Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/566087
Voices 4 | Overdrive | September 2015 George has had to buy a gabillion dollars' worth of straps, chains and headache racks for his move to haul- ing flatbed. I'm fairly certain Tri-City Canvas will own our everlasting souls before he gets everything he deems necessary to run safely. We showed up for the first load with brand-spanking-new everything except the trailer. It's been four years since George did a flatbed load, and it's definitely a whole different animal than swinging doors. "I feel like the guy who shows up at the jobsite with new boots and a new tool belt," he said. I'm a girl, and I've never worked construction, so showing up with new shoes and a new purse is perfectly acceptable to me. "I don't get it. Why is that bad?" "You can pick the new guy out when he shows up with clean, unused gear. He's the one who gets all the crap from the other guys." "Oh, poo. You're a grown man, no one is going to give you crap. We're not in high school here." We pulled up to the staging yard and got in line. They had chassis on the truck almost as soon as he set the brakes, and he was out of the cab in his spiffy clean safety vest and new hardhat, looking pretty fly, if you ask me. "I'm going to take pictures! It's like your first day of school!" "Do. Not. Get out and take pictures." The look on his face was exactly that of the horror our son had when I jumped out of the car to take pictures of him walking into his first day of high school. And I realized then that this transition isn't as easy on him as he's made it look. There's a whole new set of rules and regs, along with the general pride flatbedders take in securement. They watch each other and comment on strap twists and edge protectors. The first load went off beautifully, and I was amazed at how happy people were to see us when we arrived at 1 a.m. to be unloaded. There was no "go to the cage and wait until we find a hole to put you in." It was immediate joy, and once again they started unload- ing as soon as the brakes were set. George was exhausted when we were done, and all he wanted to do was park and sleep. There was no circling the lot, like he usually does. He found the first spot available and hit it with a blind-side back. The CB lit up. "Look at that skate- board hit a blind-side back!" He smiled, took off his boots and fell into the bunk. Wendy Parker chronicles her journey on the road with her owner-operator husband, George, in the George and Wendy Show blog on OverdriveOnline.com. Scan the QR to read more from her on your phone or tablet. " Old fire hose for strap protection in whatever lengths you need is tough as nails. " — Allan McCullough, via OverdriveOnline.com " That is one great thing with an empty or low-loaded skateboard – you can see so well that it really helps the blind side. Also, if you have a dump on the rear axle, once you learn how to work it well, you can back into just about any hole in the lot – even ones that vans have tried and failed at for hours. " — Jonathon Butler, via OverdriveOnline.com " I'm glad you two are off to a flying start. There's definitely a learning curve, but George will be on top of it in no time. Some drivers just have a natural talent (that'd be George), some learn fast, some eventually learn, and some never learn. Just run with it. Drive safe! " — "James," via OverdriveOnline.com A SMOOTH MOVE TO FLATBED I feel like the guy who shows up at the jobsite with new boots and a new tool belt. — George Parker, on his first day out pulling flatbed after transitioning from years of dry van operation