Flatbed with no experience

I've asked A couple of Flatbed guys the same question, and the standard answer was it's all common sense. But I would have to think that in certain situations a little experience could go a long way.

 

Well, I had quite a bit of training, and I was still nervous, but managed to get by without mishap. I was new to driving too, so it was a pretty steep learning curve. I had a much harder time learning tarping than securement, it's kind of an art, it just takes practice. I've found that the small, oddball stuff is more difficult to secure well than the big stuff. The load securement guides you see are pretty straightforward on securing big stuff, like coils and lumber, but you have to take small/unusual stuff as it comes.

The good news is that there's some camaraderie among flatbedders, so you can usually get some help or advice if you're loading somewhere with other trucks. You might also get some bad advice that way, so be careful. If you decide to go this route, let us know on here, I'd be glad to be sort of "on call" when you need it, and I'm sure there are others.

 

I started out as a company driver and had to run team for awhile that was just the company policy for who I was working for back then. I have seen companies take a O/O and team him up with another driver (separate trucks) and load them at the same place and they both deliver to the same place and do this for a week and some just have a load securement class during orientation. The carrier I am with use to do that but know they require 6 months flatbed experience.

 

Unless it is a TMC or Prime driver.

 

Yeah, I should have said "real flatbedders." I actually started out with Schneider (when they still hauled glass) and I was surprised how willing some of the older hands were to help a snot-nosed Schneider driver. I do my best to pay that forward to new flatbedders, some take help and advice better than others. I figure the "I can do it by myself!" crowd won't be around too long..

 

10-4 on the authority, my bad. I friend of mine did that sold his reefer and bought a flatbed and hit the road. He just asked other drivers or called me, it has been two years know and he has no plans of returning to reefers.

 

I hadn't run a flatbed since the 70's when I leased on to Mercer.... they gave me a one day 'securement course' and set me free...

 

Hey OPTIMUS PRIME,
Go to JJ Keller's web site where you can order the CARGO SECREMENT handbook for drivers. It will tell you and show with pictures how to secure just about anything you will be hauling.