Question about Melton Truck Lines.

I have a little over month with Melton (first time flatbed) so maybe I can give you more recent info about orientation. It's 4 days Mon-Thurs, get truck assignment on Thurs and dispatched on Thursday afternoon. During orientation you will get a basic course on load securement and tarping, but most of the stuff you're going to learn on the otr (good thing that almost all Melton drivers are helpful when you have "stupid" questions about securement.) The trucks will be assigned according to what they have at the terminal you're doing orientation, though I've been told that new drivers (experienced flatbed or not) get the older trucks: KW T600 or Freightliner Century. I got a newer T660 because that's all they had at Youngstown terminal. Right now I'm doing ok with miles avg 2500 miles a week.

 

2500 a week! How are you surviving? What is the starting pay? How much experience do you have? When I was OTR I was getting 2800-3200 miles a week. I got a new local/regional gig and am surviving I get 2200-2500 a week. Just wondering how you are doing it. Must be some good CPM.

Now I see with the pay scale posted in the other thread. http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/melton/123910-starting-pay-and-home-time.html

 

Hey WesternstarFan I have a few questions for if you don't mind? I know you only have a limited amount of time with Melton but I was hoping that you could give me some insight. Did you do your orientation at their yard in Youngstown? That would be best for me as I don't want to sit on a bus for hours on end. What type of freight do you haul? Much in the way of coils? Are they a hurry-hurry, rush-rush type of company barely giving you enough time to get where you are going or do they give you enough time to get to places? I'd surely appreciate the info.

 

The 2500 miles is the avg. I've had a few weeks with 2700+. Right now I'm sitting on 2200 miles and should get a ld of no less than 800 miles for the weekend. They pay you on the honor system as long as you send your paperwork by 24hrs after delivery. I've hauled more coils than other freight(not by much). I've noticed we haul a lot of delicate freight (aluminum coils for ex.) And I've tarped about 80% of lds. They usually give you enough time to get to your con. since they dispatch you on a speed of 50mph. The only thing is that sometimes they don't consider how long it takes to p/u, secure and tarp. But even for a newbie like me that takes double the time to secure and tarp I still haven't had problems with deliveries. The only bad thing is that they don't pre-plan, but so far I haven't been without load assignment more than 3 hrs. TDriver4life I did my orientation in Youngstown so you should go there for orient.

 

You would think they would send you to Youngstown Pete388 but I wouldn't put it past them to send you somewhere else for who know what reason. You think it would be easier and cheaper.

 

The majority of trucks have apu's with 1500w power and the ones without apu have a 1500w inverter. (That's what I was told, but I don't know for sure since my truck has an apu).

 

Also they are very picky about what you can put in the trucks. They recommended me not to install my XM radio directconnect adapter because it had to be wired to the back of the cd player. Instead I had to activate the cd player which was XM ready.