Flatbed Really Interests Me But Is It A Bad Idea For A Greenhorn?

I have worked the past 20 years in the telecommunications industry. My job consists of handling and carrying a 95lb ladder on a regular basis working in all types of extreme weather here in WV. Crawling under houses, working in attics, driving a company pickup with no accidents, keeping customers happy, ect, ect. i love working with my hands and in my mind a physically demanding job is both mentally and physically healthy for me. TMC has shown interest in me and I feel like I am ready to make a move but I know nothing about trucking and don't want to make a bad decision right off the bat. Any input on this decision would be much appreciated.

Dan E I remember your initial post. Not sure if you were properly introduced to the links we suggest anyone review considering trucking as a career:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road Training Program

These three links will help you make an informed decision with a realistic set of expectations and goals. The High Road is a CBT designed to help a newbie successfully pass their CDL permit tests.

As far as becoming a flatbed driver right out of school it's a viable and realistic option many entry level drivers have chosen on this forum.

TMC is a great company, can't go wrong with that choice.

Good luck!

Thanks G-Town I appreciate that. I have been around much longer than I have been posting messages and I am ready to do this. Been studying the high road and feel like I can ace those tests. I never considered TMC because their website doesn't include WV as a hiring area for their training program. I want to be a truck driver and I know that learning to drive a truck is tough in itself. Throw in load securement and I don't want to get in over my head. This TMC interest really excited me.

i love working with my hands and in my mind a physically demanding job is both mentally and physically healthy for me.

Dan, that statement describes me perfectly. I started my trucking career, much like you, as a second career. I started out doing flat-bed work because that was what appealed to me. As long as you are aware that you are going to face more challenges in getting started than a dry-van driver you should be mentally prepared to face those challenges.

There are some advantages to just starting out as a dry van driver. There is so much to learn and get accustomed to when starting this career. There is scheduling and planning, learning to manage your time efficiently, just the sheer difference of lifestyle, and a host of other things that come with the territory. When you add on top of that the techniques and practices of learning how to secure a flat-bed load securely and safely, and working outside in extreme weather at times, you really are piling on a lot of extra stress on a new driver. It really comes down to your ability to cope with the added responsibilities of a flat-bed job, and from your description of yourself it sounds like those extra challenges are gratifying to you, which is the same way I felt about it all.

There's different ways of looking at this whole scenario, but you also have to consider that these flat-bed companies that hire new drivers all the time, like TMC, are aware of the challenges of their job, and they have spent years trying to perfect a method of getting you up to speed for the challenges ahead. They certainly don't want to see a load of I-Beams come sliding into your cab or a "suicide coil" crushing through the sleeper any more than you do. The training in load securement at TMC is excellent - almost reduntantly retentive - but that is important.

If for some reason TMC does not work out there are still other flat-bed companies out there with great training programs. I started at Western Express, and even though I did not have a very good trainer I realized how important that four weeks was with my trainer to expose me to all the different types of freight we would be securing. I still learn stuff all the time, it is a amazing how much is involved in doing a really good job at this, but I think from the way you described yourself you are a perfect fit to jump right in here with both feet.

One other thing - most of these flat-bed companies have a dedicated department of people whom the drivers can call if they come across something they are not sure how to secure properly. With all the modern technology available to us now days it is easy to send a photo with an email or a text message and get instant advice from an expert on how you should handle something if you are not sure what to do.

We wish you the best, and we would love for you to keep us informed on how things develop for you. There are a lot of folks who would benefit from, and enjoy following along with your progress along the way.

Good luck!

I have been around here for a while and I admit this reply is the one I most looked forward to. Thank you old school and your words have only inspired me more. I am going to need you for advice in the future and I know I will be able to count on you. Thanks again

Glad to help Dan.

I'm in here fairly often, and am glad to put in my two cents if it will help somebody. Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out for you!

Well now.....I am a flatbed driver and am nearing my one year mark. I started with one of the flatbed companies, Melton, and they did a good job in teaching me the basics.......but after six months I parted ways.........Realize that all flatbed companies that hire greenhorns and experienced drivers have an approximately 2% retention rate after six months. This applies to drivers with experience and newly minted CDL holders. TMC, Melton, and the others all run their programs from the same playbook. The pay is generally around .41 cents to start and goes up from there.....They offer insurance, retirement and other benefits. Currently I work for a small company (2 trucks) and have no benefits from them but I get 35% of the rate. I belong to TVC Pro Driver Inc......they will insure you for $49 dollars a month which includes your spouse......not too shabby for the "bronze" package, other insurance companies wanted close to $800 a month...ouch! They also will fight your tickets and scale violations unlike your parent company. They have other benefits you can check it out on your own........I am not selling them I am just telling you what I did so that I could afford health insurance....as mandated by the government..........You need to protect yourself because sure a shiat your parent company will gladly sacrifice you for themselves.......If I worked at a large company I would take their insurance as well as TVC....just my two cents.

The work can be difficult, and the learning curve steep...I have found that when I got into trouble that other flatbed drivers were willing to help....including the remarks...lol.....ok not all will, but most will, if you have the spirit of helping others then it will demonstrate what trucking is all about.

