My adventures at CRST Malone

I've delivered to a bunch of these around the country. NOT truck friendly in the least lol

 

Big bags of clay to make a tennis court

 

I've been asked a lot about the orientation process and everything. Since they went to quality trucks I'm not sure of the process or the confusion that some people are having. Orientation is the worst thing regardless of where you work. Here's a bit of advice.

Stay on top of things.
Read your contract!!
If your delayed a week getting your truck or trailer and charged payments get a hold of your fleet manager and get them to push them to the back of the lease. If they say two weeks before you get chargednmake sure its two weeks. Its the computer charging you and they will fix it, no one is sitting behind a desk saying I'm going to $!#@ him or her over today!! MALONE has always been stood up for what they said they'd do for me.

Once you have your equipment set up, get moving that day or next morning. (Or Monday if you get your stuff late Friday or Saturday) you have responsibilities now as an owner operator. Remember you don't make anything until your payments are paid. Take the gross x it by .75 divide it by the miles that's your rate for the load plus fuel surcharge. You will make what's left after fuel and maintenance. You should be able to pay your fixed expenses every week before Friday. I almost always run for pure profit minus fuel and maintenance Friday-tuesday.

Learn the system, study the load board. Just because an agents office is in Iowa doesn't mean he doesn't have freight in Virginia. Pick up the phone and call. Be polite and always respectful if they are having a bad day and aren't nice to you say well thank you and have a nice day. Cuss out your windshield. Disrespecting the hands that feed you Will leave you with an empty deck and crying home to your wife that you can't get loaded today be cause you told the only agent with freight near by to F off.

This is your BUSINESS. No hand holding. MALONE will help you find freight..... But it Will be they stuff they need moved without the best interest to your bottom line. If you want to do well here you need to think tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow. What's next? What's my plan? And start calling agents in the area you'll be in before you get there. Most of my freight neverhits the load board.

Securement and Tarping will become easier with time, don't quit because it's easier to slam doors than tarp a 13' 6 load in the wind with a 140 pound tarp.

Give it time. You won't learn the system or build a reliable reputation within two weeks times. The agents will load you, will give you a chance it's up to you to make something out of it.

Last tip. Don't run out of fuel. Call in before noon Saturday and they will give you more money for fuel if needed. Remember it comes out of your check and out of your families household every extra expense you add so save as much fuels you can and stay comfortable too.

 

Slidell Lousianna for the night. 35 miles from my drop. Then loading lumber in MS going to MO. $1100 on 579 miles.

 

No good man hope it's fixed soon.

 

West Memphis for the night. Deliver lumber tomorrow to Rosebud MO then bounce to Granite city IL to load going to Middletown OH