Just looking for any advice and or opinions on flatbed work? I've never run flatbed before but there's always been in interest and I'll admit a nervousness about doing it. I've been driving 13 years now and currently do tanker work. What are things to understand about doing it that I should know about before considering it? I understand that there's a lot of work to it I welcome it. Anyhow would it be a good move to do flatbed and would I stay busy doing it? Thanks for any info and I welcome anything good bad and ugly. Stay safe everyone.
Flatbed a good choice?
- Thread starter atlfan88
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Double Nickle
Living from direct deposit to direct deposit.
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I've not done much flatbed but here is my thoughts. Tarps get heavy and hard to handle in rain snow and ice. Climbing up onto your loads gets harder to do in rain snow and ice. Rolling tarps up gets harder to do in rain snow and ice. Straps and chains are harder to handle in rain snow and ice. Are you catching my point yet? Now factor in WIND AGE and ABILITY. I guess you could say flatbed would not be my choice.
Start with a company with good securement training.
They'll typically train you for a couple of weeks or so and send you out on your own since you have driving experience.
Use common sense, and it's not that big a deal.
Much of the time, you'll be working outside when securing and tarping.
The company I drive for sometimes has a preplan ready for the next load, sometimes I sit half a day.
Same goes for shippers. Some are far more quick and efficient than others. Receivers are the quickest, more often than not.
This past Friday I got to the receiver in the morning, unloaded, then sat there for five hours, received an assignment to pick up next Tuesday 30 miles away thanks to the holiday. So here I sit, 700 or so miles away from home for 3 days straight at a pilot.
yay.
I do regional and am supposed to get home most weekends, but it obviously doesn't always work out that way.
The pay is... okay.
Funny thing is, tanker was my first choice, but having been a newbie, I decided to do flatbed until I got more experience.
Now, I'm seriously looking into ltl, but would jump at the chance to do tanker or dry bulk. Unfortunately, I just live in a bad area for anything.
Which brings me to my last point: living in an industrial area is good for flatbeds. Midwest. Southeast. Steel mills, lumber, gypsum, etc.
They'll typically train you for a couple of weeks or so and send you out on your own since you have driving experience.
Use common sense, and it's not that big a deal.
Much of the time, you'll be working outside when securing and tarping.
The company I drive for sometimes has a preplan ready for the next load, sometimes I sit half a day.
Same goes for shippers. Some are far more quick and efficient than others. Receivers are the quickest, more often than not.
This past Friday I got to the receiver in the morning, unloaded, then sat there for five hours, received an assignment to pick up next Tuesday 30 miles away thanks to the holiday. So here I sit, 700 or so miles away from home for 3 days straight at a pilot.
yay.
I do regional and am supposed to get home most weekends, but it obviously doesn't always work out that way.
The pay is... okay.
Funny thing is, tanker was my first choice, but having been a newbie, I decided to do flatbed until I got more experience.
Now, I'm seriously looking into ltl, but would jump at the chance to do tanker or dry bulk. Unfortunately, I just live in a bad area for anything.
Which brings me to my last point: living in an industrial area is good for flatbeds. Midwest. Southeast. Steel mills, lumber, gypsum, etc.
Thanks for some info. I currently work for Linde and it's a good job don't get me wrong but they're starting to get cheap. Equipment goes unfixed for long periods of time They've practically stopped washing the trucks and trailers and they are starting to really nit pick our trip sheets so they don't have to pay us for some stuff. Cameras inside the truck are getting annoying too. We also slip seat and well the group of guys I work with are slobs. I'm picky with a truck and like it clean and presentable. Seems no one takes pride in their work anymore. I may just stick it out and see if things get better especially since I am home every night and theres not a ton of jobs here in Maine.
Yeah, you wouldn't see home much in Maine, unless you scored some sort of local job.
Those peripheral places are bad about that.
I live in the Ozarks, so while local opportunities are slim, at least it's in between stuff so home is on the way to places I do go.
Good thing about some of the more upstanding flatbed companies is that they often are some of the better places to work.
Very good equipment. No slip seat.
While I sort of complained about hometime and pay, it's better than what a lot of other drivers deal with.
On reaction to othertrucker's comment, I get what he's saying about weather, but honestly, I deal with rain very little in the grand scheme of things.