What I wish I had when I started:...my own truck GPS, (Qualcomms not always good plus a back up is nice when stuff goes wrong), a smart phone with blue tooth headset, A back up light for my cab.......why you may ask?....well when you are backing up into a dark bay with an inch of clearance on either side...and you cannot see ....,....the sun is shining in you eyes .....it is truly blind backing and I have seen drivers come in crooked and pop tires and what not......absolutely stupid when companies pay lip service to safety and will not equip a truck with a cab back up light....Yes, you will learn how to do it but every time is an adventure one can live without. Learn how to adjust your own brakes...it is easy and if you do it right your trailer brakes engage before your drives and your steers engage last....very safe that way........, You will have to buy your own spare fuses, bulbs and minor tools.......but in a pinch it beats sitting on the road for 3 hours waiting for someone to come along and get you going....plus the safety thing once again rears its head. BTW, if your headlamp goes out while you are driving and you do not stop and replace it, you can and will be stopped and ticketed even tho you were going to change it out at the next load check......DOT are not your friends.......a technique I have used it to drive with my hazards on until I could get to a place to do a change out. Flashlights, bring 3 or four of them.....they go bad easy, multiple pairs of gloves, coveralls, other things you will choose as you progress...........Another thing I would definitely consider in choosing a company is this....truck companies have come out with, in my opinion the most unsafe feature.....It is called a super single tire.......so instead of duals on the drives they use a single tire.......when the tire blow you damage the rim and tire.......the handling quality suffers. In wet, slick weather they are the worst...Duals are much safer and easier to control if you blow a tire....and yes you will blow a tire.....

If you like driving and working on a load...each one is different you will enjoy flatbed.....but be careful...do not hurry and hurt you back or shoulders etc........play safe and you will have a great adventure.....I know I have......

One more thing....look at Old School's picture, you will have days like these......

Well now.....I am a flatbed driver and am nearing my one year mark. I started with one of the flatbed companies, Melton, and they did a good job in teaching me the basics.......but after six months I parted ways.........Realize that all flatbed companies that hire greenhorns and experienced drivers have an approximately 2% retention rate after six months. This applies to drivers with experience and newly minted CDL holders. TMC, Melton, and the others all run their programs from the same playbook. The pay is generally around .41 cents to start and goes up from there.....They offer insurance, retirement and other benefits. Currently I work for a small company (2 trucks) and have no benefits from them but I get 35% of the rate. I belong to TVC Pro Driver Inc......they will insure you for $49 dollars a month which includes your spouse......not too shabby for the "bronze" package, other insurance companies wanted close to $800 a month...ouch! They also will fight your tickets and scale violations unlike your parent company. They have other benefits you can check it out on your own........I am not selling them I am just telling you what I did so that I could afford health insurance....as mandated by the government..........You need to protect yourself because sure a shiat your parent company will gladly sacrifice you for themselves.......If I worked at a large company I would take their insurance as well as TVC....just my two cents.

The work can be difficult, and the learning curve steep...I have found that when I got into trouble that other flatbed drivers were willing to help....including the remarks...lol.....ok not all will, but most will, if you have the spirit of helping others then it will demonstrate what trucking is all about.

What I wish I had when I started:...my own truck GPS, (Qualcomms not always good plus a back up is nice when stuff goes wrong), a smart phone with blue tooth headset, A back up light for my cab.......why you may ask?....well when you are backing up into a dark bay with an inch of clearance on either side...and you cannot see ....,....the sun is shining in you eyes .....it is truly blind backing and I have seen drivers come in crooked and pop tires and what not......absolutely stupid when companies pay lip service to safety and will not equip a truck with a cab back up light....Yes, you will learn how to do it but every time is an adventure one can live without. Learn how to adjust your own brakes...it is easy and if you do it right your trailer brakes engage before your drives and your steers engage last....very safe that way........, You will have to buy your own spare fuses, bulbs and minor tools.......but in a pinch it beats sitting on the road for 3 hours waiting for someone to come along and get you going....plus the safety thing once again rears its head. BTW, if your headlamp goes out while you are driving and you do not stop and replace it, you can and will be stopped and ticketed even tho you were going to change it out at the next load check......DOT are not your friends.......a technique I have used it to drive with my hazards on until I could get to a place to do a change out. Flashlights, bring 3 or four of them.....they go bad easy, multiple pairs of gloves, coveralls, other things you will choose as you progress...........Another thing I would definitely consider in choosing a company is this....truck companies have come out with, in my opinion the most unsafe feature.....It is called a super single tire.......so instead of duals on the drives they use a single tire.......when the tire blow you damage the rim and tire.......the handling quality suffers. In wet, slick weather they are the worst...Duals are much safer and easier to control if you blow a tire....and yes you will blow a tire.....

If you like driving and working on a load...each one is different you will enjoy flatbed.....but be careful...do not hurry and hurt you back or shoulders etc........play safe and you will have a great adventure.....I know I have......

Doesn't seem like you are a good fit for this job. Why do you keep at it?

One more thing....look at Old School's picture, you will have days like these......

Oh George, everything you say tells me you were never meant to be a flat-bedder!

That picture of me embodies the whole spirit of what makes a good flat-bedder. I was enjoying the heck out of that day! I still remember it. I almost fell of my trailer because of the layer of ice on it, and the folks at the place I was at started laughing and clapping at the show I put on just to stay on my feet on the ice. So... I took a bow and finished off the whole show with a pirouette to much applause!

Yes it can be a tough gig, but that's what makes it so rewarding for the folks who have that kind of self reliant spirit and rugged determinism in them.