How many women drive a flatbed?

[pronghornracer]

I was wondering; how many women drive a flatbed?
If so, what do you think about it?
Is it difficult to learn; or hard to do? (as far as the tarping/straping, ect.)
What about the trailer, is it easier to pull than a van?
Do you like it?
I'm exploring the idea as a possibility; and I would like to
hear a woman's point of veiw.

pronghornracer

[Snake_Ize]

Pronghornracer:

[Windwalker]

I know I'm not a woman, but I have seen a number of women that have been pulling flats by themselves. In most cases, they are running team with their husbands, so the tarping is not so much of an issue.

My wife ran team with me, and she did carry the steel tarps, but when it came to the lumber tarps, each one of them weighed more than she does.
So, if she were to run solo, I don't think she would be pulling flats. But she did enjoy it. Much better backing into a space. She liked the idea of being able to see (many times) the trailer and what is or isn't behind it.

I'll admire you if you do it for longer than a year solo. :shock: We did it team for about 6 months when we were still trying to find our niche together out here. That wasn't our niche! :evil:

All it took was one lumber load with wind and rain/sleet. Decided then we had all the fun we could handle.

[pronghornracer]

I know I'm not a woman, but I have seen a number of women that have been pulling flats by themselves. In most cases, they are running team with their husbands, so the tarping is not so much of an issue.

My wife ran team with me, and she did carry the steel tarps, but when it came to the lumber tarps, each one of them weighed more than she does.
So, if she were to run solo, I don't think she would be pulling flats. But she did enjoy it. Much better backing into a space. She liked the idea of being able to see (many times) the trailer and what is or isn't behind it.

That's fine, I welcome a man's point of veiw too. I'm about to start school
on Monday, and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do after graduation. Though I am brand new to the trucking industry; to me it
looks like the flatbed would be easier to pull, I guess because it isn't so big and boxy, easier to see around; like your wife said.
As far as work, I don't mind working
hard. As far as strapping and stuff like that, I know nothing about it. I do
know that it is a critical thing to do it correctly, nor do I know how much strength it takes to do it; and I'm only 5'3, if that matters.

pronghornracer

[Windwalker]

My wife is 4' 11 3/4". And, she weighs in at a whopping 115 pounds. She had her own way of pulling on the cheater bar, and most of the time, she did get the straps tight. She'd ask me to go behind her and check them, and most of the time, I didn't get them any tighter than she did.

Tarps were the issue for her. It was all she could do to handle the steel tarps which weigh about half of what a lumber tarp is. Many times, the forklift operator will put the tarps up on the load for you, but there are ocassions when you have to get them up to the top of a load of lumber yourself. At times, you may have to put them on top of a low load, only a couple of feet above the bed. Other times, you may have to lift them two feet over your head. Or, you can wrap a rope around it and pull it up, but again, they are not light. If it hooks on the corner of something, you can pull yourself off the load trying to get it up.

On loads of lumber, the units do not always fit together will. There are often spaces between the units when they are loaded. It's fine to go up there and take the twists out of the straps, and make sure they are located where they'll do the most good, but once they are covered with a stretched tarp, the voids disappear. Take my word for it... You'll only step in one once.

There is as much to learn about tarping as there is for securing the load. At times, awkward loads of equipment must be tarped, and all sharp corners must be protected or your tarps will be little more than rags within a hundred miles.

Quite a number of the women that I've seen pulling flats were pulling loads that did not require a tarp. The weight of the tarp may have been the reason for that. Learning to secure your loads and tarping them may take longer than learning to drive in the first place. But, good luck to you.

[Snake_Ize]

My wife is 4' 11 3/4".

Can't you give her a break and just make it 5' even? :wink:

[Windwalker]

My wife is 4' 11 3/4".

Can't you give her a break and just make it 5' even? :wink:

She's the one that's always telling me how tall she is. But, way down deep inside where it really counts, she's AT LEAST 10 FEET TALL.

[Jackrabbit379]

I remembered the first time I pulled a skateboard..I looked in my mirror,and I was like :shock: where'd my trailer go? I was used to seeing the trailer sides. Id rather pull a van or a reefer myself. Im too paranoid to pull a skateboard. Im always thinking that everything is gonna slide off,or a strap is going to break or somethin..

[GMAN]

I have seen a few women pulling a flat. It seems that a lot of them are with their husbands, but some are solo. You just need to learn to work smart. It can be difficult to tarp for a smaller person, especially if you don't have a lot of body strength. You may consider a covered wagon. That can have it's own set of problems. You will probably want to get a small ladder to keep inside the kit, if that is the way you want to go. Most of the time you can get a fork lift operator to put the tarp on top of the load and trailer. You still have to manuever it on the trailer or side box. :?

