Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Hey Leatherman, I was an experienced driver and drove for Central. They really were a pretty good company overall. As far as the leasing program I don't think there are really any scams to it and that wouldn't be the reason I would deter drivers from it. Well with that said they do charge you out the butt for all kind of stuff once you are done with the lease. Overall though it's not bad. Pretty straight forward. The reason I would not recommend it is because as a single driver it is going to be so tough on you to make money. One really big factor that almost nobody sees are the "unforeseen" factors. Yes you could make a really good pay check one week but it may be three or four weeks before it happens again. New drivers think you just automatically average 2500-3000 miles a week. This is not true! Keep in mind 1800 miles a week breaks you even so anything above that is when you start to make money. So week one was good and you did 3200 miles. Week two you had a break down and that cost you money to fix plus you only got 2000 miles. Week three you did 2600 miles, still not too bad. Week four you were shut down for two days due to weather. So you did 1800 miles. No money made that week. Ok week 5 freight was just plain slow. You did 2000 miles, barely above your break even point. Well now you need to run hard because you really haven't made any money since week one. Keep in mind you have been out six weeks and are really tired! So week six you manage to get a few decent loads and do 2800 miles. Not too bad, but now the wife and kids are complaining and you are exhausted. So you decide to go home on week 7. You get a few ok loads on the way home and for week 7 you do 1300 miles. Well now you are in the hole and you are taking time off. Week 8 you head back out and it is slow going so you do 2300 miles. That little bit helps to get you out of the hole from the week before. Central calls too and it is time for your a and b service. So they route you to a shop and you spend a day and half there. Not only do you have to pay for your service but you did not get a lot of miles due to sitting at the shop and getting routed to the shop. So that week was another 2200. Now you finally get a week where you run 3800! Better put it aside just in case this month goes like the last month.

Now this is in no way an exaggeration! This is really how it goes down. Can you see how tough it is to make money as an O/O! I went easy on you too! There is a lot more other crap that gets thrown at you. Scales, tolls, truckwashes, held up at shippers and receivers for a day, getting sick etc... My wife and I ran team O/O and it was tough on us. I always couldn't fathom how the single drivers were doing it!

 

just upgraded my phone while im at the Gateway truck stop in Breezewood, pa. I got a HTC Evo 4g and i never want another phone again!

 

That phone is bad ###! You can also use it as a wifi connection for your lap top.

How are the miles?? I finish next week with training and head to Fontana the Sunday after Thanksgiven.

 

Yes, you are correct. I now earn that "un-Godly" sum.

 

How much? Initial and ongoing? Trying to balance that against just an aircard. Thanks Mikely

 

Jim check out sprint.com. It will have all the info. If you want unlimited every thing its $99.00 month. Includes unlimited text,talk, and data. Its the best deal out there. The Evo is a 4g speed phone where there is connection, if not it's # 3g wich is still fast. The data card runs off the same network. So save some money and just get a Evo.

 

cost me $199 to upgrade in store... then i get a $100 rebate on top of that. I dont talk on the phone that much so I got the everything data plan. with unlimited text and MMS messaging. with 450 minutes for $69.99. (i dont even use 1/2 of that since i text more than talk on the phone.) Then with the 4g phones you need to pay $10 to uncap the 3g side so its truly unlimited internet. I downloaded a free tethering app so I can skip the $30 they want to charge for the tethering of 8 devices(although im thinking about paying the $30 so I can put my PS3 and xbox 360 online. Its all going to be a business expense anyway. So total i am paying about $80/month. which is cheaper than $60 for verizon talk and text with 450 min +$30 for the required dataplan for smart phones. and another $60 for an aircard. And I get 4g service when i go to WVDC!

 

I couldnt put this phone down since i got it today! Right now im using it to tether my laptop and not paying the $30 a month... may just pay it so I can put my PS3 and xbox online.

Cant complain too much about the miles. if you saw my pay settlements i just posted. so far this week kind of sucked since Customer service almost sent me to the wrong place with this load. according to the QC i was supposed to go to walmart 6057 in robert, LA for a 740 mile load but when i got to nestle the load is supposed to go to walmart 6047 in Bedford PA for 400 miles with 2 1/2 days on it. . Was supposed to be going home after Robert, LA Had a 1300 mile load leaving pineville, LA to phoenix, az until i picked up this crap load. So while im here i gave myself a 34 so I can go pick up my chains tomorrow in Johnstown, PA. So i pretty much wrote this week off... because the crappy loads.

 

I think you're right on this - If you go over and look at the Crete thread in this section, the drivers there seem to be saying they have moved to a shorter/regional type dispatch. You might end up going all over but the loads are shorter and more frequent. Plus you're looking towards the end of the year with a LOT of question marks hanging over the heads of businesses (mostly regulatory/government question marks). With a highly suspect market, you might want to move your freight shorter distances not knowing where demand will (if it will) pick up. It might push off some costs now, keeping the balance sheets in line for such a lackluster business year.

 

thanks for this post chompi i really hope others read into it before taking the l/o route