Flatbed, Reefer, Dry & Low, etc.
Most of you will have noticed by now that semi trucks carry different types of freight on different types of trailers.
Pretty basic, but let’s get into the differences real fast since this is after all how to start trucking, not how to already show up knowing everything about trucking.com.
Don’t let anybody tell you what kind of trucking you need to do or what kind of truck you need to drive. This is your adventure.
Alright let’s get right into it.
Flatbed Trucking:
This is what I do. I like it a lot and I chose it because I like to be active. We sit a lot as truck drivers, and if you are not motivated to get out and work out, or have some sort of exercise routine, at the very least with Flatbed Trucking, you will be forced to exercise and move chains, etc. and it keeps you in shape.
This definitely also breaks up the monotony of driving. It may be ironic, but I hate sitting still… Of course, you sit still in your truck seat, but usually you are driving 65 miles an hour and seeing all kinds of stuff so it doesn’t get boring. When you drive a flatbed truck, usually loading and unloading is fairly involved, because you are the one who is going to have to strap it down and secure everything.
I also like being able to have some influence on how quickly I get loaded. A lot of times with refrigerated or drive in trucking, you are completely at the mercy of scheduling an appointment times, and whatever employees are present to load or unload you.
Flatbed trucking involves hauling cargo on an open trailer without sides or a roof. This type of trucking is versatile and commonly used for transporting large and irregularly shaped items such as construction materials, machinery, and oversized equipment. Securing and covering the cargo properly is essential in flatbed trucking to prevent damage during transit. Flatbed drivers need to be skilled at load securement and tarping to protect the cargo from weather conditions.
I cannot overstate the importance of getting into a company that has good training programs and makes sure you feel confident in strapping, chaining, and securing your cargo before you hit the road by yourself.
If you are not confident in what you are doing and YouTube isn’t fast enough, ask either your safety department or another truck driver on the shipping yard who is doing the same thing you are.
I recommend you ask someone who looks at least 30 to 50 years old from TMC, Melton, Mercer or Maverick if you can find them. You will find old guys who just kind laugh and say it doesn’t matter, as sometimes older drivers operate by old sets of rules and no current training, but more often than not I will say that if they have lasted long hauling flatbed they will tell you the correct way to do something.
Refrigerated Trailer (Reefer) Trucking:
Refrigerated trailer trucking, also known as reefer trucking, is specialized for transporting temperature-sensitive cargo. These trailers are equipped with refrigeration units to maintain specific temperature ranges, making them suitable for hauling perishable goods like food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
Reefer drivers must monitor and maintain the temperature inside the trailer to ensure the cargo remains fresh and intact throughout the journey.
There is a decent amount of liability with this, as you are responsible for a very expensive trailer. In addition to your expensive truck… Be sure that whatever company you work for has regular maintenance plans and does not hold you completely liable for the refrigerated generator unit… Everything about trucking is one more thing that can break and you need to make sure you are watching your fluids on those trailers.
There is a lot of money to be made in refrigerated trucking, perhaps a little bit less than Flatbed, and certainly the highest paying is oversized or chemical hazmat hauling, but since we are talking about starting out here, I won’t go too in depth on heavy haul or hazmat.
Refrigerated trucking puts you in grocery stores, a lot of vendors that would obviously need temperature controlled trailers. Consider the area that you live in. Usually there is a refrigerated truck/dedicated route available no matter where in the country you live. The question is whether or not your neighbor already has that route!
On the plus side a lot of refrigerated routes will be dedicated and you will get familiar with repeat customers and can develop a routine quickly.
On the negative side, if you are like me, and hate doing the same thing over and over, then sitting at the same regional distribution center waiting on your 500th load of ice cream might not be for you.
Dry Van Trucking:
Dry van trucking is one of the most common types of trucking and involves hauling cargo in an enclosed trailer with no temperature control. Dry vans are versatile and used for transporting a wide range of goods, from consumer products to electronics and industrial equipment. Drivers in this category typically load and unload palletized freight using forklifts or manual labor. Dry van trucking offers steady work and is often chosen by long-haul truckers for its convenience.
There is a lot of competition out there for regular dry van hauling, fortunately, there is almost unlimited, freight and plenty of opportunity for a home daily or dedicated routes.
Because this is often the least technical type of trucking, it pays the least…
…on the plus side there are lots of opportunities for drop and hook gigs. This means less work on you and more time driving, but drop and hook cargo or no touch freight is often more competitive as far as jobs go.