We tarp to keep things dry, so when the weather's bad, the shipper wants us to do a lot of our work while still indoors. We might finish putting bungies on outside, to get out of the way. Weather is a pain maybe 5-10% of the time, if that, because you eventually figure out ways to deal with it.
pro1driver
I don't wanna go fishing, even though i got stuff
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the only flat bedding i had ever done, was a short stint at one of those home improvement stores. it sucked i thought.
i do not like unloading in the stone cold of winter, or the high winds, or the simmering heat, or drenching rains.
funny how nearly all those things happened from about October to November, when i was there.
went back to vans, and never looked back, except when i have nightmares, and no, i do not live on Elm St.
i do not like unloading in the stone cold of winter, or the high winds, or the simmering heat, or drenching rains.
funny how nearly all those things happened from about October to November, when i was there.
went back to vans, and never looked back, except when i have nightmares, and no, i do not live on Elm St.
Cerberus_Kelpie
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GREETINGS atlfan88 and WELCOME TO TRUCKINGBOARDS!!
Skateboards, as they're affectionately called, well, it depends upon what type loads are generally hauled. There are random loads which may or not require "every load uses tarps", there are heavy industrial loads which never use tarps, then there are drop decks, step decks, extend decks, as well standard 45', 48', 53' trailers some with spread axle, some not. IF the company you get on with has options, all the better.
You'll as well have to PAY ATTENTION to strap conditions as minor tears can get you put Out Of Service during Inspections. There is also, from what I've read numerous times, a "Flatbed Certification" (which when I pulled skateboards in early to mid 2000 were not required) and how to get it is unknown to me.
There are "hoops to jump through" to every division of trailer.
When I hauled Coils, they ALWAYS traveled ******* (eye facing sides) as opposed to sideways (eye facing front/rear) as it was much easier to secure and tarp and if the chains broke or break (then you had some worn out chains) then it becomes part of the dominating force in the cab and you and it may well mesh into the next dimension.
Rule of thumb for Coils: one chain per 10,000 pounds. MY Rule of Thumb was: one chain per 5,000 pounds. 3 belly chains before moving vehicle, then add.
Some skateboard outfits will usually supply tarps, chains, ratchet binders, straps and some outfits require drivers to supply Coil Tarps which are not cheap (in 2000 they were $125.00- $150.00) and there are a few sizes too because Coils vary in size. I preferred 20,000 - 40,000 lb coils. Smaller than 20k were too much work.
A "Covered Wagon" is simply a skateboard with D Rings and a housing apparatus (covering) that is easily removable.
"Curtain Side" is another skateboard as above yet they look better till the "curtains" get all torn up and the slides get nasty.
About the only skateboard companies I see regularly are C. R. S. T., MELTON, T. M. C. as well innumerable independents.
Make sure to have: a Hard Hat, Safety Glasses, Long Sleeved Shirts, Long Pants, Steel Toed Boots, Industrial Gloves as many places will not let you onto property (beyond check in/waiting area) without those items AND if not worn when securing Load as well covering, your load may well be cancelled.
I have been to numerous Factories/Steel Mills and saw many drivers not "paying attention" to rules/requirements of these many companies and were thus informed if they did not succumb or abide by the rules/requirements as stated BEFORE entry, they would have their load(s) cancelled and be banned from the properties.
Sparrow's Point, Maryland was a preferred load site and I often got loaded faster and before some other drivers that had been waiting longer because I complimented the (usually) female check in staff where other drivers (Mitchell) would whine and complain about waiting times.
I know not what specifics are required in hauling Tankers and care not to learn.
I'm a 53' Dry Van (barn doors) hauler and shall remain until I'm done driving, which most likely will be July 2018 (when my 2 year card is done) if not earlier.
Thank You for Your time!
CHEERS!!
Skateboards, as they're affectionately called, well, it depends upon what type loads are generally hauled. There are random loads which may or not require "every load uses tarps", there are heavy industrial loads which never use tarps, then there are drop decks, step decks, extend decks, as well standard 45', 48', 53' trailers some with spread axle, some not. IF the company you get on with has options, all the better.
You'll as well have to PAY ATTENTION to strap conditions as minor tears can get you put Out Of Service during Inspections. There is also, from what I've read numerous times, a "Flatbed Certification" (which when I pulled skateboards in early to mid 2000 were not required) and how to get it is unknown to me.
