celedon starts load board for l/p

First Month on it, so far it's great. What do you want know about it?

 

Quality sucks, all of the trucks are old and crappy, they did say they will have in some new 2016-2017 trucks in March and I remember thinking who the hell is going to wait that long.....

Basically how it works: On day 1 Celadon sends you across the lot to Quality to check in. After they talk to you, you will load up in the van to go pick out your truck. Have your running shoes, pen and paper ready. Once you arrive at the lot, its a competition to find the best truck (my advise, start at the back of the lot and work your way to the first, the others will start at the front). Write down a few VIN numbers of trucks you like and take them to a sales rep on the lot with a tablet. they will double check the VIN to make sure its a lease truck and ask you if you want to test drive it.

Once you tell them you want to test drive it, they will lock you in and no one else will be able to test drive it for 30mins. Inspect the truck really really good, check oil lights fuel pre trip ect ect. Once you finish your test drive they are going to ask you do you want that truck, if you do, they will take it off list the available list. You will head back to the office sign your contract and the truck is yours. They only fix things on the truck that will cause you to fail DOT inspection.

 

When I first got to the lot I really didn't see anything I liked....aka NEW so i gave them a few vins of newer trucks and I was told they were not available, they couldn't find the title ect ect. After lunch I came back to the lot and seen someone get a freightliner I asked about earlier that day so I had the sales rep re run my VIN numners and was told the 2015 Kenworth I looked at this morning was now available. I inspected it the best I could (not a mechanic) took it for a test drive, local, gravel and on the expressway, I used the entire 30 minutes that was given to me.

This truck has 400k miles on it, still under factory warranty, APU attached and a factory install refrigerator. It runs really good. No issues. The only problems I've had is a broken closet door and a broke fuel cap.

Ill have to get back to you with excat numbers but my payments are around 8 something a week including insurance ect. I usually clear around $2,000-3k a week!

BECAUSE

1. I pick my own loads. Do not let them dispatch you ever, will screw you over with lots of deadhead.

i'm from Chicago so Traffic and Snow don't scare me. Rates are going to be higher in those areas during those times.

2. I trip plan and run on a tight schedule. I try to do the 10 on and 10 off. Celadon uses Elogs!
Always double check loads in the area your going to to make sure you can get out of that area.

3. Truck has a APU and a refrigerator. Don't waste fuel and keep that left door closed.

4. Run it like a business. Don't do favors or let them take loads from you that you already confirmed. Stand your ground. They took a load from me that cancel then it reappeared and was given to another driver. They paid me a extra $200 for my troubles.

LAST

5. I have no kids, no mortgage/apartment, credit card debt, student loans, car note ect and single so that saves me money lol

Most people I talk to say im crazy and that my truck note is way way to high and I agree BUT it works for me. If you have all the stuff I listed above plus a 8-900 truck note a week, I can see how people can fall behind easy and lose the truck. If I make all my payments I will have paid Quality over 300k dollars. My plan is NOT to pay this truck off but rather save my money
and honestly walk into a dealership and pay for a truck flat out in cash and keep rolling for Celadon. Freight is good to me and I pick my own loads.

 

What a scam.

 

I made a huge mistake going over to eagle logistics which is part of celacon. Took loads out for them to have them remove the usage of a huge broker it from under is without notice. Then every time I tried to secure myself a load I kept getting a reason of "we don't have a carrier packet on file with them, and legal won't let us file one until they check it out first" I almost lost my house because of their restrictions and ####. Huge mistake for me

 

one day drivers falling for the LP scams will realize youd be better off just going through a bank or security union and finance a truck and then lease on to someone or just get your own rights

 

Don't do it you been warned!Do your research!