Flatbed Companies That Hire Newbies

I'm fresh out of school and got hired by Maverick in Little Rock, Arkansas to drive in their Glass Division. I'm starting with them this Sunday coming up, very excited!!

Check out Tandem Transport Corp, www.tand.com They hire new drivers, and are a really good company.

Tracy, I've seen very few and a couple are Ladies that are petite and generally gets help because of their looks and how they flirt. Melton drivers have a lot of the same pick ups so it's normal for multiple Running Rabbits to just secure (most of us are OCD about securing OUR way) their loads and then go from truck to truck helping each other tarp. BUT I have met a few that are the Tom boy types just generalizing for you can get a perspective of them. I mean I went through orientation with a Lady named Jasmine She was maybe 25 and had no trouble with the 100 pound tarps. It depends on you and how willing you are to push yourself. Flatbedding is great money no doubt. but theres a reason, its a very dangerous job, and its very VERY hands on work. I started at 155 pounds and when I took leave I was in the shape BMI wise (body mass index) percentage of fat to muscle % as I was deployed in combat lugging 80 pound gear all day and the PT. And I didn't work out. during orientation you'll need to dead lift a 95 pound tarp from the ground (lift with your legs) to the deck of the trailer. and our trailers are aluminum so they bow. I'm 6'4 and for me it was chest height. Funny part, that isn't the test that knocks out most candidates its the balancing test Balance on one leg 30 seconds then the other. It gets a lot of people, more than the tarp or drug test. See if you can lift 95 pounds PROPERLY lift with legs, not back. then the balance. and we hair test, we go back 7 months. No tolerance for substance use. unless you had a script and if it's a illegal substance don't risk it. I hope that answered your question if not feel free to ask more questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. It's a huge factor in the decision of your career where a positive on a drug screen will end it before it begins. Remember, that 48000-49000 pound load that the shipper puts on YOUR trailer is your responsibility to be loaded properly and not uneven. Then you have to secure that load so it wont move. My thing when secure was am I comfortable enough for my family to ride next to my trailer my entire trip and know it wont come off and hurt someone. Trucking is a stressful life style, Flatbedding and the rules make it just that much harder. I had a receiver drop a maybe 30ish thousand pound beam on my trailer and just wreck it. if they want you on or near the trailer that can kill you. once again if you have more question i've been with Melton for a pretty penny and I am a road recruiter. So if I can't answer your question correctly I can call someone who can.

Thank you for the honest answer. I ran step with my ex and liked the physical labor. Tarping was not one of my favorite things and I sure could not left one on my own and I know that - I tried. They weigh more than I do :). I can left a 100lb hay bale but not to the height of a flatbed. As for securing loads and being sure the weight is correct is a big issue and every driver should be aware of this and be safety concise, I was taught well and always checked the load when we stopped. Guess I will look more at starting with a dry van and go from there. Be safe where ever the road takes you.

I mean you only have to lift the tarp trailer height during the PT part of orientation one time, just to prove you can do it. I'm a fairly fit male in the prime of my life and I stand over 6'ft I make fork lifts to my tarps up, or I set them on the cat walk, walk up the APU steps. then its a matter of lifting them 2ft on to the deck, lol. My thing, was, work smart, not hard. Winter time at Melton its 100% tarp. Atleast it always was for me. If you really want a fun career which will challenge you. Sometimes you have to build things for your load. anyway. Do some strength training, Cardio and start in that sweet spot of the seasons. Where it isn't snowing and brutally cold anymore and it's not to hot. where it's just right. That way its a lot of no tarp loads running Gerdau Rebar from the Carolinas up the gorge into Tennessee or Oklahoma. And by time you have to start slinging tarps you'll of build up muscle. I went to Melton at around 150-160lbs. Withen maybe two months without exercising or working out I was 195 about. low body fat %. Flatbed is a lot of work but if you're like me if you don't have a challenge there really isn't any reason to do something.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.