Regional Flatbed As A Woman
Topic 29227 | Page 1
Are there any other ladies here who run flatbeds and can give some insight on it? Im considering it but wondering how others have handled it as I know it can be a lot more work and more physically taxing.
Howdy, Morgan; and welcome to Trucking Truth!!
I'm sorry it's taken so long for anyone to get back to you; we don't have a lot of female flatbed drivers in our forum, (and I'm not one of them, haha!) But this awesome lady, Half Pint, comes to mind; and here's some of her threads that will hopefully enlighten you.
Not sure of your experience level, ie: have you had your CDL and been driving for some time, already?
Check out her posts here:
Hope to see you back around these parts, and good luck on your quest~!
~ Anne ~
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Turtle once discussed how some women created hoists and pulleys to lift the tarps.
Turtle once discussed how some women created hoists and pulleys to lift the tarps.
I wish I could find those posts, been looking to no avail~!! Tom's niece is considering going into trucking . . and is interested in flatbed. If you ever find that, leme know! Thanks!
I might hit up 'half pint' as well.. hmm.....
Can't find anything here or elsewhere. Dang.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Hi Morgan, I'm a woman flatbed (stepdeck) owner operator. What insight are you specifically looking for? yes, the physical aspect of flat bedding can tax you more than men but it's not impossible. Being an O/O I choose what level of physical activity I engage. I can't lift heavy tarps over my head nor do I want to so I don't carry them. Chains and binders are pretty easy: I carry one or 2 binders at a time and make a couple more trips to the back of the trailer. There are some up-sides: When I'm rolling up my straps usually I'll get a guy who will often help me out of courtesy. I do the same! We help one another out here, it's customary. Same thing for tarping. Generally you help the driver in front or behind you when you're waiting in line to unload if there is a line to begin with. Don't let the physical aspect of flat bedding scare you girl, go fir it! One of my best girlfriends, before she retired for health reasons, was 4'11 tall and weighed maybe 100lbs and she carried heavy tarps! To this day I can't figure out how she managed but she did! You don't need to be a 5'10 200lb woman who can sling a100 pound tarp over your head to flatbed, but you do need the confidence that anything is possible because I'm living proof!
Hope this helps,
Sophia SD Owner Operator
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
Stepdeck:
A stepdeck , also referred to as "dropdeck", is a type of flatbed trailer that has one built in step to the deck to provide the capabilities of loading higher dimensional freight on the lower deck.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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Are there any other ladies here who run flatbeds and can give some insight on it? Im considering it but wondering how others have handled it as I know it can be a lot more work and more physically taxing.