Don't Do It!

I also agree. I should have been clear about that this advice had come from people outside of this site. And these people are actually the ones who now are encouraging me to do it.

Only advice he would give me is don't do it. I understand it's a rough job and what-not but this makes me want to be a truck driver even more.

Ha ha ha! You definitely have the basic flatbedder personality! As one of my trainers said, "You don't have to be crazy to be a flatbedder -- but it helps."

I give you a don't do it...don't listen to miserable people who do nothing but complain.

You don't have to be crazy to be a flatbedder -- but it helps."

I like that!

We often get the "Any advice or tips" question here. This question by itself is too much a blank slate - where do you start? The answers range from from "Get some Vice Grips™, to "Always scale your load". Just too much for a new-to-the-business person to digest.

And with 25 years doing flatbed, your friend has already forgotten more than you'll learn in school.

It's always wonderful to get advice from an experienced person, but they just don't know where to start, and a newbie doesn't know either. Also, it sounds like your buddy could tell you flatbed stories that would make you want to never get into any truck at all!

So his short answer is a simple "don't do it!". Others have posted about flatbed vs dry van. It's all good advice to help you make an informed decision of your own.

My advice: just do it. You'll be OK.

Hey, why not listen to "The Flatbed Chick"? She wanted to be a flatbedder. She paid her dues and finally became one. She really likes her work.

In this Q&A video she answers questions about her career, her truck, how she deals with some aspects of her job, flatbedding in general, and how to pick a company to drive for. She is earnest, honest, and loves what she does. Your mileage may vary, but as you've probably seen here and elsewhere, flatbedding gets done by the people that want to do it.