[Adam9315]

I think I would like flatbeds. I wouldn't mind the tarping much. But I would be worried about the height of some of the loads you would have to climb up on. I'm not afraid of heights, but it seems like theres a big risk of falling with flatbeds; and i fear i'd hurt my back and I'd be in so much pain for the rest of my life. I know that could happen with anything, but it seems like the risk is much greater with flatbedding.

[Windwalker]

I think I would like flatbeds. I wouldn't mind the tarping much. But I would be worried about the height of some of the loads you would have to climb up on. I'm not afraid of heights, but it seems like theres a big risk of falling with flatbeds; and i fear i'd hurt my back and I'd be in so much pain for the rest of my life. I know that could happen with anything, but it seems like the risk is much greater with flatbedding.

There are now, a number of shippers that have an overhead track with a rope and safety harness. If you fall off the load, you only go down about a foot. Then hang in mid-air until you can get your footing back. If you go down slow, like climbing off the load, it does not stop you.

On other loads, if you're careful, you have no reason to fall.

[GMAN]

Unfortunately, most shippers don't have a harness to use. I think it would be a good idea for all of them to have a harness if they want you to tarp a high load. You just need to be very careful. :shock:

[poannua]

I drive flatbed with my husband. I load, he unloads. Yes the tarps are heavy you just have to be smarter then the tarp. Only twice have I had to lift the tarp myself, this is what I did. First you partially unroll the tarp, then lift this now smaller and lighter part up to the load (a ladder is essential) make sure you have enough lifted so that the tap stays on the load. Now climb up on the load and pull the rest up in smaller lighter pulls.

As for strapping and chaining use body weight to get them snug. Also think of the math, if you have on strap tightened to say 200 foot pounds (a made up number for purposes of illustration) each addition strap or chain adds to that. In other words as you add straps or chains you increase the downward pressure irregardless of the total tighness of each, as long as each is tight. I have never had a load shift and yes I strap the crap out of it cause I know how crazy I drive!

[Windwalker]

When I got home last week, there was a rather nice looking young lady dropping her flatbed at the same place. I didn't get to talk to her very long because we were both wanted to get home as soon as we could. She has been pulling flats for more than five years now, and would not consider going back to reefers.

The only thing I see that would stand in the way of a woman pulling a flatbed is the woman herself. ("I could never do that.") and she never will.

[dle]

What cured me of thinking of pulling flatbeds was when I saw a guy on the side of the road in very strong winds being whipped up in the air and then plopped down in the middle of the highway.

[luckyky00]

Well, I'm a woman,24, 5'6, 175lbs........and I've just completed my first day of training with a flatbed company, called TDT. I've never done flatbed. I will say this..it's definately a lot of work. Throwing the straps over, and getting the tarp perfect wtih the bungee cords....and then getting on top of the load, which they do mosty lumber, and home depot freight, and making sure the straps are straight. It was hard work, out in the heat definately. But, I'll be home everynight, and on a dedicated run which is great miles and right by my house every day. My hands are a little raw as well, lol....I've done nothing but dump trailers and Van's before...so this is a new challenge. I kinda like it......................

Blair

[dragracert99]

I drive a covered wagon for Falcon and like that much better than a flatbed. Quiker and easier to deal with a covered wagon. There have been a couple times I've had to tear ut down into a total flat but that is rare.
Go with Falcon and they will get you into a covered wagon in a short time , if you want.

[Ahtumbreez]

I pull fb with my husband and would never go back to reefer. Usually M-F drops and pickups. Receivers are usually happy to see you. Infrequent overweight problems. I just like the atmosphere better.

I will say though, when we did first switch over I thought we were crazy after our first tarp load. A tarp job which now would take us about an hour took us 4 hours to do. The shippers just said lock up when you leave, cause they were tired of waiting around After it was all said and done I laid down in the parking lot and would have cried if I'd had the energy, even the back of my thumbs hurt. Did you even know you have muscles in the back of your thumbs!

Two years later, I'm in better shape than I have been in years. We're quick, effecient and safe.

But if I were out here by myself I'd do covered wagon or drop deck and get into carrying heavy equipment where you mainly only have to chain but not tarp.

The strapping and chaining's not bad but during summer or winter the tarping sucks if your doing it by yourself.

[Windwalker]

I pull fb with my husband and would never go back to reefer. Usually M-F drops and pickups. Receivers are usually happy to see you. Infrequent overweight problems. I just like the atmosphere better.

This is something I have found to be very true. On the average, you find a MUCH better attitude at the shippers and receivers when pulling a flatbed. Try it one time, and you'll NEVER want to deal with the attitude at a food warehouse again.