In my 5 years I went from reefer to dry van to flatbed. Flatbed is by far the best for me. It’s more challenging and flatbedders typically help each other. You meet more guys who actually enjoy their lifestyle. Better sleep schedule. More flexible timing as far as pickups and deliver. More respect given generally. Flatbed is definitely where it’s at for me
@@gts3004 I want to answer this but I can’t tell if this is a genuine question. I’ll answer this way. It’s more blood, sweat and tears than dry van or reefer. It’s more dangerous and there’s more growth once you learn open deck. Oversize loads and heavy haul is a whole different ballpark as far as the skill and pay. Who wants to stay at the beginner stages when there’s levels to be achieved?
@@gts3004 ahhh, understood. It’s a lot of trolling that goes on in comments these days 😆. So I’m not sure what kind of shape you’re in but it can be pretty demanding physically. Especially dealing with tarps which aren’t required on every load. Throwing straps can hurt your shoulder if you don’t use proper technique. Using chains and ratchet binders will break you into a sweat in any weather especially in heat. We work in the rain and snow as well. I’m 34 and in decent shape but I see plenty of older drivers who have been doing this much longer than me still doing it. I’d say it’s worth a try if you feel physically fit but you don’t have to start out as a flatbedder. Get experience driving vans or reeefer then once you’re comfortable driving a big truck , go to a flatbed company that trains new flatbedders.
@@fyaboijay this made me make a decision. I’ve been watching countless videos of which aspect of trucking I wanted to dedicate my time to and I kept saying flatbed or touch freight and I’m sold on flatbed. It’s work, it’s busy and it’ll keep me in shape. Also, I’m cool with local but I wouldn’t mind regional or local (I think that’s how it goes lol correct me if I’m wrong). Thank you for these comments.
@@StoriGrey I’m glad I could help! Yeah you’re on point in your terminology 😆. I do otr because I’ve done local but you deal with too many 4 wheelers all day. At least when you’re regional or otr, traffic is much more rare unless there is an accident or you’re traveling through an urban center during rush hour. Good luck in your career and I’m sure you’ll enjoy flatbed!
I really enjoy flatbed! Im in my first year of it now and I like the variety you get in the job. Every load is different so it keeps you on your toes, and you get to learn a lot of good skills in addition to driving the truck
You guys a really a special breed; i was a reefer driver for 2 years, now i went to an orientation about flatbed driving; just about every single aspect of it is not worth it to me; financially it doesn't i could make an extra $1,000 a month flatbed, for the work involved to me is not worth it; it's more dangerous, you are required to climb up high, risk falling, those tarps weigh like 80 pounds each, they are always dirty, you get all that on your clothes; with the weather out there, 110 degreees, rain, freezing temperatures; snow; you have an extra issues to worry about DOT; for a 30k pound coil it takes 8 chains to secure that, then remove all that, i had no idea how much work is really involved, i said no thank you, one mistake can cost you a fatal accident, etc, 😁😁
I haul coils on flatbed local. It's alright but I prefer my van trailers lol. I shuttle fully built forklifts for Toyota in van trailers. Its a nice little gig. All local and home by dinner 👍
Haha hey brother coils are cool shit. But hey hard to pass up the home by dinner lol. I’m home by dinner too just not sure what one 😂😂keep on trucking my man
That’s all I’ve pulled for decades. Floats, flatbed, step decks, double drops and tilt’n’loads. The outfit I’m with probably 6 out of every 10 loads is oversized.
I love flatbed I am currently pulling flatbed in my Country with Total oil Nigeria we haul oil pipes and other equipments, that's a good one it you keep fit.
@@ryanreinhart1834 not quite that much, but it’s not the only job I do with this outfit. I’m usually working in the equipment shop as a mechanic but I’ll take anywhere from 1-4 loads out of town in a week. Some times I’ll move oversized stuff locally everyday too. So I’m home almost everyday yet still bring in close to $200K Canadian in a year.
I'm retired now but I was a Flatbed driver and I totally relate and it looks like you've got some horsepower there and the Trucks not bad either ha ha ha jokes aside what have you got under the Hood of your Peter something , bring back the W900s . Sorry I got carried away . By the way I take grate Pride in knowing how to Tarp , Rope , Ty down and Chain a load . I love OD work the most ( over-dimensional )
Haha hey enjoy the retirement brother, I had retired as well when I opened my gym but due to Covid shutting me down I’m back in the grind. My HP is preworkout and protein 💪😂👍 my Pete has a 500cummins with an ECM mod giving me 750 pony’s 🔥🔥heavy and still walk up them hills lol Hey man we miss you out there but stay retired lol the 4wheelers are getting worse every year. Well some of the drivers as well. 😎👍
I like flatbed. I like the people, the pay, and the hours. But if you are lazy it’s probably not for you. I do tarp more than this guy though. I tarp around 3 to 4 loads a week, but my company is known for tarping most loads but it isn’t bad.
