Drivers who are interested in trucking flatbed vehicles should learn about the different skills required to succeed in this occupation. Trucking flatbed across the country comes with many challenges, so drivers need to be ready to face these obstacles with the right mindset and skill set.   Drivers will need to perform preventative maintenance on their trucks.   This guide aims to familiarize prospective flatbed truck drivers with the formal requirements they will need to possess, as well as the activities they will be performing on their day-to-day. 

What are the driver requirements for trucking flatbed?

To become a CDL Delaware Heavy Hauler flatbed truck driver, you will need:

High school diploma or a GED certificate

Class A commercial driver’s license that permits you to operate a flatbed truck.

This can be obtained by passing a knowledge test and a driving test.

Passing training courses at a professional truck driving school.

Oversize Trucking Companies usually pay to enroll their drivers into these 3 to 6-month courses. 

Once you pass these formal requirements, you can start performing your duties trucking flatbed trailers. 

What Skills Are Needed For Flatbed Trucking Companies?

Driver duties for trucking flatbed

Drivers will be performing many duties that extend beyond driving. Some of these duties are simple to perform, whereas others will take practice to get the hang of. In any case, Delaware Heavy Hauler truck drivers need to stay on top of these tasks to ensure their employer and clients are satisfied.

Loading and unloading deliveries.

Drivers often need to load and unload their freight using specialized equipment. They may also be required to assist other workers with loading and unloading activities at the pickup and delivery locations.  

You can expect to operate different types of machinery such as forklifts during your day-to-day deliveries, so Flatbed Trucking Companies drivers should be confident about their ability to use these machines safely.  

Maintaining logbooks  

All Oversize Trucking Companies truckers will be asked to maintain accurate logbooks for compliance with state and federal regulations. These records typically include the date, company name, truck number, and the total distance traveled within a 24-hour period.   They also include the starting time for the 24-hour period, the origin and destination locations, and the names of their co-drivers for each delivery.   Maintaining an accurate logbook can seem tedious at first, but it gets easier with practice. Truck drivers need to stay organized to ensure that their logs are completed and ordered correctly at the end of each day.  

Inspections  

One of the most important duties that trucking flatbed truckers need to perform during their shift is inspections. Truckers have to inspect their trucks and freight before and after deliveries. These inspections include the tractor-trailer, hose connections, fluid levels, tires, wipers, and other crucial truck components.   Drivers will need to troubleshoot any problems they identify during inspections. They are also expected to perform preventative maintenance on some components to ensure they do not fail in the future.   These are just some of the many duties you can expect to perform when you are trucking flatbed trailers. You will likely encounter some new challenges during your deliveries, but you should be able to overcome them with the right mindset.