[kbraut832]

Hi all...Looking for the best flatbed (would consider dry van if the pay is right) company for an experienced driver. Been in the oilfield hotshot business and the company I'm working for is selling out. I'd consider lease purchase as well (i'm aware of "fleece" practices). I'm just looking for the best pay out there, not worried about benefits, spouse has us covered there. Direct deposit, good rates, no qualcomm or spy eyes (I use loose-leaf logs), etc....is more important. I have oversize experience as well, no Twic but can get one, prefer no Canada or Mexico as well. I'm in the Houston, TX area and would like to get by the house every other week or so. Let the recommendations begin!! Thanks!!

[Roadhog]

I hear good things about TMC Transport.

[edit...I just noticed you don't want Qualcomm...and TMC Transport uses it.]

TMC Transport

[DaveP]

You may as well get experience with electronic logging/satellite and learn how to "work it" now, and the sooner the better....it's NOT going away.

[kbraut832]

I have experience with electronic logging/satellite and could use it if I have to and the money is right. I just don't like being told when I'm tired and when I'm not.

[Roadhog]

Tandem Transport was another company I took an interest in some years back. Tandem Transport Corp Home - Join Our Team

[kbraut832]

Thanks, checked out Tandem's website, they don't hire out of Texas. Got an app in with Lone Star and Road Runner Transport, we'll see where that goes for now.

[plentygood]

Have a look at Maverick.

[catalinaflyer]

Originally Posted by kbraut832

Thanks, checked out Tandem's website, they don't hire out of Texas. Got an app in with Lone Starand Road Runner Transport, we'll see where that goes for now.

From a former Lone Star driver I can tell you that you will make money with them, that's not an issue and maybe being in the Houston area they'll do better at getting you home. I was with them for a short period and getting home was not an option. There is (or was) a serious disconnect between dispatch and the load planners. You could tell dispatch that you need to go home, your due to go home, your past your home time and the load planner only sees an empty truck on his/her screen, what kind of trailer you have and what level you are and puts a load on you without any knowledge or care about where you want or need to go.

However with that being said, they do pay you everything your owed, the equpment is excellent, the big boss Joe Bird andwers his phone and they do take care of the driver in the pay department. They also have a lot of business in and out of south Texas for Cat since all Cat loads going to and from Mexico go through Lone Star in Laredo. Or at least thats the way it used to be things may have changed since I left. I know the load planner that I got into it with was let go a week after I left the company. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding his termination but I do know of a few other drivers on his board that left around the same time I did and I can only hope that had something to do with it. My dispatcher on the other hand was probably one of the best I have ever had. She was a former heavy hauler with the company but had some heart problems and lost her medical so they put her in the office and she really knew her stuff. Not many dispatchers that can tell you where EXACTLY to position a D9 to get the weight dead perfect but she could.

I see it's been a while since your post so you may have already made a decision. I'm now with a specialized company that's small in comparison to Lone Star but they run me from my home out and back and the only thing I haul is oversized loads of aircraft components for Boeing. Unfortunatley they do not run to south Tejas much, all our over the border stuff is Herc-ed not jerked (flown in and out on C-130 Hercules aircraft). The equipment we run runs the gauntlet from the 2006 Volvo that I'm driving to new T660 KW's and 386 Pete's. As for trailers, we pull everything from extendable RGN's to flats to conestogas to a few vans. The pay is phenominal, the trucks are not cut back unless you start getting tickets or your CSA goes into the high yellow then you get cut to 65. We have APU's, qual-com, 5000w inverters and real refrigerators. No idle policy but you are expected to use the apu and not idle. For me that has not been an issue till today because I run 11-10 till I get back to the house where I reset my log and hit it again. However yesterday morning I pulled into the J in Casper only to notice antifreeze dripping all over under the front of the truck. I opened the hood to find a crack in the top tank of the radiator about 3" long spraying straight up onto the bottom of the hood. Being Saturday I'm stuck sitting here with a 14' wide load waiting till the Volvo dealer here opens Monday morning instead of getting home this morning and starting my 34 restart at the house. The up-side, the shop did tell me to keep track of my hours and expenses while sitting here because the minute the truck broke down I'm on the clock.

