Question:
Since I graduated from school I've been approached by nothing but reefer companies. I've looked into several smallish flatbed companies and the folks seem real nice. Although I'm 53 years old, I'm in pretty good shape. I'm not exactly a triathelete, but I've got a chin-up bar out back that I work out on every morning (well, nearly).
Should a guy my age be considering flatbeds?

Answer:
Why not? Sure, it's more work...you don't sound like you're afraid of it, and yes you will get some exercise. Make sure you get a "copy" of the load securement regs....and be sure to read them.
Doing deck work usually isn't as hard as many make it out to be. Use some common sense and remember to always top and check your load securement.

Answer:
Hey, I do and I am 55. I haul job specific building materials with either a roll off trailer or a crane truck that also dumps. Because the materials don't load easily like packs of plywood, I need to use a lot of straps, most of which need to be placed rather than thrown over the load. Without counting, I would say I may have to climb up on the deck and/or it's contents an easy 100 times a day. Health club? I don't need no stinkin' health club.
Beats finger printing groceries but, as a wise old driver once told me about flats, "the least amount of pieces and the heavier they are require the least amount of grunt work".

Answer:
Well I did flatbed right out of trucking school and loved it eventhough I am much younger than you that still shouldn't deter you, I liked it because you hardly have to wait forever to get loaded or unloaded like Van the most I would wait is 3-4 hours tops usually 1 or less and getting unloaded was almost instantanious you don't have to dock or worry about any of that crap, though most customers are in real remote tight spots which are sometimes a pain to find but its all part of the job, I hauled a little bit of everything but was on a dedicated pipe account for PW Eagle running PVC pipe throughout the west which was real easy to tie down and deliver, just a real unstable load, but you'll learn most flatbedders get treated better in companies and get more bonuses and rewards and you always stay busy and most loads don't go too far from the plants 2-7 state hops some cross country's but mainly in the region your in I say if a company is willing to train you and pays ok and has decent equipment go for it never has equipment mattered so much to me than flatbedding make sure you don't have to buy everything either some stuff yes but straps, chains, binders, ropes, tarps, cables, and etc. make sure they provide, I would go back doing it if I wasn't in the being paid hourly, normal work day, 6 day a week, local, no logs, gravy gig of dirt hauling, transfer units that is.

Answer:
If you have graduated from truck driving school.Try Melton Truck Lines.They will train you in load securement and the pay is good.They are based out of Tulsa,Ok.

Answer:
Ya'll need to tells this man what flatbeding is really like before he gets in to deep. I did it for a year with TMC and i am here to tell you noone has said the bad parts if you just look at money you lose say 20$ to tarp a load by the time you get it on the truck and tarped it is a hour and a half when you get to the other said another hour and a half you work for free alot as far as not waiting i waited more with a flatbed then pulling van lettes talk about tarps a lumber tarp is about 125pound and it takes 2 to cover a trailer am i glad i got out of it . that being said i did like it but i did not like working for free you can not compare this to working out this goob WILL hurt you just my view

Answer:
I am a flatbedder, but I would never pull a flatbed for a forced dispatch company. You can get some really bad loads, and find yourself doing some really miserable work.
Like the last poster said, there are some bad things about it. With forced dispatch you really don't have the option to avoid them either. If I can't cover it with a four foot drop tarp, I avoid the load. I also have the option of picking my loads depending on the weather forcast. If it's going to me freezing cold, or sweltering hot, I can pass on freight that needs to be tarped all together.
If you're working for a forced dispatch company, you're going to load what they tell you to load. That's not for me.

Answer:
WHY NOT
I have pulled flats my entire short time in a truck........oops check that,i did do tanker for about 12 months
BUT,I am back where I belong and so far pretty much what all the above posters have said are very true(except for the guy that bagged on TMC...that has little to do with the job and everything to do with the company)
Is throwing rags a pain?? you bet
Can you get held up at a customer for loooooong periods of time?yep,but you can avoid that by going with the smaller outfits that dont send 15-20 trucks to the same customer everyday plus the other companies in the mix(TMC)
Totally agree with the forced dispatch thing,but I am thinking an outfit like "GearJammers" are few and far between, I worked for one,but had to leave when the family situation changed I loved that job
I pulled for Melton......I never sat so much in my entire life,plus having to wrap those gawdforsaken 8 foot drops around just about every load(even flat steel) Oh yea forced dispatch
IMHO.....the ability to be outside in the fresh air day after day(who cares about the weather) I have found that the sunny days far outnumber the rainy/crappy
ones and to be able to get a bit of exercise is just what the doctor ordered....literally,since I have gone back to flats my diabetes has remained in check and my Dr says that its because of the extra activity and being able to control my diet better(I run a local dedicated that lets me eat at home 2x a day)
Good luck to you!!
Feel free to PM or Email me if you want more inforecovering dweller..........oilfield trash division