CRST Malone (Flatbed Division) SUCKS!

It isn't as difficult or time consuming as you might think. I have planned fuel purchases for many years. Once you do it for a while it will become second nature to you. It may take a little extra time to start with, but you will put money in your pocket. Every penny you save is putting money in your pocket. In business, it is about what you keep more than what you make. Fuel is usually the single largest expense in this industry. Anything you can do to reduce the cost is putting money back in your pocket. You can plan fuel purchases in states and company fuel stops that offer the greatest discounts. I have a friend who receives fuel discounts through his carrier of up to $0.50/gallon. If he buys 100 gallons of fuel at one of those stops, he is saving $50.00. If you purchase fuel 5 times with that much savings, you will put $250.00 back in your pocket. That could make a truck or trailer payment. Even if you only save $0.08/gallon you will save $8 for every 100 gallons. I know that it may sound like a hassle, but you will put money back in your pocket. My friend doesn't do s much planning these days since he knows where he gets the greatest fuel discounts. After a short time, it will become second nature to you.

 

I absolutely plan fuel stops to take advantage of the discounts. Malone drivers get discounts at TA/Petro, Loves and FJ/Pilot. In the lanes I run the Loves are most aggressive on discounts generally .30 plus followed by TA. The Pilot discount was part of the rebate scam that recently led to federal charges against them. In the past I generally avoided them because the rebate was a lump sum on your settlement once a month. There was no practical way of tracking what the discount was or which stop had the best ones. Since Pilot found themselves in federal court and facing millions in lawsuit settlements they've negotiated a flat .20 off of the cash price with Malone. As much as I hate to support these ########, if it makes sense on my route I do fuel there now. What I don't do is go online every day and check the current discount at every stop on my route. I know from past experience where I'll do best most of the time. The discounts show up immediately on your comdata online statement which I do check most days. If I notice the discount has dropped substantially I will check the competition.
Also as I'm sure you are aware, a .08 discount at one of the big truck stops is probably about the price you'd get paying cash at an independent. What you're getting at that point is convenience and points which I find worthwhile.
I have not yet figured the actual cost of fuel by state less the taxes. I typically fuel in 4 or 5 midwestern states. I presume they're all pumping the same blends winter/summer etc. so aside from the taxes I don't understand why there would be a difference in price. perhaps you can enlighten me.
Lastly, I started my first business in 1989 and have been self employed ever since (although I don't consider being leased to a carrier a real business, the same principles apply). I really don't care how much I gross and I don't spend a lot of time figuring the dollars per mile on any given load. What I'm looking at is maximizing my gross profit for the week without killing myself. It's a pretty straightforward proposition: run as few miles as possible (especially loaded miles), run lanes where you know you can make good money in and out, run legal, avoid customers that waste your time (I keep a list of places I will not load), do not haul cheap freight, deadhead somewhere else or go home. A Malone driver running shorthaul in the midwest should be clearing on average after fuel between 400.00 and 500.00 a day figuring one load per day. It's really not that tough.

 

a statement you made is laughable. that you don't consider being leased to a carrier a real business, but the same principles apply. this statement makes no sense.

it is just as real, is just as much a business, and if you are paying that amount in fuel taxes you aren't the business man you think yourself to be.

 

I been running for Malone for a couple weeks now. So far it has been alot of confusion. Im going to give it a few more weeks to see if things fall into place. I been in trucking for over 20 years and have owned over 25 trucks in the past. Some things I have encountered so far just doesnt make any sense.

I based my going to Malone over other L/P programs because the lease is pretty straight forward and inline with what it cost me to run my trucks in the past.

I can tell you that around 50% of your orientation class will not make it through the first 2 weeks and some wont make it past the first 2 days.

I will start a new thread in a few weeks outlining what I have encountered.

 

i started with malone in december last year and i quit two weeks ago,in my nine years of driving i've never seen a disfunctional company like this outfit.thanks god i knew what i was doing and i had the patience to deal with the dispatcher and management in a professional manner.what a nightmere.i was assigned to the rockport indiana terminal and from what i heard its not the same with the other terminals.i made decent money but its because i was mostly hauling brokered freight.malone is just a company that takes advantage of drivers who wanna become an o/o by offering them a pos truck and the illusion of success.some guys will argue they doing great with malone and ill say you are the exception to the rule.to me is not just the amount of money im making but also the amount of stress that comes with a job.i had to call,text and email my dispatcher and do the same the next day just to get a response.in my experience malone is exactly whats wrong with the trucking industry:cheap freight,low csa score,high turnover rate.

 

I had a "real" business for almost 20 years with multiple customers, employees, commercial property, accounts receivable/payable, employee benefits, payroll taxes, corporate taxes etc. I did not fill out a job application to go into business. I did not pay a flat 25% commission on the work I did. I did not have to rely on a carrier/broker for business. I did not have anyone dictating equipment inspections or telling me when I could work. I could do business with anyone I wanted at any time. It was very different from leasing a truck under someone else's authority. Driving under your own authority is a real business. Leasing on to someone else's makes you a 1099 independent contractor. Nothing wrong with it and it beats having a job for me at least, but it is not the same thing.
Yes many of the same principles apply, customer service, basic understanding of accounting, taking full responsibility for your successes and failures are a few.

As far as IFTAs, I honestly report my state miles and pay the taxes either at the pump or at the end of the quarter. Pay now or pay later. If you can explain to me how I can drive in Illinois without paying their fuel taxes I'm all ears.

 

I just applied for crst Malone first owner operator job hope it work out I like that I can pick my own loads

 

Peanut21,,,I wish you all the best brother trucker, seriously. If you haven't yet, read all you can about Lease Purchase with Malone and any thread on this forum regarding lease purchase. Only about 20% complete the lease but, very few post about it.

 

BTW, make sure you call them,,,don't wait for them to call you...

 

Sheepdog I'm going as a owner operator