Dry Van vs. Flatbed: Why Real Drivers Choose the Open Deck

Let’s be honest. Anybody with a valid CDL can back up to a warehouse, bump a dock, swing a set of doors, and take a nap while a forklift does the work.

Dry van trucking has its place, and there is nothing wrong with it. But every driver knows that pulling an open deck is a completely different world. It’s the difference between just having a job and mastering a skilled trade.

If you are a flatbedder—or a dry van driver thinking about making the switch to the open deck—you already know it takes a different breed to thrive out here. Here is why real drivers choose flatbed, and why the carriers who hire them need to respect the craft.

It’s Engineering, Not Just Driving

When you pull a dry van, your biggest concern is whether the trailer is sealed and the weight is legal.

When you pull a flatbed, you are essentially an engineer. You aren't just a "steering wheel holder." You have to understand physics, weight distribution, and securement angles. You have to know exactly how a load of slinky steel coils is going to handle around a curve compared to a deck fully loaded with lumber.

It takes serious mental focus to properly secure a highly irregular, oversized load so that it doesn't shift during a sudden stop. Flatbedding requires expertise, and that expertise commands respect on the road.

The Elements and the Grit

Then, there is the reality of the elements.

You haven't really been tested in this industry until you’ve had to throw frozen lumber tarps in the dead of winter, or crank down edge protectors in the blazing July heat. The weather doesn’t care about your schedule.

Flatbedders are out in the elements, getting their hands dirty, doing the heavy lifting. It’s gritty, exhausting, blue-collar work. It’s exactly why a lot of drivers quit flatbed after their first winter. But for the ones who stay? There is a massive sense of pride in looking in your mirrors at a perfectly tarped, tight, aerodynamic load that you built.

The Payoff: How Paul Transportation Respects the Craft

Here is the problem in the industry today: Too many mega-carriers want the premium freight rates that flatbed shipping commands, but they want to pay their drivers like dry van rookies.

If you are out there doing the hardest, most dangerous work on the highway, your OTR flatbed pay needs to reflect that.

At Paul Transportation, our core value is Service with Integrity. We know exactly how hard you work, which is why we built a compensation package and a culture that treats you like a professional.

• We Pay for Your Sweat: Tarping is hard labor. That’s why we pay $25 on and $25 off for tarp pay. We don't expect you to do the heavy lifting for free.

• Premium Iron: You can't be a top-tier driver in bottom-tier equipment. We put our OTR drivers in 2024 and 2025 Kenworths and Freightliners equipped with EPUs, fridges, and the power you need to pull heavy.
• Real Home Time: When we say you are home every other weekend for a full 34-hour reset, we mean it. We don't keep you out for weeks on end just to cover our own bad planning.
• Bring Your Co-Pilot: With our Day 1 Rider and Pet Policy, you don't have to tackle the open road alone.

Are You Ready to Run with the Pros?

Not everyone is cut out for flatbed trucking jobs. But if you take pride in your securement, don't mind getting your hands dirty, and want to be paid what you are actually worth, it’s time to upgrade your carrier.

Stop swinging doors for pennies. Come drive for a company that respects the open deck.

Apply for the Paul Transportation OTR Flatbed Division Here

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