CRST Malone (Flatbed Division) SUCKS!

Superman,

In trying to read your post , please use the spell check option ... its right up here on the right. that says ( ABC )

But other than your bad spelling, you are correct in your post...

Have a great day out there on the roads..

Harold G.
Esmond, ND

 

A buddy of mine is at CRST Malone. He is doing good. He is leasing the truck and having $200 extra a month go to his truck payment. CRST is hard for those who rely on a dispatcher for everything. Use the load boards!!

He tried buying a truck and was going to come over to Mercer where I'm at but he could not get financing. He is happy at Malone. Don't let a couple of bad mouths who don't know how to run a business scare you away...

 

Well said packerfan! Your absolutely right, if someone is going to be an owner-operator they need to take charge of their business and run it as such. No one can afford to sit idle at home any more than running cheap loads all the time ,,, there's still the truck payments, insurance, etc. to be paid every month. You can break it down by the month, day or mile, but if you aren't "open" for business you aren't going to make any money. Every day you sit you lose! You can't ever recoup the money you could have earned had you been rolling. Yesterday is gone for ever.

You have to be smart about picking loads in both directions. It's a whole lot easier now with computerized load boards than it was when I was an owner back in the early to mid 1980's. Had to go to the truck stop and use a pay phone to find loads.

 

I just left Malone. The worst company out there, you'll run all week and owe them money at the end of it. I have a truck that's paid for and still couldn't make any money with them. They charge you for everything. Everytime they place fuel money on your card, they charge you $4 and when you scan your bills in ti cost you .25 cents/ page, not a lot but it adds up. They never give you enough fuel to get to where your going, so you have to call in for more fuel (another $4 charge) They don't pay for tolls so stay off the toll roads, you go broke. There trailers are 185.00/week and the loads are cheap. If you get a good paying load it going to a dead area and you'll dh over 200 miles to your next load(burning fuel). Several time on a sunday I would get to within a hundred miles of my delivery and have to wait til monday to get more fuel money to deliver. That's wasted time, money, and not to mention killing your 7/70. There's a host of other things i can go on about. But my fingers are getting tired. Bottom line stay away from this company. I heard they were terrible but I guess I just had to see for my self. Anyway, i'm back under refer and made more money on one load going from Al. to Wa in 4 days than I made with them all month. On the bright side if you love flatbedding and paying money out your pocket to move a load, CRST is the company for you. And thier least purchase trucks what a joke, 14cpm maintenance and they wont fix a thing, some how they find a way to charge it back to the driver. Then your in the hole for months without a pay check.

 

On a positive note. About the only way you can make a fairly desent paycheck, is to run from Atlanta/Birmingham area up to the Chicago area. If you get outside of that lane you'll owe them money at the end of the week. I myself like to cross the country. Good paying loads going out west, but you'll pay to come back east.

Here's the straw that broke the camel's back: Got a load from Sandy Hook Ms to Hyrum, UT. Load paid 3800 plus 800fsc. Good paying load. Now take 25% off the line haul, still pretty good, then add in all you expences. Problem came in when i got to Limon, Co. Had a beak down center line drive shaft came apart. did some damage to other parts when it did. Anyway $3300 dollars in repairs. Now, I was short $885.00 in my maintenance account. But I was going to clear over 1500 on the load i was under. These guys in the office did not want to help me with the rest of the repairs. I had to call in some favors to get my truck out shop. There exact words to me were, and I quote " That's above my pay grade". Imagine be told that by a company that you run your butte off for and tell me how would it make you feel. A few days later I got my truck out the shop, delivered that load I was under, found me another load coming to within 200miles of Birmingham, drop their trailer on the yard turned in my paperwork, and never said another word to them. I will get back into flat bedding again because I love it. However, I will have my own trailer and athority.

 

Are you leasing their truck?

 

Well if you would have listened during orientation they told you that if you "took the bait" on a good paying load out to an area where there is no good paying freight you will suffer with losing money trying to get back into a profitable lane. If you stay in the "box" you can make good money. Just this week alone I have had two loads paying $2.82 per mile. Sounds to me you weren't willing to run the 700 to 500 mile loads and actually work a little.

 

Give a little, get a little.

 

I have been leased on for a month now, I love it got the freedom i want. I book loads days in advance and im doing great. Just bought my 2nd truck and it will go here to. I cant say ever driver can or will make it some drivers need someone to tell them where to go and some of us can set out own way. All i can say is its not for everyone but i paid cash for my 2nd truck with them so we will see how it goes (its an 05 kenworth)









9

 

If I was leased to them and had to call the agents and set my own del. appt's, then i would have to be paid at least 85 - 90% of the load and 100% surcharge, 100% tarp and drop pay along with 100% layover or detention pay,