CRST Malone (Flatbed Division) SUCKS!

From what I have read dino6960, that is exactly what some have done,,,bought thier own truck, (thier way) and bought thier own trailer, (thier way) and are now making pretty good money.... From what I have read, you don't have much of a chance of making much, if any, money doing the lease purchase and using CRST's trailer...

 

At $350 a week for truck, $185 a week for trailer, PLUS maintenance fund charges and the insurances a newbie would take...I figure you would work for slave wages. In addition, the L/P guys rely on a dispatcher.

I think a lease is crazy and it's designed to NET money for CRST, not the driver.

 

Most agents give the best loads to their own drivers. You have to build a reputation and get to know the agents.

We use the OOIDA loadboard when we are in some scarce areas.

Make calls, network, be on time and work for yourself. You will get loads.

Stop acting like a company driver and expecting your dispatcher to do everything for you.

 

32s wife lined it out pretty well for you. Instead of spending time in this forum whining about how your dispatcher is not around to find your loads, why don't you pull a load from a load board?

Malone has a load board, an agent list and there are load boards in truck stops. We usually find an acceptable load within 2 hours. There's only been 3 times we CHOSE to sit for one day because we couldn't find a decent load. (Hint-I deduct CRST's percentage from the top, calculate practical miles and judge the weight/fuel usage to determine a good load)

An O/O is responsible for his truck, his loads and his pay. If you can't learn the basics, drive a company truck. You'll save yourself money.

 

dino o/o make 75% and there average load is not 1.85 maybe before everything comes out it is but not by time driver gets his money it depends on load, trailer rent is 740 a month. with everything coming out its seems that i am getting nowhere maybe its just me.

 

truckfam
maybe i shouldnt be on here or you should understand what i am trying to say i dont rely on my dispatcher to find me loads i said if i need help i was never told i could use outside load boards if some one would have told me this i would have looked, you should look at my post and see that im new to o/o and dont know everything yet like someone does and i dont sit on here instead of looking for a load when im on here i am at home. when i call a agent i get nothing know load board has nothing you tell me how to find a load from agent or load board when there is nothing there atleast thats what agent is telling me know that i know i can use outside load boards that will be helpful (thank you for that advice) but if you are going to down grade me and act like im an idiot keep your comments off my post i could go on about this but not waisting my time with you

 

Is this company really that bad? They've been contacting me like crazy. From the info they provided it doesn't sound half bad. I do agree 185 a week for a trailer is steep, but I would also have the peace of mind that I wouldn't have to worry about maintenance. Trk payments are 185/wk not 350 as I've seen someone say. I'm also loving the flexibility they offer. I choose when and where I want to go instead of depending on a dispatcher. 75% of the load plus fsc doesn't sound bad. I just hate it has to be the lil ugly gold truck with the white steel wheels lol. But all this is recruiter blah blah blah. Anybody in the program recently? I need pros and cons.

 

Is this company really that bad? They've been contacting me like crazy. From the info they provided it doesn't sound half bad. I do agree 185 a week for a trailer is steep, but I would also have the peace of mind that I wouldn't have to worry about maintenance. Trk payments are 185/wk not 350 as I've seen someone say. I'm also loving the flexibility they offer. I choose when and where I want to go instead of depending on a dispatcher. 75% of the load plus fsc doesn't sound bad. I just hate it has to be the lil ugly gold truck with the white steel wheels lol. But all this is recruiter blah blah blah. Anybody in the program recently? I need pros and cons.

 

I will admit, my husband and I were both a little apprehensive about signing on with Malone, it is a huge decision, but every time and anyway you slice it, going into business for yourself is a huge risk.

Things have been nothing but great since he started with Malone, no problems at all and the money continues to get better, with the more relationships that we make with agents and the better we understand the lanes to run.

I would highly recommend doing an L/P with Malone. We also had the option of going to a dealership and getting a loan for the same type of truck he is leasing to own with Malone. We had enough set aside to pay for initial start up costs, but after crunching the numbers, the L/P actually came out to be a better deal, believe it or not.

The negative things you hear about the program and company are simply untrue. For example, we were approved for a loan at a dealership, with $5k down, 4 year loan, but the payments were going to be almost $1200 a month. My husband got to pick his truck with Malone, IT IS NOT GOLD, $0 down, $740 a month, 3 year lease contract, for the SAME type of tractors we were looking at with the dealership. YES there is a $5k balloon payment at the end of the contract, then the title is yours, but what is the difference if you have to pay that amount down at a dealership upfront or at the end of the lease? You're still paying it, PLUS with Malone you have the option to pay towards the balloon amount monthly over the term of the contract. For our situation it was a better deal. Malone is NOT trying to trick anyone, of course they make a lot of money off the drivers, HELLO, they are in business to make money too! Keep in mind, THE MORE YOU DRIVE, the more $$ you and Malone make so OF COURSE they will help you and get you rollin' as much as YOU want! They HAVE the freight, EVEN in the slow season. However, show me a company driving job where you can make at least $100k a year. I have been with my husband for 15 years, he has been driving for 11 of those years, I have seen it all. The only company that came close to paying that much was Yellow Transportation, where my husband was for 5 years, then he was LAID OFF, when the company started going under. How's that for job security?

You absolutely have to be a good business man/woman to lease on with a company, have your own authority or do an L/P, it all boils down to the simple fact that you have to go out there and make it happen for yourself!

Things are going very well and I am very happy we made this decision. For us, it was much faster and easier to go with the L/P. TRUST me I am a numbers junkie, I have been in sales and business management my whole life, the L/P numbers came out to be about the same as many other O/O options, you just have to be on your game.

As for renting the trailer and maintenance, tell me where you can buy a flatbed trailer in great condition for about $9k? That is what it costs a year to rent, if you have the money upfront to buy one, great, but for similar quality, that is going to cost around $20k. The goal is to save for purchasing one in cash down the road. PLUS, Malone gives you the sides with the rental fee, if you want to use them. Purchasing sides upfront is another $3k, average. With the maintenance account, all that money is set aside strictly for your own good, for regular maintenance and repairs to your truck. You would have to set aside this money ANYWAY, like capital for your business, so what is the difference? This is a good way to do it for those who are bad at setting aside the funds necessary for operating costs. It all levels out.

I have tons of info and insight, I could go on for days. If any of you have questions, I am always happy to help. Just know, I am straightforward and I tell it like it is with NO B.S.

 

# Red

I feel bad that you are not happy. I hope I can help with a bit of advice. What part of the country do you live in and what lanes are you willing to run? There are specific areas that Malone has tons of freight going in and out of, so this makes a difference.

Also, with the agents, you really have to bust it to prove yourself to them, meaning you have to talk with them consistently and be a little charming , when booking their loads, make sure you are always on time or early with delivery and keep them updated. You should have a laptop and/or smartphone to always be on top of the board and email agents with updates or just to THANK them for a load they gave you and let them know you'd love to work with them again, etc. When you build this reputation for yourself they will CALL you to offer you loads. My husband gets many calls a day from several agents, offering him loads, now that he has built that trust and they know he is a go getter.

The agents can also see in their database when you are in a specific area, if you have built a good reputation, they will call you to offer you loads.

Also, you have to start calling agents FIRST thing in the morning, while you are on your way to your drop, so you already have your next pickup when you are finished unloading. Most of the agents are on central time, so start putting calls in right before 9am central (this is when they start getting in the office), leave them a voicemail if they don't answer, let them know what you're looking for, etc. THEN, call again shortly after 9am. Remember, they are super busy and have tons of drivers, loads, customers to deal with, so if you show them how dedicated you are, they will appreciate it.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have other questions.