Last day pulling a flatbed
 

Well, I gave it a try, but it just hasn't worked out. The account I'm on is fantastic. Take the load from the dedicated shipper to the delivery, unload and deadhead back. I've had runs that were just shy of 900 miles one way, which means the same mileage running empty. The pay is good, as well.

The problem is that my body just can't handle it. I've been driving 12 years total. In that 12 years, the last 9 have been running a dry van, with no-touch freight. That alone makes the body weak. Couple that with the fact that I'm no longer 25 years ago (add 20 to that, in fact) along with my arthritis and, well, you get the picture...

I'm sitting in Easton, PA waiting to unload right now. I have 3 straps left to pull off the load, then deadhead back to Buckhannon, WV to empty out the truck. I already have my next job lined up, with all of the paperwork and drug test completed. I'll be going back to W.S. Thomas out of Fairmont, WV. They're not a great company, but they're a pretty decent bunch of people to work for. When I called them and said I was wondering if they were hiring, they instantly said yes and would start me immediately. When I walked in the door to update my paperwork, everyone there remembered me from when I worked there 2 1/2 years ago, including the company owner, who you rarely saw anyway.

If there's anyone that's looking for a dedicated flatbed position out of central WV, this account is a great one. Work Monday thru Friday, always ship from the same location, Weyerhauser, hauling LVL beams. They just hired a new driver out of PA, north of Pittsburgh, so they've opened up the hiring area. Sadly, though, they hired him with zero flatbed experience. His flatbed training was done at a location that uses roll-back tarp trailers, not actually learning how to tarp his load. They also just took delivery of 2 Cascadia's with Tripac's installed.

Anyway, to the guys that run flatbed, my hat's off to you. You do a tough job.

Yeah, I got the picture. I was running flats when I was 45, and after a stint running dryvans, I went back to flats at 55. Didn't leave that because of the work. Company changed their pay method and my pay suffered. Of course, if you want to work even harder, pull refers and lump your own loads. Started that at 55. You want to stay in shape or die young? (Today, 66 years old, and I've been stopped for speeding 3 times in the last 2 years...... Peddling a bicycle.... I'm now REQUIRED to have a speedo on my bike)

i did flats for 2 weeks... and i'm 29.. for everyone who runs them.. my hat is off to you. too much worrying for me! cant wait to pull my van sunday!!

I did mostly reefer, but had a fair share of flatbed work, over the years. I enjoyed the flatbed work by far!

I had one flatbed job that was brutal, because there was a lot of hand loading steel.

My last flatbed job though, was perfect for me to grow old doing. Real easy on me, all the way. I had left the job briefly on medical leave for an operation, and my health has not allowed me to return.
Had a 45 ft. covered wagon steel hauler. It had an indoor heated parking bay, with full length drain. For Northern Michigan, this is a huge plus. All top equipment too, and the KW had only 38k miles on it, almost new. I had a loading dock and a fork lift, to do my own loading and off loading.
The loads was steel, but palletized, and some in totes. I didn't have to do any of that work, just get the stuff on the truck, and get the stuff off, with a fork lift.
My trips were mostly intrastate. Lots of local runs, but had occasional regional runs. Home almost every night, hourly pay with lots of overtime.
I didn't even have to kill or marry anyone for that job either.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...KWT-600001.jpg

i dont know, if i try something i give it a year,after that i will relook at things and diside if i keep going this way or change diretions.Malaki86 if ya given it a year i bet ya be signing a dif.tune, i have notise a lot of these newbes do a lot of job jumping thinking the grass is greener on the other side. you take a job one should make a coment to a year as to give um time to figer out the outfit and how to make a living working there systum.

I love pulling my tilt deck flat even in these red hot temps. I guess that since it's the only thing I've known I'd prolly hate pulling any type of van around. I'm not the type that likes to stand or sit around while others do the work.

Good luck with WST again Mal, maybe I'll see in the area here.........only seen them since you left the first time about 3-4 times.

There's no way I could do the flatbed work for a year. I still don't have full use of my thumbs from the arthritis flare-ups from stretching the bungies and such. My shoulders are also absolutely killing me. I was pretty much living on Aleve to ease the pain, which is really bad for you in the long run. If it hadn't been for the arthritis, which you body doesn't get used to, I would've loved to stay on that account.

That's the thing, isn't it? None of us can really walk in the other guy's shoes.

Well... if you wear a size 8 1/2, I'll give it a try.

But, not if they're patent leather!

Is 14 close enough? :)