Flat bed Straight Trucks

ericmoss37 · Jan 17, 2009

Do some carriers have flat bed straight trucks? because I see one for sale on EO truck search. It's a class 8 KW for decent price for the milage on the engine.

mjolnir131 · Jan 18, 2009

if it's close to what you need front wise how hard would it be to find a good used box to swap and sell off the flatbed? just asking something to think about.

FIS53 · Jan 18, 2009

Many of the hotshot type outfits do have some flatbeds. Installations and breakdowns where a large pump or such is needed. I've got one I use for that purpose. They can make bucks as most rates for flatdecks are higher than regular dry van prices. There is also an extra charge to tarp the load as well. Most of my loads pay $3/mile (or close to it) for all miles from pickup to drop and back (empty, no dh pay to pickup unless far). The longer runs pay over $1.5/mile for all miles loaded and empty (last one was over 300 miles). There have not been many back hauls so doing a lot of dh with it. Unfortunately the company is not charging a consistant rate all the time so hard to get a handle on the actual charges per mile and for the weight, waiting time, tarping etc.
Rob

nightcreacher · Jan 18, 2009

we have a company outside of akron here that uses a flatbed straight truck to haul his stuff.I have a friend that was going to drive for him

ericmoss37 · Jan 18, 2009

Thanks for the responses. I was just curious if any of the large expediting companies like Panther and FedEx contract stright truck flatbeds. Yeah it's easy to put a box on, but at that cost of about 10K you can just get a truck that already has a box on it for the same price and finance the thing. I own three trucks right now and I am not going to expand for a while. If I do it will be in 2010.

ericmoss37 · Jan 18, 2009

FIS53 said:
Many of the hotshot type outfits do have some flatbeds. Installations and breakdowns where a large pump or such is needed. I've got one I use for that purpose. They can make bucks as most rates for flatdecks are higher than regular dry van prices. There is also an extra charge to tarp the load as well. Most of my loads pay $3/mile (or close to it) for all miles from pickup to drop and back (empty, no dh pay to pickup unless far). The longer runs pay over $1.5/mile for all miles loaded and empty (last one was over 300 miles). There have not been many back hauls so doing a lot of dh with it. Unfortunately the company is not charging a consistant rate all the time so hard to get a handle on the actual charges per mile and for the weight, waiting time, tarping etc.
Rob

What company are you with Rob?

davekc · Jan 18, 2009

See a lot of hotshot flatbeds of various sizes along the coast. Some loads pay well, and some are losers. Most of it has to do with the oil business. Anywhere along I10 from AL to NM you are bound see a few of them.

FIS53 · Jan 18, 2009

We see a lot of them into the metal industry. The suppliers of piping as well. So the flat plate steel or such and the rolls of metal for the guys with punch presses use the flatdecks to haul. Quite a bit of short haul immediate delivery stuff there. I had a roll pf copper on mine, stopped for a coffee and there were a few lookers at the roll. I think half wanted to steal it and go to the scrap yard.
Rob