. If you are out earning a paycheck and not throwing your trash out the back of the Truckstop or piss bottles at the shipper then keep on trucking.
However, I feel the same way about dry van and reefer and you do about flatbed.
Why would anyone want to sit backed into a dock waiting on some lumpers to unload whatever crap it is you can’t see? It would absolutely drive me crazy to sit around and wait without being able to see what it happening; taking 10 hour breaks at shipper? What? Just not for me.

I just hauled some machinery to Wyoming. I arrived at 7:45 am for an 8:00 crane appointment. There was one guy ahead of me. That was it. Two trucks in about a 5-10 mile radius. I hop out, start unstrapping load and the main man comes out and say hello, tells me exactly how they are unloading the first guy and then they will get me as soon as possible and thanks. I finish what I am doing and go mosey up and watch the, unload the first guy. Then he backs out. I pull up and I have 5-6 men out there helping unload the items I had. All smiling and joking etc. I didn’t have to pay them a dime for doing it either or listen to them ##### about anything. All professionals. Dudes helped me fold my tarps and then invited me to lunch. Not all loads are like this. But most,of them are. I am 55, I get tired putting on tarps and taking them off but after they are done I loveit. I want to be 110% responsible for how things are secured to my trailer. I would loath sitting at a warehouse.

 

I’ve done flatbed, van, refrigerated, and end dump.
I like van the best but refrigerated pays the best.
I currently drive a reefer.

Your trailer doesn’t determine if you’re professional.

Health is personal responsibility and genetics.

I kept in contact with my original driver trainer over the years. He was a flatbed diehard driver. Unfortunately, he passed away in his truck and he was in his 50’s. Thankfully, he was at the fuel island and not driving.

Everyone has their reasons for driving. How much you go home and where you live often determine what trailer is best for you.

 

I have about 4 years of dryvan expertise and 5 years of reefer experience. This last year I have been doing flatbed. The freight I haul is pretty much always the same, roofing tile and utility poles. Straps, no chains. Monumentally easy, but does require absolute skill to tie it all down correctly.

It was very tedious at first, but after a few loads I took great pride in the fact that I could deliver a load in the exact same shape it was shipped. That was all based on my load securement and checks along the way as well as setting my safe driving skills at maximum.

There is an extra added sense of pride when you deliver a product such as roofing tile that will be used to build someone's dream home. I made multiple deliveries to the same housing developments over and over. I would often set the tile off with the forklift onto the curb next to the foundation of the house they belonged to. Returning a few months later I would be delivering to a house a few lots down and see that a family had moved into the house I had delivered tile to previously.

That is a pretty wonderful feeling. In the dry van and reefer world, the driver won't likely get to see the family enjoying the TV he delivered nor the frozen dead bird he delivered, cooked for the family to enjoy.

 

I love flat bedding/opendeck and after pulling a van for the past year I am ready to go back. Not only is it about having pride in your securement and tarp jobs but also the challenge of loading various freight something different each time. There are typically no docks to bump and you are off loaded with vary little wait time except for some of the larger DC's.

In my experience flatbedding they were only a handful of instances where I had to un-tarp/tarp in the rain. Most of the time shippers or customers with sensitive product will have some type of covering or overhang for the tarping.

Flatbed is a brotherhood IMO

 

I agree to a point, I secure coils by my estimate 25% more than required, I also have seen van loads leave trailers during accident, but the same still applies. If a load is properly secured it should not move, I will admit I have never hauled steel I Beams, But If I do and I do not believe that I can secure it to my standards I will not take the load. I haul fairly unusual loads, but not I Beams.

 

Ok..... We gonna do this?


Started reefer, did alot of step and flat while occasionally covering the van division occasionally for the corporate monstrosity that shall not be named. Hauled OSOW for said corporate monstrosity. Loved it, wanted more. Now im pulling RGN for a carrier that treats me like an actual professional. On top of owning a 379 with a driver in it pulling RGN.


I cant ever even begin to understand how anyone could be content pulling van. Fine thats your thing. But When I started, trucking was enough of a challenge to satisfying me, then flatbed was, now specialized is enough to keep me mentally engaged in what i do.

I love every sweat fueled, frozen heat exhaustion moment of it all. Sitting in the cab covered in dirt grease and blood occasionally.

Looking at a load going WTAF were they thinking, then also going down the road knowing I can slam my brakes and nothing is gonna happen. Ive had rebar, 60ft channel beams, coils, concrete slabs that could have squished me like a bug, yet for some reason it never did. Or going down the road with something that cant be secured hard, knowing im just gonna have to be on my A game. *Cough double ts*

Could be luck, could be the crazy redneck who is too stupid to sit in an office for 5 minutes without bursting into flames , and just likes getting out and doing stuff.

Mark my words van could pay double and I would not do it. Thats not my game. And yeah Ive hauled cool loads, interesting loads. The one that most blew my mind was some stuff going to a water treatment plant. Not the most impressive thing i have ever done. Easy as cake to secure, a pita to tarp. But hauling stuff for people to have clean drinking water was really cool to me.

I am not motivated by what most are motivated by. Do i like money yeah. But I drive because i like to do it. Id quit if I didnt. Right now im pulling RGN because hey that's interesting to me.

What ive always told everyone that ever asks me about what I do. I say "I wish I hated what I do" because this industry takes alot from you no matter what you do. And its always gonna ask to take one more thing from you. And even what it does give you dosent always go as planned.

That being said, I am open deck for life. I have no interest in anything else and will not be deterred. The day I leave open deck will be the day I quit driving. Yeah im a lost cause.


Also Obvious Bait is Obvious, but it still aint gonna stop me from being an obnoxious loudmouth online while I wait to deliver this Excavator.

 

Wow, some excellent stuff here. This was obviously a troll thread right off, and I admit to my facetiousness earlier .

One of the reasons we love open deck work, can be seen right here in this thread. Just look at the positive responses, the pride, the attitude. Flatbedders turned the troll bait into something of value. What does that tell you about the kind of people they are?

I pulled boxes for 20 yrs (yeah,, I know right) before switching to flatbed, don't ever want to go back.

 

Thats mostly what i was driving at

Thats great, i really wish pictures of those recoveries would show up so we could see what a proper securement job looked like.