Flatbeds

Hey guys,

I'm going to be training on flat beds and wanted to know how much of a difference this will make when trying to transition to vans. For more clarification I mean what's the difference in backing, pulling, blindspots, etc. Thanks.

JK, sometimes you will have more visibility with a flat-bed. Often times you can see right over the top of your load. As far as pulling goes I think it is about the same with the only difference being that many flat-beds have the 102" split axles which sometimes off-track a little differently but not enough to even hardly be noticeable. Those split axles do make a difference when backing though, the trailer will respond a little bit slower because of that, and depending on how the weight is distributed they can act differently on different loads.

As far as your question goes I think the visibility thing will be the biggest adjustment as far as transitioning to a van in the future. You may need to make yourself G.O.A.L. a few more times when backing up those van trailers just to make sure you aren't scraping down the side of somebody else's truck when parking in a tight spot at a truck stop.

Don't worry, flatbedding will get in your blood and your blood will get on your load.... LOL

You may not ever want to switch once you get started.