[crawfish]

Originally Posted by catalinaflyer

From a former Lone Star driver I can tell you that you will make money with them, that's not an issue and maybe being in the Houston area they'll do better at getting you home. I was with them for a short period and getting home was not an option. There is (or was) a serious disconnect between dispatch and the load planners. You could tell dispatch that you need to go home, your due to go home, your past your home time and the load planner only sees an empty truck on his/her screen, what kind of trailer you have and what level you are and puts a load on you without any knowledge or care about where you want or need to go.

However with that being said, they do pay you everything your owed, the equpment is excellent, the big boss Joe Bird andwers his phone and they do take care of the driver in the pay department. They also have a lot of business in and out of south Texas for Cat since all Cat loads going to and from Mexico go through Lone Star in Laredo. Or at least thats the way it used to be things may have changed since I left. I know the load planner that I got into it with was let go a week after I left the company. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding his termination but I do know of a few other drivers on his board that left around the same time I did and I can only hope that had something to do with it. My dispatcher on the other hand was probably one of the best I have ever had. She was a former heavy hauler with the company but had some heart problems and lost her medical so they put her in the office and she really knew her stuff. Not many dispatchers that can tell you where EXACTLY to position a D9 to get the weight dead perfect but she could.

I see it's been a while since your post so you may have already made a decision. I'm now with a specialized company that's small in comparison to Lone Star but they run me from my home out and back and the only thing I haul is oversized loads of aircraft components for Boeing. Unfortunatley they do not run to south Tejas much, all our over the border stuff is Herc-ed not jerked (flown in and out on C-130 Hercules aircraft). The equipment we run runs the gauntlet from the 2006 Volvo that I'm driving to new T660 KW's and 386 Pete's. As for trailers, we pull everything from extendable RGN's to flats to conestogas to a few vans. The pay is phenominal, the trucks are not cut back unless you start getting tickets or your CSA goes into the high yellow then you get cut to 65. We have APU's, qual-com, 5000w inverters and real refrigerators. No idle policy but you are expected to use the apu and not idle. For me that has not been an issue till today because I run 11-10 till I get back to the house where I reset my log and hit it again. However yesterday morning I pulled into the J in Casper only to notice antifreeze dripping all over under the front of the truck. I opened the hood to find a crack in the top tank of the radiator about 3" long spraying straight up onto the bottom of the hood. Being Saturday I'm stuck sitting here with a 14' wide load waiting till the Volvo dealer here opens Monday morning instead of getting home this morning and starting my 34 restart at the house. The up-side, the shop did tell me to keep track of my hours and expenses while sitting here because the minute the truck broke down I'm on the clock.

who do u work for now? do they hire out of louisiana?

[INKTOXICATED]

I do flatbed here in jersey same place for 5 years.I know we have a plant out there in texas. check out pulling for GAF drivers are hired thru centerline drivers.I know they have all the gaf accounts. hourly pay o/t after 8. summer time usually 60 plus hours a weeks. has its slow periods tho. winter drys up bad unless there having a sale. here in jersey were drving 2012 cascadia daycabs with dd15 pulling 48 ft trailers. trailers are not airride so they ride like dog**** around the city. trucks are not slip seated. there leased thru rider at 65-70mph(ungoing issue getting all trucks set the same). no qaulcomm or gps. just the honor system that your working hard and not sleeping behind a store somehwere. many guys abuse this still because the management doesent pay attention. its slow right now here in jersey. there farming work out to other carriers, but they said there fixing the rates and should p/u again. never been this slow in summer.only 3 days a week last month!! gotta tarp home depot loads and loads of felt.all local. hours are 3am to around 1-4pm yard guy is supposed to tarp loads but hes a lazy **** and does nothing. beyond be how he keeps his job. prolly the easiest best paying job i had in trucking. just hope it picks up because cant afford 3 days aweek. im at 19.25 no idea what they do in texas