The First Week Of Hauling Flat Bed Is In The Books!

Finally back home after a long and busy week hauling metal coil. I started off Monday afternoon linking up with my Trainer and heading over to Novelis in Oswego NY to pick up five pallets of metal coil bound for Ball metal beverage in Middletown NY. We got down to to the loading dock and start to get loaded (Here I thought I was finished bumping docks not so). My trainer took me through placing the coils (Palletized eye vertical) and securing the pallets. When everything was finished I was pulling 65,000 pounds of metal coil. We headed off for Middletown around 7 P.M. arrived at 11:30 P.M. unloaded by 1:00 A.M. and headed back to Oswego. Tuesday night was basically the same except when we got back to Oswego we swapped out trailers for regular flat beds and headed over to the hot mill for another coil load. I got a chance to load and secure and cover a large coil (eye horizontal orientation length wise on the trailer). Wednesday night it was load of coils head to Ball metal beverage in Saratoga springs NY the coils were larger and the load consisted of just four pallets. The difference between Saratoga and Middletown is in Saratoga we hand unload the coils. Basically I'm running at night to deliver because most of the coils are used up the next day. So pretty much I'm going to be running coil between Middletown and Saratoga every night during the week. I actually went Solo to Saratoga last night and it went off with out a hitch. I'm looking forward to getting more experience under belt and keep those wheels turning.

That's totally AWESOME, Chris~!!!

Flatbedding fascinates the heck outta me; sadly something my hubby was never fond of.

Pictures next time, perhaps ?!?!? (For 'ME?')

Congrats, sir; take care and KUDOS!

Anne ~ :)

ps: You were awesome on Brett's Sirius XM show, btw.

Made it through my second week Solo delivered two loads of coil to Middletown Sunday and Monday night and one load to Saratoga springs Tuesday night. My weight fluctuated between 63.5k to 65k. For those loads I have a permeant assigned trailer a three Axl Rolltight. My routine is pretty much the same I go over to the mill check in and head down to the cold mill shipping and receiving dock. I back into the building and bump the dock. I slide back the cover and raise the dock ramp and get it set for the forklift. Most of the time the shipping guys will have the coils already staged for loading close to the dock so loading will go quick. The load spacing is the first two pallets forward then a gap between the last three pallets loaded over the axles. I can't be on the trailer when the pallets are being loaded so I have to wait until all five pallets are loaded before I can start securing them. Right now it's taking me about an hour and a half to get all five of the pallets secured. I know I will get faster as I do more loads. Once everything is secure I slide the cover back and get my paperwork and go and scale out- of course I show my NYS Overweight permit on the way out. My route to Middletown basically takes me from Oswego NY to Route 81 south to Binghamton NY then Route 17 east to Middletown NY and delivery. I usually will stop at the Whitney Point rest stop to do my load secure check then back on the road. Wednesday I had to load up a 31,000lb coil from the "Hot Mill" side of the mill. One of our other drivers was getting loaded at the same time and he gave me a hand getting the coil secured. I then I hauled that flatbed down to Baldwinsville NY for another driver to pick up Thursday morning. Thursday morning I hauled a Dry Van of coffee to Rochester NY and picked up a load of Wine and brought it back to the yard that afternoon. Then I picked up an empty flatbed and brought it back to our yard in Oswego NY and that finished out my week. I talked to my FM before I headed out and he told me it's going to get real busy in the coming weeks so I expect I'll be hauling alot of coils and keeping the wheels turning.

That’s awesome Chris L. I’m glad they are keeping you busy! Stay safe out there and sing them chains!