There are "hoops to jump through" to every division of trailer.
When I hauled Coils, they ALWAYS traveled ******* (eye facing sides) as opposed to sideways (eye facing front/rear) as it was much easier to secure and tarp and if the chains broke or break (then you had some worn out chains) then it becomes part of the dominating force in the cab and you and it may well mesh into the next dimension.
Rule of thumb for Coils: one chain per 10,000 pounds. MY Rule of Thumb was: one chain per 5,000 pounds. 3 belly chains before moving vehicle, then add.
Some skateboard outfits will usually supply tarps, chains, ratchet binders, straps and some outfits require drivers to supply Coil Tarps which are not cheap (in 2000 they were $125.00- $150.00) and there are a few sizes too because Coils vary in size. I preferred 20,000 - 40,000 lb coils. Smaller than 20k were too much work.
A "Covered Wagon" is simply a skateboard with D Rings and a housing apparatus (covering) that is easily removable.
"Curtain Side" is another skateboard as above yet they look better till the "curtains" get all torn up and the slides get nasty.
About the only skateboard companies I see regularly are C. R. S. T., MELTON, T. M. C. as well innumerable independents.
Make sure to have: a Hard Hat, Safety Glasses, Long Sleeved Shirts, Long Pants, Steel Toed Boots, Industrial Gloves as many places will not let you onto property (beyond check in/waiting area) without those items AND if not worn when securing Load as well covering, your load may well be cancelled.
I have been to numerous Factories/Steel Mills and saw many drivers not "paying attention" to rules/requirements of these many companies and were thus informed if they did not succumb or abide by the rules/requirements as stated BEFORE entry, they would have their load(s) cancelled and be banned from the properties.
Sparrow's Point, Maryland was a preferred load site and I often got loaded faster and before some other drivers that had been waiting longer because I complimented the (usually) female check in staff where other drivers (Mitchell) would whine and complain about waiting times.
I know not what specifics are required in hauling Tankers and care not to learn.
I'm a 53' Dry Van (barn doors) hauler and shall remain until I'm done driving, which most likely will be July 2018 (when my 2 year card is done) if not earlier.
Thank You for Your time!
CHEERS!!
Last edited:
Cerberus_Kelpie
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GREETINGS toymaker,
Did a brief search for "flatbed certification" . (page 1 of google search)
Another site like this one and their topic is "flatbed training films".
Scroll down just a bit to GMAN and you'll see this sentence: And if you haul coils into or out of Alabama you are required to be certified.
http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/new-truck-drivers-get-help-here/40338-flatbed-training-films.html
There's as well this site which says NOTHING about "certification" unless it's subliminally hidden in the DVD's.
CHEERS!!
Did a brief search for "flatbed certification" . (page 1 of google search)
Another site like this one and their topic is "flatbed training films".
Scroll down just a bit to GMAN and you'll see this sentence: And if you haul coils into or out of Alabama you are required to be certified.
http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/new-truck-drivers-get-help-here/40338-flatbed-training-films.html
There's as well this site which says NOTHING about "certification" unless it's subliminally hidden in the DVD's.
CHEERS!!
Here's what I came up with:
http://www.overdriveonline.com/fmcsa-says-federal-law-trumps-alabamas-coil-securement-rules/
Well, they tried I guess.
Looks like the fed said no no.
Unreasonable burden on interstate commerce or something to that effect. Too bad they don't use the same logic on California. Oh well.
The Alabama thing predates my trucking career a few years.
My company would have made everyone get that certification if it were needed. We go to Alabama quite a bit.
http://www.overdriveonline.com/fmcsa-says-federal-law-trumps-alabamas-coil-securement-rules/
Well, they tried I guess.
Looks like the fed said no no.
Unreasonable burden on interstate commerce or something to that effect. Too bad they don't use the same logic on California. Oh well.
The Alabama thing predates my trucking career a few years.
My company would have made everyone get that certification if it were needed. We go to Alabama quite a bit.
Cerberus_Kelpie
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GROOVY find toymaker!
Cleans away the wreckage of that route.
CHEERS!!
Cleans away the wreckage of that route.
CHEERS!!