So i just found this thread a little while ago and really lots of great info on here . i used to work for crst malone only i was on a local dedicated account that had zero work more drivers then work with being local was no where to go. So im really considering doing the lp which really sounds good i have a real good bussiness sense and from what i read here sounds like a good deal if you are willing to work hard and not afraid to get dirty . the load board and agent thing would be a learning experience for me but iv been driving 11 years so really not something i cant handle . can anyone tell me how the freight lanes are looking in buffalo ny are any info anyone can provide me with be greatly appreciated , also anyone know what top speed of ther trucks are and how long and where there orientation generally is.
really wow long orientation huh , well is that because of securment training or something what if you have flatbed experience i have 6 year of flatbed experience coils and what not. do you still have to go thorough the whole training . well 67 isnt so bad better then 65 which seems to be like almost every truck is governed at , but really with a truck payment better off running slower to save on fuel.
We missed you around here. Sorry to hear about your mom. There is nothing easy about dealing with an ill parent. I'd go after the welding certification while you are home. You can never learn too much. I always thought you looked like a boilermaker, lol. Pipefitter is a good job with all the power plants up there. Stop by while you are surfing.
Actually they are governed at 68, but not gonna pick nits over 1mph. Orientation shouldn't be too long. Since you have prior experience you can do orientation at any terminal I believe. My orientation started on Monday and I was in my truck by thursday. From buffalo you would go to rockport, IN or Eldridge, IA. Thanks condo, mom had her first mental break my senior year of high school, 18 years ago. My dad dealt with it for 12 years and I had her the last 6. She was ok the last 2 years but went back in the hospital a few weeks ago. I have done a lot of welding but no formal training, just a lot of books and trial and error. I don't like it as much as driving but I am good at it and the job prospects are definitely there for me. I can always go back to driving in the future. I will be around keeping up on the industry.
thanks gravdigr for info yea im seriously considering taking the jump from what i am hearing good things at least a lp that is possible anyway , i have read your thread from begining to end cant say i wouldnt be doing the same as you did if it were my own mother , but maybe she will get better and you will find yourself back out on the road if not good luck with what you do. i will be deciding within next couple days what ill do which i prob will sounds like a good gig. i just need to decide if i have enough cash packed away to start it off with breakdowns and fuel what not. how much did you start off with in bank for upfront costs all that ? just wanna be for sure im good to go and not cut myself short , i did hear some ##### stories on here about some guys talking about that crst wont give you enough for fuel every trip you do your basicly burning fuel cause they dont give you enough and you have to pay it yourself cause fsc dont pay , but im not sure dont know truth behind it , thank and good luck with what future will bring.
oh and you think that being home every weekend is a option condsidering living in buffalo or think every other weekend only way to go? thanks again
For money you should have stashed away, you should plan to have enough money banked to pay your bills at home for at least a month, that includes living expenses. If your truck has to go in the shop, you don't get paid for those days. Slow freight? Same thing. As far as breakdowns, as I said you don't get paid, but it doesn't cost you for repairs as you will be paying per mile for a maintenance plan...unless the damage is deemed your fault ie. you hit something, ran the truck out of oil, etc. As for fuel money, I got more than enough. They advance you money for each load based on the loaded miles, plus you can have them add an extra $50 which I did the first 2 weeks. By the end of my second month I had a surplus of $600 on my fuel card after filling up for each trip so I could deadhead as far as I needed without fuel worries. The big thing is to watch your fuel mileage and keep your foot out of it. I set my cruise at 60mph and rarely went over that unless I thought I would run late. I averaged 6.5mpg (northeast mountains and traffic) to 7.2mpg (midwest mostly flat little traffic). Also idle time is a killer on fuel. Use your head. I was stuck in GA in august heat from fri evening until mon morning and did some figuring and found a hotel for $40/night if you get 3+ nights. I can't stand the heat and figured with the amount of fuel I would use idling it was cheaper to just get the hotel room. Every weekend may be possible, you just have to see if regular freight is available in and out of that area. If you have to deadhead 100mi in and out you are better off going home every other weekend, remember you are paying I think 13cpm on all miles for maintenance loaded and empty, plus your fuel. But also consider, can you keep freight running over the weekend? It can cost you money in fuel or hotel room if you have to sit 2-3 days, possibly the same amount as if you just deadheaded home 100mi.
oh okay then thats not a bad deal then so if you break down b4 you get enough money in the maintence account does that come out of your pocket til your maintenence account gets enough money in it specially somehting major? yea i dont know what the load boad looks like in this area but really from the time iv been pulling flatbed generally there is tons of places around with flatbed freight and even a steel mill that crst pulls out of regularly so my guess 100 miles i highly doubt it cause so many different ways to go around here but not really sure but we will see , im glad to hear that about the fuel i cant agree more on the hotel with being a lease op. you need to think and do anything to save money specially the biggest cost which is fuel . yea im big on trying to set myself up and do what ever i need to to play it smart thats why im doing my homework. thats the your thread i have way more knowledge about crst then i would and i cant thank you enough for posting your experience on here cause im sure its helped many drivers . i kinda though being a lease operater you paid for everything initially breakdown, fuel everything til you recieved your settlement. glad to hear it pretty much everything is covered unless like you said down time etc. im really covered on bills between money in bank and i only have a truck payment which isnt much and my fiancee makes very good money so if worst came worst we can afford everything on her paycheck . but they sound like a good company and good deal to actually get it paid off and really own it. cause i have to say most leases really dont work out but this one from what i read sounds legit . so the indepence really cant beat it.
It's not a maintenance fund, it is a maintenance plan. Think of it like insurance. You pay 13cpm for all miles and you are covered from mile 1. There is no fund, you never see that money again. In addition if you do have to pay out of pocket for something ie. window glass is one thing not covered, should you need a window replaced you do not pay our of pocket. You call maintenance and schedule an appointment to get it fixed. Then they put the bill on your account and charge you some every week until it's paid. So really you don't pay anything out of pocket. Also, don't forget toll money when planning your routes. Make sure you keep some cash in the truck. I learned the hard way the PA turnpike does not accept debit cards, least not at exit 146, my exit to go home.
