For all who says flatbed is too much work
#11
05-12-2007, 11:08 PM
Originally Posted by stevedb28
Originally Posted by inmate1577
So are we supposed to be impressed that some chick won an award or because she drives a flatbed?
Dont care how long you or anyone else has been flatbedding. The reality is I dont have to climb on the trailer, I dont have secure any load, I dont have to adjust the load every 100 miles or check to see that its still on the van, I dont have to work outside in the heat or the snow and I dont have load or unload either. I also dont have deal with chains, straps, tarps etc. Granted it takes a talent to secure coil or greasy bar, I've done it. But its no even close to being as easy as dry van. I prefer easy and I dont want to become "personal with every load" :roll: I could care less what it is, just hook it up, drive it, deliver it and pay me. Some prefer to work harder, I prefer to work smarter. I just have to have more admiration for some lady getting an award doing a job that was never meant for her to do and men cant/wont do. I see I offended you, oops sorry, it was not meant to offend, it was meant to make you think. As far as working harder or smarter well, I started my driving career driving flatbed why? I couldnt find one van company that would start me over .30cpm nor get me home every weekend. So what was the smarter decision? Ya I work harder than you, what a whole 2 or 3 hrs a day on average? Ill take the extra pay for a few hours of manual labor. Not to mention I get some money for tarping and I get paid if I wait to get unloaded more than 3 hours. And did I mention Im home every weekend? So, 6 months experience and .39cpm compared to what a max of .29 at most in a van. Ill take an average of 250.00 more per week just for some manual labor. That means a van driver making .29cpm would have to drive 850 miles more than me in order to make what I make. What was you saying about working harder or smarter. Just means that someone with same experience as me has to sit on his butt a day longer than me to get the same pay as me. And that day......Im at home 
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#12
05-13-2007, 01:48 AM
HAHAHAHA - I really liked the post he made comparing Swift's governed speed. I blow past Maverick trucks just as often as the Swift's. As for them on their side, hey - I see flatbeds laying down and napping in the median just as often.
Money and hometime? I pull a dry van. I'm paid on percentage, so the pay varies. However, the load sitting on my truck right now is paying me about 49cpm. How much work is involved in it? Hmm, I opened my doors, backed into the dock, watched them load me, pulled away from the dock and closed the doors. When I get to the receiver I'll do the opposite. I'll leave out later today (4-5pm Sunday) and I'll be back home Monday evenening. I'll do that all week then be home on Friday for the weekend. I normally don't leave out on Sunday, but I get paid an extra $50 for leaving on Sunday. If you enjoy flatbedding, that's great. I will never judge someone by the type of work they do. I did flatbedding the first 6 months out and decided "hell no". To me personally, it's not worth the $30 tarp pay to crawl around on top of my truck in Charleston SC in the middle of August at noon.
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#13
05-13-2007, 01:55 AM
Originally Posted by Malaki86
Money and hometime? I pull a dry van. I'm paid on percentage, so the pay varies. However, the load sitting on my truck right now is paying me about 49cpm. How much work is involved in it? Hmm, I opened my doors, backed into the dock, watched them load me, pulled away from the dock and closed the doors. When I get to the receiver I'll do the opposite. I'll leave out later today (4-5pm Sunday) and I'll be back home Monday evenening. I'll do that all week then be home on Friday for the weekend. I normally don't leave out on Sunday, but I get paid an extra $50 for leaving on Sunday.
#14
05-13-2007, 01:58 AM
Originally Posted by devildice
Originally Posted by Malaki86
Money and hometime? I pull a dry van. I'm paid on percentage, so the pay varies. However, the load sitting on my truck right now is paying me about 49cpm. How much work is involved in it? Hmm, I opened my doors, backed into the dock, watched them load me, pulled away from the dock and closed the doors. When I get to the receiver I'll do the opposite. I'll leave out later today (4-5pm Sunday) and I'll be back home Monday evenening. I'll do that all week then be home on Friday for the weekend. I normally don't leave out on Sunday, but I get paid an extra $50 for leaving on Sunday.
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#15
05-13-2007, 04:01 AM
I'm about to switch to flat bed but for me it's purely economics. I don't get into the challenge nor any other of the things the original poster put. I mean if I were rich I wouldn't be out here, so I'm here for money and to be honest to see the country which I've been doing.
They way I look at it anyone can drive a van or reefer like I do now. Maybe not great but they do it. I sit in some of these places watching whose driving a truck and I mean I see old ladies pulling van. Not that I have a problem with that, but I'm saying to my self while I'm relatively young (35) and healthy I need to cut out some of the competition. Sure I could go to Crete, but they want me to do a 6 week course and nobobdy pays me enough to live in a truck with another man. I know after a while driving reefer I could probably get on with a percentage based carrier and do well, but like I said while I'm young and healthy, I won't mind the work if the pay is commensurate with the what I'll be going through. If not then I won't stay doing it, simple as that and I'll go back to pulling a reefer.
#16
05-13-2007, 04:53 AM
So if people don't pull decks we can't be...'satisfied'...with our work? haha
I personally don't look for a job solely on what I pull. Course I've only ever had 2 trucking jobs, but if this one ends, I am not closed to pulling decks, but I'm not closed to pulling vans again either, get it? I used to pull Super B's... that was more challenging, but not more satisfying. Bring your skateboards up here buddy, tarp up every couple days at 40 below for 4 months straight, 2 feet of snow on your tarps, or 3 inches of ice from the freezng rain, then you'll see just how satisfied you can be. hahaha And women work pretty hard for equality, no need to make a big deal out of a woman succesfully doing her job. I personally don't like to be recognized as an accomplished woman driver, just an accomplished driver.
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#17
05-13-2007, 04:56 AM
PS: I get very personal with my loads too, every day when I sit down to eat. lol Can't get much more personal than digestion!! hahahah
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#18
05-13-2007, 04:58 AM
Originally Posted by LadyNorthStar
So if people don't pull decks we can't be...'satisfied'...with our work? haha
I personally don't look for a job solely on what I pull. Course I've only ever had 2 trucking jobs, but if this one ends, I am not closed to pulling decks, but I'm not closed to pulling vans again either, get it? I used to pull Super B's... that was more challenging, but not more satisfying. Bring your skateboards up here buddy :mrgreen: , tarp up every couple days at 40 below for 4 months straight, 2 feet of snow on your tarps, or 3 inches of ice from the freezng rain, then you'll see just how satisfied you can be. hahaha And women work pretty hard for equality, no need to make a big deal out of a women succesfully doing her job. I personally don't like to be recognized as an accomplished woman driver, :shock: just an accomplished driver .:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: And....do the skate-boarding up there with an "A" train....not a cheesey, :mrgreen: easy to pull "B" Train !!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
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#19
05-13-2007, 05:02 AM
Good call!!
A Trains are the most rare around here, and mostly just vans. Heard last night a guy pulling an a train (not a regular up here) got hit by a pick up, drunk driver, 2 dead, out here on my run, close to Ft Nelson. Hope it wasn't the truck driver that perished. Guess I will find out today.
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#20
05-13-2007, 05:21 AM
Saw many "A" flats in Washington and Idaho. Only company I can think of that was big on "B" flats is Mercer Trucking in Spokane. They do lot's of lumber and just a little steel.
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