Flatbed Variety

The other reason for those chains may be to keep the edges way out on the sides from cracking. Is that right or no, Pat?

Exactly. The load weighs about 30k and is 29 feet long so I need 4 chains for the length. And my comfort. The only reason to hook one chain to the other is to keep the chain pulling straight down over the strongest part of the piece. Chains go through the picking loops and connect together on top too.

Okay, this was a first for me. I've seen flat-bed drivers pulling these loads, but I've never had the privilege myself. After taking a load of aluminum seating to a new Rodeo Arena being built in Hermiston, Oregon...

I got dispatched a back haul that required me to pick up a load of extrusions from the SAPA plant in Portland, OR that delivered down to Phoenix, AZ. Not wanting to "dead-head" me all the way back to Louisiana from Phoenix, so that I could grab another load for my dedicated customer, they found me a third party load to pick up in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. There on the border of Mexico is National Onion, Inc., a warehouse facility that receives Mexican truck loads of Onions, and then forwards them on to American trucks with American, and Canadian destinations. So... I picked up this load of 900 fifty pound bags of purple onions. That's twenty pallets of onions! Now you know what 45,000 pounds of onions looks like...

What you don't know is what it smells like... my eyes are burning even inside the cab! I do love the smell of onions, but this is a bit much!

What you don't know is what it smells like... my eyes are burning even inside the cab! I do love the smell of onions, but this is a bit much!

And the people behind you.......it must look like a funeral procession with so many people crying like that!

Hopefully it will keep the bugs away, maybe?

Years ago I picked up a mixed load of produce, and the last load was like 4 pallets of onions. Well I wound up overweight on the trailer tandems and I couldn't slide them any further so I had to take move 400 pounds of onions, two 20 pound bags at a time, from the back of the trailer to the front by crouching down and walking over top of everything else. Luckily I was out West in Idaho or something and it was only about 150 degrees outside so the inside of the trailer was just about hot enough to caramelize the onions.

That was one of those days that made me question if going to college and working in a cubicle would have really been that much worse.

This thread might've scared me right out of flatbedding I was thinking of TMC or Maverick some of these pics are overwhelming!

This thread might've scared me right out of flatbedding I was thinking of TMC or Maverick some of these pics are overwhelming!

Don't let it scare you. Pat is the only one of us crazy enough to do those bridge beam loads. You don't have to do them to be a flatbedder.

Old School, I am so glad you finally got to do an onion load! Did you have to tarp them, or did you have the conestoga?

I have put in my notice with the tanker company after only three months. There are family issues that require me to be home as much as possible. I have found a flatbed job hauling for a local company that will get me home every night. It's no tarp, too. I don't think they even own any tarps. And about 5% heavy haul, so I'll finally get to learn that. Really cool equipment to boot.

I'll post some pics in a few weeks unless I find out they have a policy against it.

Oh wait, nevermind OS, I see the conestoga in the pic. That's cheating, btw.

This thread might've scared me right out of flatbedding I was thinking of TMC or Maverick some of these pics are overwhelming!

Flatbed is the only way to go. 1) You have to think about what you are doing, 2) you get a workout which is helps keep the weight off, 3) in general, the hours are better, 4) you go to places most others don't go; fields to major plants that are bigger than small cities. Melton is another option you might look at for excellent training. I think flatbedders are still more of a cadre working to help each other. It is a challenge and can be pretty strenuous. The rewards are there. Fear is something to be overcome with education and experience. GO FOR IT!

Well, if it isn't like an old reunion or something! Hello Larry, nice to hear from you again! Hope you are doing well.

Hey Bud, keep us posted on that new job, it sounds pretty good!

And the people behind you.......it must look like a funeral procession with so many people crying like that!

You got me laughing with that! I did notice people passing me like crazy as I was headed East to Dallas! You know you are supposed to let those onions breathe, so I drove the whole way to the receiver with the rear flap of my Conestoga half way open. I was probably gassing everybody behind me something terrible! This is what I looked like from the back side...