:lol: Well, just thank God you had those pointy toed cowboy boots! That's prolly the only thing that got you the job. :lol: :lol:

I agree with all that's been said here for the MOST part. One thing that STILL gets under my skin is when someone (ESPECIALLY a top poster and experienced driver with good advice like G-Man) advises to work van then switch to flats. THIS IS WHERE SOME DRIVER CHURN COMES FROM! People complain about driver turnover and then the same people advise drivers to "use" one company and then dump them for something else.
If a guy truly believes he wants to try flatbedding, LET HIM. He should train with a GOOD company like TMC or Maverick and by doing so, will learn proper and safe load securement making his job a lot easier.
THEN if he can't hack it, by all means switch. Don't go to a company with PLANS on leaving. That's just wrong.

HAHAHA funny. Hey wait a minute..... My truck can't do 85 EITHER!

watta Wus :P

Exactly. I knew I wanted to haul flatbed from day one so it was an easy choice. I knew it'd be more responsibility, but I knew I could do it and also knew I could never settle for hauling a van. I'm still glad I got the experience, especially with a great company like TMC, and am glad I went back to it with Passmore. Once a flatbedder, always a flatbedder. 8)

Its a two way street. Many van & reefer companies "use" new drivers by making them run on a team truck and calling it "training" when the the other person is in the sleeper. A lot of opportunity opens up once you get past the 1st 4-6 months of driving. There is nothing wrong with using a Swift/Schneider/CRE etc as the 1st rung on the career ladder. The way they set their pay scale up its almost like the WANT people to leave.

Its not wrong, its capitalism in its pure form. The era of employees being loyal to companies and vise-versa is long dead. For my generation its the free agent labor market.

To quote Adam Smith:
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."

Or something a bit more recent Ice-T: "Don't hate the player hate the game"

Just my $.02

I am sorry to get under your skin, GoldiesPlating. I think some drivers can learn several things at one time, but if a newbie has never driven a truck or straight shift, there is a lot to learn, just about the truck. I think some could and do well starting with a flat bed, but some will not. I don't think you will find much churning, as you put it, between segments of the trucking industry. Most people leave a company to go with another pulling the same type of trailer or freight. I don't see that much cross-over. I think it is best to learn one skill at a time, but there are always exceptions. If someone really wants to pull a flat bed they will probably find a way to make it work. At least with TMC and Maverick, the trainee is assigned to a trainer who will work with them to hopefully teach them about proper securement techniques. Most new drivers and newbies that I see posting here are already talking about leaving the company who trains them before they start work. I think some of these trainee's would do well by staying with the company who originally hired them.

The era of employees being loyal to companies and vise-versa is long dead.

No it isn't

Nahh YOU don't but hearing that "general advice" does. But I guess you ARE right. There are some "less than talented" drivers out there.

This is my story, and my story only, South Bound....
At 49 I had to leave a lifetime o ranching and 'get a real job'. Work never scared me, sitting doing nothing does. I won my PTDI CDL in a 7 wk course, all Van, no flats. The training ground was the mean streets o Houston, TX. I had 2 Driver Trainers get serious about talking me out of flatbedding. Said it was Dirty Work.
You did construction? Almost cowboyin', less manure. :wink:
I hired on to flatbed - 60+ days 'outta school'. And I never looked back.
1.6yrs solo. I'm lovin' it. You either want it or you don't - I say go for it.
You Will Learn Securement, and COmmon Sense goes a long way.
Be cautious. Be wide open to learn.
Go get it.
Just turned 51. They'll have to pry me off that big nasty open trailer, tarps n all!