First Year Solo. Knight Flatbed

Thanks Chief I appreciate the sites. Now I need to know how to fold the excess strap and put it in the rub rail lol. I'm sure it's not difficult, I have seen only a couple flatbed drivers do that. I will surely ask one to show me when the time comes.

You know, I don't even know what size trailer I'm pulling smh. I'm guessing a 48'. I have a notebook that I'm writing things down in so I don't have to come on this site and search for what I need. Thank you for the explanation of the middle on a balanced load. I have a feeling I will be back at that place so this will help.

Chief, your advice is definitely not going to waste. Noones advice is. I'm definitely taking it all in and studying them. Like I said, I have my notebook here and reviewing all the info I get.

That is an awful story about Dave Reid. Sheesh. Hope he is doing well. The one thing I did take from it, that changed my view is to not chase the money. Life comes first.

Sheesh Anne, glad nothing serious happened with that load. That is exactly what I'm afraid of happening to me. I can't let that hold me back though, I will continue to ask questions, study and do research. If I feel too uncomfortable with a load I will just let my DM know I can't do it for safety reasons.

Yes I have read that post, twice, and thank you for putting it on here. It needs to be read by future flatbed drivers

And I hope this moment isn't just a blur, I want to remember this, all of it. Hopefully it will be a memory I can look back on and say to myself I made it through successfully!

So today is Monday, I put my truck in the shop Friday and it wasn't ready until 430pm. I sat around the terminal allll day! I hope the steering is fixed and the vibration is gone. I didn't get a chance to continue my run today because I made a mistake with the aluminum ingots that I keep referring to as sows. I guess they are the same thing but all the drivers keep calling them ingots...

While I was waiting for my truck to get fixed at the terminal, my DM went into the yard to check on my load. He then calls me and asks why aren't they tarped? Oops.... I told him I didnt know they needed to be. He sounded frustrated and said everything gets tarped unless he tells me otherwise. Well that's nice to know now, I guess better late than never. Immediately I think, if I was trained properly and there was better communication then I would have known. Instead, I'm thrown out there on my own having to figure things out. Obviously I don't say that to him, I apologize and tell him I will tarp the load.

Ice has formed around the aluminum and he says not to deliver it today. Tells me to put it in the shop bay overnight so it can defrost. So now the trailer is in there defrosting and I am in the truck waiting till morning to tarp and deliver the load. This is exactly what I mean by the lack of communication at this terminal, how was I supposed to know everything gets tarped.... Hopefully all goes well tomorrow.

Yep .. that day is forever etched in my mind; in 'Kodachrome' & 'Memorex' (if you're not too young to know those two, haha!) The one (and only) time I threw straps, with no clue wtf ... bet I know your feeling. I didn't even make the softball team, but 'that day' I sure could PITCH! LoL...

YouTube was our BFF back then! Take this DOWN TIME, and look at some! I wish I knew the 'best' open deck guy/gal to watch... but this lil' gal is about my size, but way younger! (At least she's cute & entertaining, LoL!)

Pinay Trucker Gal / 2 short female FLATBEDDERS! This was here in Ohio, haha!

It's always something....not just open deck, though. I'd IMAGINE those billets would absoLUTELY freeze...sheesh. Don't lick them to see, LoL! Remember stop signs??? Auuughh!!! Kids, we were; Tomboy I still am, tho!

You're a bigger/better man than many, ya know. Sticking it out is tantamount. For you, for your career.

If you ever need to 'switch back' (NOT DROP BACK!) to dry van , SO ?!?!? Man card follows you, as a Knight Driver.

I'm always following, ya know!

Just me;

~ Anne ~ (and Tom!)

Two sides

I took some pictures today of my pvc pipe load as a follow-up to the way that I do my straps see below.

The first one is the folded strap laying on the deck with just the tip of the fold at the edge of the rub rail.

The second one is the view from the top after I've hand tightened the strap.

The third one is the bottom view of the strap where you can see just the tip of the fold extending down just into the rub rail.

The fourth one is the stake pocket winch that I used because I only had one winch on each side and I needed a third so I used my stake pocket winch.

The fifth one is the excess folded up behind the stake pocket winch and the sixth picture is the bungie wrapped around holding excess in place.

Chief Brody,

By the looks of that rubber bungee your nice rolled strap won't be for long. Just kidding because your neatness is to be appreciated. Just get some new bungees.

Impressive Chief.

It's always something....not just open deck, though. I'd IMAGINE those billets would absoLUTELY freeze...sheesh. Don't lick them to see, LoL! Remember stop signs??? Auuughh!!! Kids, we were; Tomboy I still am, tho!

Be assured I won't lick them, not even on a triple dog dare

I have seen Pinay trucker gal on YouTube. Yes she is entertaining. I've been watching many videos trying to see which ones are more educational for my purpose, there are a lot of good ones. I don't know Kodachrome but I do remember Memorex, brings me back to those days of recording songs from the stereo... those were good times lol

I'm not concerned about my "MAN CARD" I know who I am. Thanks as always for following Anne. I do enjoy those jesting comments you leave also.

Chief Brody,

By the looks of that rubber bungee your nice rolled strap won't be for long. Just kidding because your neatness is to be appreciated. Just get some new bungees.

Yes, they are super neat lol. Looks like I can fold them the same as the excess of a ratchet strap?.....

Also Chief, what is your routine of strapping a load? I understand I'm a rookie but it seems as if I'm taking way too long strapping and securing a load. I prep the winch side first, putting the straps needed into the winch then throw each one over. I then go to the other side and get them hooked either on the rub bar or the lip underneath the trailer. I go back over to the winch side and hand roll them until they are snug and tighten them down. I actually don't "hand" roll them anymore as I bought a winch winder which is very helpful!! I also am throwing too much over. I'm not able to judge how long the strap needs to be to make it to the other side. I should have taken a pic of my load today but I got my butt kicked and am tired. It took me 4hrs to secure a load on a Conestoga trailer today.

Unloaded those Aluminum ignots/billets today at Cressona. Took me 3hrs un-tarping, folding the tarps and un-straping. Eating away at my 14hr clock....When I finally pulled up to get unloaded the forklift operator jokingly said "are you ready now?" lol. He guessed correcly that I was new to this and I asked him for any tips on un-tarping, he didn't have any but told me I could go inside to un-tarp instead of doing it in the cold.

After I got unloaded I picked up a load from here. Rail equipment going to 4 different places. Alro Steele in Toledo, Schupan & Sons in Toledo, Winzeler stamping Co in Montpelier OH and Arlo Steele in Detroit. This will be my first multi stop run and first time pulling a Conestoga trailer

I already know it's going to be a headache unloading because this trailer is beat up. The wheels for the curtain are rusted and it was a to do trying to get it open. I called my DM to ask him how to open it and also watched a quick YouTube video, it seemed easy until I realized the wheels are rusted and it doesn't fold easily. This thing kicked my butt. I meant to take a pic of the load but I was so exhausted and cold that I forgot, I have a total of 9 straps on here and it took me 4hrs from start to finish. Not even going to drive today, staying at Cressona and will leave in the morning. Each load I'm assigned is getting harder and harder lol. I miss those Aluminum beams....

To all the flatbed drivers, is there a faster way of un-tarping and securing a load? I need some type of system, it's taking way too long to do those things. 7hrs of my 14hr clock gone just from unloading and securing a load.

Have to mention I met 2 flatbed drivers at Cressona. One of them helped me fold a tarp and showed me his way, which seems to be better than what I have been doing so far. I am starting to see that brotherhood between flatbed drivers....