Are you going to run a standard headboard or are you putting a headache rack on the truck? I think I'd buy another set of levelors with all the different work you get into with landstar and run a headache rack to gain some extra space on your upper deck. Welcome back to the tarping world!! LOL

I'm going to keep the trailer fully open, so that I can move those utility trailers that stick out 3 ft in the front and rear of the trailer :) I'm not using headracks - all my chains and stuff fit in side compartments on the International! As far as tarping goes, I'll try to minimize it as much as possible and will only get 4' tarps later on. If it's roofing metal panels like the ones I had last time, forget it - I'm not tarping. From what I've seen on the Landstar board so far, there's plenty of loads that are not afraid of a little moisture :)

I would seriously be worried about not having a headache rack on the truck. It wouldn't take much for various kinds of freight to break loose in an accident or something and come right through the cab. Stuff happens and the truck cab wouldn't even slow down a steel beam or pipe or whatever you can imagine. A headache rack would probably help quite a bit. I'm not sure but isn't there some sort of law for cab protection ? I don't know.:cool:

buying property can be a good way to pay yourself. I have bought, land/rental property instead of trading up over the years. for those considering paying higher taxes or buying equip to offset the higher tax, that does work for some, sometimes. you still end up paying & then wind up with used very depreciated equip & then find yourself in the same situation frequently. buying property has worked for me because of the related ongoing expensis that occur.that helps with the tax dilema, the income helps too but the write off last longer, but the best part is the appreciation not depreciation of the investment unlike eqiup that depreciates. with property, if you need a write off even after it is paid for, you have unlimited choices. new roof, new addition, e.t.c. you get the write off plus the added value to the property.

I read somewhere a few months ago that the DOT dropped the headache rack requirement.

I have a stepdeck trailer. Most loads sit on the main LOWER deck. If they move, they will just bump into the DROP/wall separating the upper deck and the lower deck. That's the beauty of the stepdeck.

I agree 100%. That's why there's a saying on Wall Street, "Never invest into something that eats or needs REPAIRS". Compared to houses, trucks need repairs pretty much all the time!

so, you hauling down the road without your curtain ? :)

Picked up my stepdeck at the Conestoga dealer. Looks very unusual :) There's holes in the rub-rails as if the trailer was in a mafia shootout, but other than that it looks great. I can see the rear of my trailer in the mirrors again! The Conestoga was 107" wide and it was really limiting visibility. Pulling a bare stepdeck is a walk in the park compared to pulling it with that huge structure on it. I probably gained 2,500 lbs in payload weight (will know for sure on Monday when I weigh) and the trailer is much easier to work with now. Before there was a really annoying RUBBER seal under the rub-rail and working with chains and straps was a pain. Another plus is I can check on load security right from the ground. If a chain or strap is loose, I'll see it right away. With the Conestoga, sometimes it wasn't possible to check on all parts of the load - especially in the front - because I didn't have a front trap-door. Still another thing I don't have to worry about is trees and low entrance doors at plants and factories. Most places that do load curtainside flatbeds have only 14 ft high doors, and I was at 13'6" plus the tarp goes UP when you move it... Anyway, my truck is now at a Pete shop here in Waterloo, ON where they're doing PM and I also asked them to remove the roof deflector. Will have to change my picture now :) but I hope to gain some serious fuel mileage, especially when running empty. I'll be exercising a strict no-tarp policy for now but might get a 4' drop lightweight tarp later on. Thankfully, Landstar has a bunch of loads that do not require tarping.

No tarping.....Hey a young fella like you should have no problem wrestling with tarps and getting dirty. I though only us old guys don't tarp. LOL