Melton Truck Lines "An elite flatbed company"

Nice. Thanks for the input.

 

Sure no problem.

 

If you're happy then I'm happy for you.

It boils down to whether or not the driver thinks he's being fairly treated and compensated for his time, given his experience and skillset. Because time is one thing we can never get back.

My current situation is I drive for a guy with a small fleet.

He pays 1099. Right there, some are going to scream from the rooftops "Are you crazy?!"

Just as driver-facing cameras is a deal breaker for me, 1099 jobs are a deal breaker for others. I appreciate that.

I'm good, very good, at money management. I put into my retirement account, separate account for the tax man, only buy what I need and buy everything on sale. I believe in the motto, 'It's better to buy nice than to buy twice.'

But I also have an 80 mph truck with paper logs. I know how to use this to my advantage and still maintain a 0/0 status. It's not hard with some common sense, experience, and logistical knowledge.

At the end of each month, I know I've put in fewer hours and made just as much if not more than guys governed at 65.

He put me in a good truck that I can idle when I need to. And I always pick up and deliver on time. He only asks for one check call per day but I give him two as a professional courtesy.

And we negotiated a flat rate depending on where I go. After a month, I got a good sense of how much actual time I'm working on any given run.

Because let's face it, a dirty little secret in this industry is that drivers are working even though the log book may say "Off Duty" and this is unacceptable to me at my experience level.

I look at the REAL hours (not just log book hours) I work on a given run. This includes everything related to the job of being a truck driver. Then I compare it to the amount I'm paid. And that's how I calculate what my true paycheck is. And I do alright. A little more than what I got paid doing LTL - and I get to drive during the day (I hate driving graveyard shift).

He also pays me after each trip. And I will NOT step inside the truck again until I see that money clear into my checking account.

I also told him I need winters off. This he wasn't crazy about and, who knows, he might try to wrangle me in somehow. We'll see. This is why I'm casually looking at other options. Obviously, I'll give him notice if I decide to move on.

The funny thing is, there's still gonna be people who read this and nitpick. But I know what I bring to the table as a driver. And I've set certain standards. Because I know for every load I take for this guy (or whoever), I am, by default, turning something else down whether it be another job or leisure time.

This is what's known as opportunity cost and I wish more drivers - for their sake - embraced the concept.

 

You make your own choices and you seem happy with them. That's a good deal. I work for a local company and get paid hourly and see my son. There has been several rockslides in a state road that goes to the I5 and I was laid off and am here till the road opens. There are no weigh stations in the area. They have trucks that will do the speed limit uphill with 109k. I'm not bragging its not my trucks. People don't talk craps on the cb unless they want to wake up with their ear dangling. Not to say I've been involved. The money is ok, but the treatment, the washing the truck everyday which is their policy-is nice. These men are very helpful, very funny, very respectful. I run 4 or 5 loads at night and there is none of this bs about 11 or 14. Its done when it's done. Money is not everything-I like the quality.

Veggies, you made a lot of good points to consider and I appreciate it.

 

I know this is a little old but I will weigh in on this. I will be a 1 year driver for Melton here soon. So I can give a perspective for anyone who is new and weighing the pros and cons. I give Melton a positive score.

Melton has fulfilled everything they said they would do when I was recruited. I am generally happy with my miles. They paid a hire bonus and tuition reimbursement as promised. They also paid for an expensive prescription that I desperately needed last year. That medical insurance was available immediately after I was an employee. Melton is self-insured and you get great medical benefits. Melton also matches a large portion of my retirement withholdings. I chose to take out maximum (7%) since they match.

Originally I didn't make much money at Melton for the amount of work and hours I put into it. That's because I didn't know how to secure and tarp very well, being new. I spent 2-4 mostly unpaid hours doing things that now take me 1 hour. I didn't know jack. I wasted time spinning my wheels at everything. Why should they pay for that?

I make more per mile now and I niw blaze thru the flat-rate stuff like tarping and making extra stops. The few times I've sat for over a day (3 times in 1 year) at least I got layover pay. Never an issue with layover or detention pay.

I guess my point is Melton is a great way to learn flatbed. Who would pay a noob hourly to learn a skill that takes longer when you are new? I paid $5k for CDL school. Yet I learned so much more in my first year with Melton and they paid me.

The cameras people hate here aren't even on unless you cause a hard brake event or a crash. I think my reluctance to set that camera off has made me a better driver. I watch my speed and braking because the camera has a gyroscope-type sensor. I think about that when I'm in traffic. I don't even care about it now otherwise. 1200 drivers, do you think they have 1200 camera monitors watching our daily routines? Right. We aren't that interesting. It took me some time to realize nobody cares about anything except your speed, braking, and if you were texting when you caused an "event". Seems reasonable.

I have new equipment and a decent truck. I finally have a DM that basically leaves me alone. I get the hometime I ask for. If I can upgrade to a better paying company or advance my skill set into heavy haul, I will consider leaving Melton. Im not a cheerleader. I just think if you are new to flatbed and can handle it at first, it gets way better. All my issues at Melton have worked themselves out. I currently still like it here.

 

Because they're miserable mutts with the IQ of a gnat.

 

Wait a second......which McDonalds has a drive thur for trucks?!??!?! Ive been having to get out and walk there! My whole.life has been a lie!

 

Before i went with this small company i almost called melton..would like to start doing flatbed...but it.would be a pay cut at the start...