Flatbed Steel Haulers

In my home town there is a steel mill that produces steel coils and there are tons of trucks everyday picking up and hauling. I've noticed that some coils will be tarped and others are not. Does that have something to do with customer they are hauling for or the trucking company they work for? Also, is hauling steel usually a dedicated account or can it be classified as OTR as well?

Renegade, I would think that most of those loads going out are being handled by regular Over The Road drivers. There is probably some dedicated stuff going out of there, but mostly OTR. I hauled a lot of steel coils when I was an OTR flat-bed driver at Western Express. The reason some of them are tarped and some of them are not is usually based on what the customer has requested. I would sometimes haul coils that were considered food grade aluminum and steel that would be used to make cans for drinks or canned goods. Those always had to be tarped for obvious reasons - people are going to be eating out of them. We also hauled a lot of steel coils to automotive manufacturing plants where they were really particular about oxidation of the meta because they needed to be in perfect condition for the whole paint process that they would undergo. Steel coils are used for so many different things, and that is why some are tarped and some not. If the final use or process it goes through demands it then it will be tarped.

I have been to some steel mills where there were some dedicated drivers who mostly moved coils from one plant to another that was nearby. They had a special trailer with a trough down the middle of it where the coils were set. These drivers were permitted to be overweight and usually drove a tri-axle truck that made short hauls from one plant to another.

That explains a lot Old School. Is that a pretty good gig to have though when it comes to dependable miles?

I'm not sure if you are referring to a dedicated position or the OTR drivers hauling steel coils. I don't know anything about the dedicated guys. The ones I've seen are usually doing short hauls, and they probably get paid by the hour.

As an Over The Road flat-bed driver I hauled a lot of steel coils, but I also hauled anything else that would go on a flat-bed. There were miles in abundance for that type of work for sure.

Yeah...that's what I was referring to was the OTR drivers. I'm still trying to make a decision on what type of freight would suit me best and I've heard you and the other moderators say that you should always research every aspect of the job before pulling the trigger.

Renegade, there are a few flatbed outfits that specialize in hauling steel, though I've seen them hauling other stuff as well. Steelman out of Springfield, MO is one, TSH out of Nashville ( is another. CRST started out that way but has obviously diversified.

Renegade, there are a few flatbed outfits that specialize in hauling steel, though I've seen them hauling other stuff as well. Steelman out of Springfield, MO is one, TSH out of Nashville ( is another. CRST started out that way but has obviously diversified.

Bud...I also saw a company that specializes in hauling steel that looked pretty good called TLX. When I researched the company it shows that they're more centered around regional hauling and provided short and long distance runs. They look good and will accept students that have graduated from accredited truck driving schools.