I'm a flatbedder, once you develop the right habits on the road, the only thing you need to worry about is DOT and blowing your shoulders out from throwing straps. Develop the technique so you do pay with your career! FLATBEDDING 4 LIFE!!!
Hell yeah 👍👍definitely have to develop the skills or you are right lol your shoulder will hate you, I have strapping to a science lol sometimes I think my are barely moves 😂 glad you’re part of the flatbed family 😎👍
You guys a really a special breed; i was a reefer driver for 2 years, now i went to an orientation about flatbed driving; just about every single aspect of it is not worth it to me; financially it doesn't i could make an extra $1,000 a month flatbed, for the work involved to me is not worth it; it's more dangerous, you are required to climb up high, risk falling, those tarps weigh like 80 pounds each, they are always dirty, you get all that on your clothes; with the weather out there, 110 degreees, rain, freezing temperatures; snow; you have an extra issues to worry about DOT; for a 30k pound coil it takes 8 chains to secure that, then remove all that, i had no idea how much work is really involved, i said no thank you, one mistake can cost you a fatal accident, etc, 😁😁
Just another job. Not as hard as car hauling. But I have met more users, & Liars. I love flatbed but I've just been scammed by western. Dht. Stan koch, trans United. I don't get it but I guess they don't like a good driver just trying to make it. Still Going to drive though.
Ahh shit really sorry to hear about the back. Trucking in general has a way of taking its toll on the back. Hope you found a nice cushy job that pays ya bank brother 😎👍we miss you on the road
Hey Dave, thank you for the excellent info as always. Can u pls recomend 1 or 2 good flatbed companies to work for in NB over and above ET? Many thanks, keep the awesome info coming👌
Hey thx so much brother. I think but don’t quote me lol Maritime I believe has a flatbed division and so does Midland. Damn I love running them roads out your way👍
Is flatbedding something worth going straight into from CDL school? I've had my class B for a few years now and I'm really wanting more of a challenge and more money (obviously). Dry vans seem so boring and simple so I think I'd rather do flatbedding and eventually go into oversized stuff once I get enough experience.
You need to get as far away from that highway is it possibly can get yourself a real truck and go into the oil patch where you're paid by the hour and it's usually a really good rate and my specialty was pneumatic and I never got paid so much money for doing absolutely nothing as I did when I went to the patch
@@dmytrodolzhenko349 I see them sometimes lol but how you get fatter than van?? I get a solid hour workout 4 times a week with the tarping/untarping warmup into push-ups. Only way to stay on long haul imo
Yeah diet is definitely important as well . Hey cool comment brother I worked for Allied for a few years lol some of that furniture ain’t light. Keep up the good work 😎👍
Dying breed? Not sure about that... I just switched to FB from car hauling a about 5 months ago.... not sure about dying breed, but it's definitely going to kill my fat ass! Other than that, I enjoy the securement parts most of the time.
Haha nah I’m being a little over dramatic but it’s tough to get good guys out there that wanna do it, glad you made the switch though 😎👍that ass gonna be a fine tuned machine soon man lol
Wtf would you want the extra stress and risk driving to all these risky places though? Why not just get 2 trucks and an extra driver and you make 50% more money with half the extra risk. Doesn't make sense to me. Flat bedders working twice as hard as I do but they definitely don't get paid 2x as much as I do. Strong negotiation skills and a good carrier that will pay for your fuel and you can make easy money. Is this guy a meat head or something?
Hey when it comes to money there are many different ways to make it. I just love what I do. I like the risk and physically demanding aspects of it. Not for everyone for sure. Thx for the comment 😎👍
Tarping is no fun in the summer. I prefer dry van, but Dementia Joe's diesel prices killed my dry van job. Now I am home more often but making less. We don't do oversize, and I usually only tarp 1 load a week. The hardest thing to adjust to is the spread axle, you just can't make every turn.