It is worth mentioning that a lot of places will say no touch freight and you will be surprised to find that you do indeed have to either touch the freight, or pay for what is called a “lumper”, which is one of the dumbest parts of the trucking industry in my opinion, but some companies won’t let you unload your own freight, but they require that you pay for an unloading service out of the cost of the freight rate.
Think of it how restaurants don’t pay their employees, but expect the customers to completely cover the waiters wages with tips. As a former waiter and bartender myself, I’m not trying to start a big discussion about tipping, but there’s a good chance as a truck driver you will agree that this is a bullshit part of the industry, and will not want to do it.
Not that I’m complaining *because I’m pretty sure half of that is run by the mob*, so I guess it’s a good racket if you can get it, but it is not clever, just annoying.
Lowboy Trailer/Heavy Haul Trucking:
Lowboy trailers and heavy hauling trucks are designed for transporting oversized and extremely heavy loads, such as construction equipment, industrial machinery, and oversized vehicles. These trailers have a low deck height, allowing them to carry tall and heavy cargo while maintaining stability on the road.
Heavy hauling requires specialized permits and expertise in load securement and routing, as moving large and heavy loads demands careful planning and coordination.
As my website is called howtostarttrucking, unless you grew up around semi trucks and have had experience driving, big rigs with your dad, or uncle, or grandpa or mom or aunts or grandma or brothers or sisters or buddies with access to semi trucks, there’s pretty much no way you have to worry about how to haul oversize loads or giant equipment or low to the ground multi million dollar excavators or oversize generators or anything like that.
Tanker and Hazmat Hauling
I spoke with a tank truck driver once who described it this way. He said, “Tanker pays pretty good, might be kind of dangerous, but the worst part of it is the liquid sloshing back and forth makes the trailer slam into your back like it’s trying to f**k you… that part gets old.”
That being said, there are not many guys I have met out here who are brand new and drive a tanker truck. Usually liquids hauled by semi truck are either expensive, or hazardous, or both, and you need to have experience to get into that sort of thing.
My advice would be to get into something safer that doesn’t involve chemicals, being top heavy, or dealing with liquid surge. Many of those jobs are home daily, however, which is a nice perk. They also pay well, which makes them more competitive to get into, so be sure as you apply to companies you include any relevant experience that could give you an edge.
If you are conscientious and have an inside connection as well as a smooth and safe way of driving, this could be a great fit.
Just be sure to get all of the correct tanker and hazmat endorsements on your license!
Dry Bulk and Recycling
These are the top heavy and involved sort of trailers. Usually lye, sand, grain, corn, gravel, pellets, plastic, metal and scrap, wood chips, etc. You will want to be sure you are properly trained and know your trailer inside and out before you get into one of these niche types of trucking.
Something to consider is how much you will have to babysit the pneumatic hoses, the hydraulic lift systems, and whether you are responsible for the trailer clean out or your company is.
This can be a lot more involved than you may think or they may advertise before hiring you.
You might get paid by the load, but if each load requires a clean out between shipping and receiving, that is a whole extra step you may or may not be getting paid for, so be clear on the payment structure before considering anything in this line of work.
A lot of these guys are home daily, which is a plus, the biggest complaints I have heard are between the wait times, the dispatch services, and if you spend a lot of time in scrapyards, you will be spending a lot of time replacing tires. Be sure you know who is responsible for what when something breaks.
I have also heard of companies taking damage to the truck out of your paycheck, which my initial research showed to be illegal if they are going to also write off the damages as an expense. If anything feels wrong, or like you are being taken advantage of, be sure to look further into it and don’t just shrug it off.
Obviously don’t go breaking trucks, but if there is some sort of accident or something goes wrong that is not your fault, before they tell you that you have to stay around and pay for a $15,000 hood or $3000 truck box or something like that, you tell them to kick rocks and go find another company to work for. Chances are they are going to turn in the claim to insurance to get it paid for and then still charge you.
No matter which company route or trailer you choose, remember they’re all potentially lucrative, and dangerous.
I also want to be very clear that this job is pretty dangerous, and there is a direct correlation between stuff that can kill you and the pay rate. Be aware of your own skill level and be safe…
Plan on switching companies a few times or getting into a good company that will let you take it slow with a trainer and teach you the ropes. If you find a place that says you are going to train for one week and then you are on your own, run for the hills.
Each type of semi-truck driving has its own set of challenges and requirements, and drivers often choose the category that aligns with their skills and preferences.
You will find some thing that works for you and don’t feel like you are taking the first step to a career that you will stay in your entire life.
Think of yourself as starting an adventure that may or may not last a long time, so be sure to make it a good time!
Again, don’t let anybody tell you what kind of trucking you need to do or what kind of truck you need to drive.