CRST Malone (Flatbed Division) SUCKS!

Discussion in 'CRST' started by Chiricahua, Aug 27, 2007.

  1. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    I met one lease operator with CRST Malone who told me that he did good to clear about $300/week after everything has been paid. He leased both his truck and trailer from them. He was young and probably had limited experience. There may be some who do well. I have met a couple who said they were doing well with one of the lease trucks. I think the key is to not take time off. You need to manage your freight and learn the good freight lanes as quickly s possible. Check out the truck before signing on the dotted line and as long as nothing major happens to the truck, you might be able to make it work. For someone with no experience to jump into one of these leases is a recipe for failure. If someone has a few years experience, preferably with some owner operator experience, he might have a better chance of making a success. I would love to know the success or failure ratio of their program. Most lease purchase programs will sidestep the figures.
     
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  3. zinita17601

    zinita17601 Road Train Member

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    run dont just walk away
     
  4. jpracer1

    jpracer1 Medium Load Member

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    in less than 6 months last year I grossed $90,000 plus
     
  5. WitchingHour

    WitchingHour Road Train Member

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    As I've said before, my experience working for a fleet owner leased to Malone was good... but my grip with the company is that they'll contract an O/O with zero open deck experience, and then send them on their way with just a brief crash course on load securement at the Trussville yard. Which is probably why they had a 100 ISS rating during the time I was driving for them.
     
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  6. Computertrucker

    Computertrucker Light Load Member

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    I just got done talking to a crst Malone lease operator. He claimed he was making 2200 a week take home. After fuel and charges. After reading this post I'm thinking he is full of bs. He claimed when freight stats picking back up to full swing in March or so he would clear 3000.00 a week on average. Sometimes 4k a week.

    Anyone here at all getting these types of numbers?
     
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  7. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    According to a recruiter who keep calling me to lease my trucks back on with them, their average rate is around $2/mile to the truck. With time spent tarping and securing the load, I don't see how it would be possible with them. I do have personal experience with Malone, but it has been quite a few years ago. I have a friend who has cleared $2,200 in a week, but not consistently doing a lease from a different company. With Malone, you will have a truck payment and you will also need to either buy your own trailer or rent one of theirs. That takes a big chunk of your profit. I have never met any lease operator or owner operator who has been leased to Malone who has cleared $3-4,000/week after ALL expenses. I would need to see his settlement sheets for me to believe him. I asked one of their recruiters who called me several months ago what the average lease operator cleared after expenses and he told me that it was just over $900/week, at that time. I believe he was being honest with his figures. He knew that is isn't something I was going to do so there was no reason for him to not be truthful with me.
     
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  8. gregbo

    gregbo Light Load Member

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    I'm an O/O. I've been with Malone for just under 2 years and I rarely book a load at 2.00/mile or less. Most pay much better. This past week I booked a logistics load 112 miles that paid 516.00, an agent load 304 miles that paid 875.00 and a another agent load 261 miles that paid 746.00. Went out Monday morning, ran these three and home on Thursday morning. These rates are better than I usually get but I'm always well above 2.00 on average for the week. My impression is that a lot of LP drivers want to be dispatched and basically take whatever is offered and expect to make top dollar. These are the guys averaging 2.00/mile or less and as you point out, with truck payment, maintenance, trailer rent etc. 2200.00 a week is a pretty tough nut at that rate. The agents are happy to put cheap freight on you if you'll take it and your fleet manager will just put you on the load with the least deadhead. You have to get yourself in the high paying lanes in and out, and you have to watch the board for opportunities. Some of the best paying loads are oddball stuff that shows up on the board. You also have to be willing to deadhead to get the good rates. Otherwise you'll layover and/or take cheap freight out. If you rely on other people you'll always get the leftovers. I don't average 2200 net per week because I don't want to work that hard and I only work 4 or 5 days a week. But it can be done as an O/O. It might take a few years for an LP.
     
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  9. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    I am glad that you are doing well with Malone. Are those rates gross or to the truck?
     
  10. gregbo

    gregbo Light Load Member

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    Cherry Valley IL
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    To the truck after Malone's 25% on line haul. My weekly deductions right now are running at about 300.00/week. Will go down in the spring when this year's plates are paid for and way down if I can buy a trailer this year. I usually take the fuel advance which they figure at .79/mile for owner ops. A 4.00 charge for 200.00 fuel advance is 2% cost which is pretty cheap working capital.
    I did better than usual on rates last week but like I said I average much better than 2.00/mile. I don't think I'd do it for that money and if you've got a truck payment you probably wouldn't survive.
     
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  11. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    Those rates are comparable to what their recruiters keep telling me. The last one said that the fleet average was about $1.94/mile to the truck. A few months earlier, I was told that the average was $2.04/mile to the truck. That is not bad to be leased to a carrier. Many owner operators and lease operators don't do nearly as well with other carriers. When I leased to them I had equipment payments and later drivers in my trucks. I still made money with them. But, I also had reasonable equipment payments. It is difficult to pay out $800/week or more for equipment payments and still earn a decent living. I was amazed at how many lease operators were at Trussville the last time I stopped by to visit. It was about a year ago. That was the first time in several years that I had stopped. They must have been heavily recruiting back then. It was difficult to get into their lot with all the lease trucks.
     
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