Women doing flatbedding...

[KrashinKris]

well if they do the same test i did it is 80 lbs and if you pick up the box and set it at wheel height then squat down and stick it on your shoulder and stand up with your legs you could get it on the bed height. thats what i did last week for e w wylie out of fargo nd.
you could give them a call. they flew me to fargo nd then to denver co to get my truck out of that yard. loaded me in pueblo co headed to beaumont tx so i could stop by the house . ill get re-loaded in beaumont tx and off to somewhere else. not bad starting out at .36 per. i looked at the lease and i just did not see enough money to take them up on that but most of there drivers are at 2250 a week and if you want to run hard there top guy was 3200. just food for thought

[JewelsnTools]

Hey, Folks!
I'm here in sunny, beautiful Savannah, GA, at the Red Roof Hotel!! Nice place...even went swimming in the outdoor pool!!
We'll be taking the dreaded workwell physical, tomorrow. There's another woman driver here, and we're sharing accommodations. She's really cool, and has given me some more tips on how to get the tarp on the deck. We've eaten pizza 'til we're greasy, and about to hit the hay in anticipation of our grand first day of orientation at CT Transport, tomorrow.
If you all don't mind, I'd like to share my experiences...you know, with my being new to the exciting world of flatbedding, and all...
Hope you folks are safe...and loved.
Until next time...
Jewels

[JewelsnTools]

Long story short:
The physical whipped my narrow a*s!! It wasn't a tarp---it was a milk crate with 115 lbs of weights in it!! I've got bruises on my forearms, my pubic bone, and on my upper thighs to prove it!!
Needless to say, I flunked it. Rats. Which means I get to go home. Rats. Which means I still have to find a job. I'm kind of bummed....
Well, it was interesting. The hotel was great, and CT kept their promises, all the way through my short time with them.
I didn't know that as a part of the Comcar family of companies, CT Transportation is the flatbed division of a multi-type trailer group. They've also got dry van and tanker divisions. And Willis Shaw is another of their companies.
Their pay is based on experience, with a differential paid between loaded/empty miles---which is a model many companies have adopted.
The other woman driver passed (You GO, Girl!!!!!), and she'll be out with a trainer for a week, before getting her own unit. We compared bruises as I congratulated her!!!
Well, I'm going to go find my friend Jack, and tell him what I think of the whole thing. Seems, though, like a good company to work for...if you can pass that derned physical!
Tonup----Keep 'em on your short list. From what I could tell, the drivers we spoke to seemed pretty contented there.
Jewels

[GMAN]

I am sorry to hear things didn't work out with CT. Perhaps you could pull for one of their other divisions?

[JewelsnTools]

It's funny you'd mention that, GMAN. I thought about that, while there, but one of the "Wigs" explained that although the companies are under the same ownership umbrella, they're run as completely separate entities---unlike Crete's 3 divisions/companies.

That orientation wouldn't have worked for any of the others, and I'd still have to go through the round of dancing and hoop-jumping involved with hiring on with any company. So, I went swimming again! (to soothe my bruises...) I'm thinkin' that maybe van/reefer, if southeast regional, will just have to be it..

Krash--thanks for lookin' in, didn't get to say that before. How's it going with E.W. Wylie? Yet holdin' on?
We'd like to hear about it, if you get time to post! Good luck in this new year...
Jewels

[KrashinKris]

E.W. has been really cool. they are nice people. i met just about everyone in dispatching and upper management. from the VP all the way down. they had 2 different trucks for me one an 09 and a 08 but they wanted someone to get an 06 from Denver so i got the 06. as of yesterday its in the MACK DEALER in Tulsa ok getting the motor fixed. something went with the cam. i don't really know. so i got the choice to go home or live in the motel 6. i am home (that was not uneventful) i was a sleep on the bus and the driver accused me of playing my i pod to loud when it was off. he tried to kick me off the bus in denton TX. but he did not even question the man in front of me that was listening to music. oh well i made it back to Dallas i just hope i don't get the same driver when i go back up to TULSA.
as for work i am getting use to the people net e-logs. i have been using the split shift alot. i just look and when i have time i drive when i don't i just sleep.
jewels you could give them a call. and just talk with them. if you really want to run a skate. the trucks are ok. i think they need more shelves in them but other then that they are good trucks. you don't get scheduled fuel stops you just stop at a flying j and get what you need. if you cant make it to a J then you just call and go to another fuel stop and get enough to get to a J. we have 53 tandem trailers with movable axles and 48 split and 53 drops with movable back axle. they also have alot of heavy haul stuff. i may get in to that in a few months. i am use to moving equipment then pipes and coils and stacks of lumber or fire hydrants. but i am learning to adapted.
please feel free to contact me . i will do what i can to help.

It's funny you'd mention that, GMAN. I thought about that, while there, but one of the "Wigs" explained that although the companies are under the same ownership umbrella, they're run as completely separate entities---unlike Crete's 3 divisions/companies.

That orientation wouldn't have worked for any of the others, and I'd still have to go through the round of dancing and hoop-jumping involved with hiring on with any company. So, I went swimming again! (to soothe my bruises...) I'm thinkin' that maybe van/reefer, if southeast regional, will just have to be it..

Krash--thanks for lookin' in, didn't get to say that before. How's it going with E.W. Wylie? Yet holdin' on?
We'd like to hear about it, if you get time to post! Good luck in this new year...
Jewels

[dieselgrl]

Old thread, but I figured I'd post in here that Swift Transportation's flatbed division is hiring - and we've gotten rid of that blasted WorkWell exam (the milk crate with weights....UGH!) finally! I'm one of two or three women in the division (I believe for the most part the others run team with their men, but don't quote me on that). It's funny...it's like working for a whole different company after seeing Swift from both the dry van and the flatbed side. I really love the flatbed division here, and now even run a dedicated account. My only gripe would be I wish they would pay closer to industry average for tarping... other than that it's been great. Home when I want to be there, decent truck (after a rough start I do have to admit), freight as much as I want to run.

[geeshock]

sory to hear that. I was rooting for ya girl. Remember though, you can't keep a good man/woman down. Just dust the briches and get out there and find a job. Took me a while but eventualy I found something. Keep it up