Haha not much fun in the winter either lol man I remember back in the day with canvas tarps holy Fack they were heavy and a pain in the ass. Hope you start getting somewhat better Gogo juice prices man. Keep up the good fight 😎👍
Thx for the comment. It’s actually one job I have never had the pleasure of trying. I have pulled 1 or 2 on a flatbed but not an actual parking lot down the road. Respect brother 👍
@@lifedrivefitness9123 amazing..I just got into trucking..in orientation now at my first job...a flatbedding company. I never done this before, but I admire the hard work like you guys have done over the years
I absolutely love it lol It was the first and only division I wanted to work in when into trucking and two years later my nails are still cute and I am in shape. It’s a comfort knowing that the load is secure because I did it
You guys a really a special breed; i was a reefer driver for 2 years, now i went to an orientation about flatbed driving; just about every single aspect of it is not worth it to me; financially it doesn't i could make an extra $1,000 a month flatbed, for the work involved to me is not worth it; it's more dangerous, you are required to climb up high, risk falling, those tarps weigh like 80 pounds each, they are always dirty, you get all that on your clothes; with the weather out there, 110 degreees, rain, freezing temperatures; snow; you have an extra issues to worry about DOT; for a 30k pound coil it takes 8 chains to secure that, then remove all that, i had no idea how much work is really involved, i said no thank you, one mistake can cost you a fatal accident, etc, 😁😁
I'm a glass flatbed hauler myself. I haul rack loads on flatbeds, Double A frames with 8 to 12 packs of glass on a flatbed or step deck. I also haul the big jumbo packs of glass on a double drop trailer. I've been doing this for about over 2 years now, and it's extremely profitable for me. Last year I cleared $80,000 after taxes, and this year, I am projected to make about $120,000 gross because it got really competitive, made some referrals, and a 5,000 sign on bonus, and I cross the border, which only myself and my friend are the only ones who can cross in my company, so we get priority and all the good loads that no one else can take, as well as getting $100 every time you cross the border to and back. We both end up racking up 3,200-3400 miles a week on average. All company drivers by the way, regional, so we are out for five or six days, and we typically do a 34 hour reset at home. It's always profitable for me to leave Sunday in the morning around 3:00 a.m. and finish my week by Friday night at 5:00 p.m. I get paid so much because I'm extremely efficient with my time, it's a niche market, it's dangerous, because the glass can cut arteries and you would bleed out before paramedics would get there, and obviously, it's extremely fragile. The glass cannot have water on it whatsoever, otherwise it'll stick like glue, and the only way to separate it is to break it, so what is the point in delivering it? We do tarp every single load. If it's double A frames, two specialized tarps that require a crane set in place, but you can use a crane or take it off yourself. If it's the rack loads, you're putting it on by crane, and taking It off by hand. The double drop is by far the easiest, because it's the roll-up style curtain frame. We use chains, binders, and 4 in straps for the rack loads, we use 2-in straps combined with a wiper blades to hold the glass up against the a-frames for the double drop. We use load boards and two inch straps for the double A frame loads. All the glass has to have edge protectors on, we tarp it with plastic all around, and then we put the actual blue tarps around the glass, and we use ropes and bungees to secure it
Hey brother that’s awesome and actually one of the first jobs I had in my driving career. I also loved it, and yes danger/risk factor is massive. Thx so much for the comment and Koodo’s to you brother. Keep on trucking 👍
I'll only ever do flatbed from now on. I'm a heavy haul flatbedder and I love everything about it. And also on the topic of tarping, my company we tarp almost everything but I absolutely love getting the best looking tarp job I can 🤣🤣
Right on brother, yeah man pack on the weight, love having to shift through all the gears, keeps you crisp. Big respect on the tarping. They look so mint when the lines are all straight and nice and tight.👍👍
I'm doing flatbed for 6 months now and this my first trucking job. Can't say that I enjoy it, but I can do it for the right pay. One of the biggest pros in flatbed - it keeps me in a good shape, one of the biggest cons - 5-7 hours of securing and tarping in extremely hot or cold weather, I feel like I can literally die one day doing that. When I got 1 year experience, I'm gonna leave flatbed. I don't know about the US, but in Canada pay rates for company drivers are about the same as for dry van, just couple of pennies more, doesn't worth it. Or may be I'll stay with flatbed if I'll find something like no tarping, no super b, at least 0.65 per mile.
You guys a really a special breed; i was a reefer driver for 2 years, now i went to an orientation about flatbed driving; just about every single aspect of it is not worth it to me; financially it doesn't i could make an extra $1,000 a month flatbed, for the work involved to me is not worth it; it's more dangerous, you are required to climb up high, risk falling, those tarps weigh like 80 pounds each, they are always dirty, you get all that on your clothes; with the weather out there, 110 degreees, rain, freezing temperatures; snow; you have an extra issues to worry about DOT; for a 30k pound coil it takes 8 chains to secure that, then remove all that, i had no idea how much work is really involved, i said no thank you, one mistake can cost you a fatal accident, etc, 😁😁
I did flatbed for a year and a half. Only way I’d do it again, is with a soft side conestoga. $20 to throw tarps, screw that. In the rain, wind, and Phoenix when it’s 120 degrees out. Nope !! The securement knowledge,and tactics are interesting and I liked that part only.
Hey man thx for the comment. Sorry to hear you didn’t love it as much but $20? Shit my man look around a bit more. Lots of places $28 to $35 and more out there. Dunno about Phoenix but I’m sure there out there. Mesa on of my favourite places. Keep up the good work though brother 😎👍
@@lifedrivefitness9123 System Transport paid $15 to tarp. $20 to untarp. I had to untarp, & roll up 8’ lumber tarps in Phoenix on a load of roofing foam. They were having record heat, 120 degrees that day. Being from the mountains of Colorado, it about killed me. I pulled a conestoga for another company, for 6 months. Was was better, & the only way I’d flatbed again. Been hauling fuel for a year now. Have pulled dry van & reefer in the past. Dry van is boring !
1st day tomorrow trucking & flatbed. Changed careers & going for it at 55 yrs old 👀. I’m doing it to stay in shape! Heavy haul, 8 axles & to top it off I’m running out of Montana. Mostly NW states. Wish me luck!! LETS ROLL!!!
These videos are a great help. 3rd day training of my first job and encountered a fella who could be your twin lol. We were dealing with waiting time issues..said we gotta stick together ..Thanks for this Dean..
Unless your doing specialized freight, dry van, reefer, hazmat pays just as much as normal flatbed loads. So why do extra work for the same amount of pay?
Yeah there are some good paying gigs out there for sure. For me I just personally love all that extra shit lol. It’s not for everyone. Thx for the comment man 😎👍keep on trucking
66 and going strong though I bet. Big respect my friend keep up the good job. I’m 51 myself and hope I can stay at it for a while yet or win the lottery lol 😂
Hell yeah man. Straight into the fire. Just listen to the peeps that show you how to do it right and perfect it from there. Always use good judgment. If you don’t think it’s secure do more. I always say that I have never seen anyone get a ticket for over securing a load 😎👍
Hell yeah on the wow factor right. Love when you can look at them rolling down the highway and say yeah cool I see how he strapped or chained that. Awesome job driver😎👍
I love being Flatbed I've done it for most of my 10 year trucking career. Just please if you do come out here and do flatbed... don't throw straps on top of your tarp job. It looks pathetic, take the time and make it look pretty. If you're not sure how to do that, ask one of us who's done this for a long time
Also yes it's usually fast but then there's days like today where I sat in San Antonio for 7 hours 😂🤦. Or you pull suicide coils and get stuck at the steel mill for 24 hours
This can be true man but there is so much shit out there that would flatten that one ton as well. Dog eat dog out there but it’s out there. Keep up the good work brother 😎👍
Thanks for the insight, but I'm still confused why Bitcoin and crypto prices keep dropping? This drop follows a number of other significant drops in recent weeks. I still hold enormous value of cryptos and it scares me. Whats your take on this?
There are many reasons for this drop in value. One of the main reasons is that there is an ongoing debate about whether or not Bitcoin should be regulated as a security or as a currency.
I started out with Self unloaders and Hoppers. Then swinging meat in reefers but that has disappeared now. Pulled flatbeds for years and loved it. Had to have my hips replaced several years ago so bought a dry van. I really don't care for dry vans but since hip replacement I don't have the sense of balance I used to and not as agile. A fall and breaking one of my hips would put me out of business for good. When the oil field picks up again I may buy a lowboy. I like the challenge of hauling dangerous shit. Hualing swinging meat was my altimeter favorite. It takes the balls of a brass monkey, Concentration and a whole lot of skill!
You guys a really a special breed; i was a reefer driver for 2 years, now i went to an orientation about flatbed driving; just about every single aspect of it is not worth it to me; financially it doesn't i could make an extra $1,000 a month flatbed, for the work involved to me is not worth it; it's more dangerous, you are required to climb up high, risk falling, those tarps weigh like 80 pounds each, they are always dirty, you get all that on your clothes; with the weather out there, 110 degreees, rain, freezing temperatures; snow; you have an extra issues to worry about DOT; for a 30k pound coil it takes 8 chains to secure that, then remove all that, i had no idea how much work is really involved, i said no thank you, one mistake can cost you a fatal accident, etc, 😁😁