Thinking about CRST Malone

[GMAN]

GMAN I believe he is out of Alcoa. I believe he said his dispatcher handles the alcoa freight.

Does he do anything out of Russellville?

[YerDaddy]

Alcoa cheap, Logan cheap. Maverick invaded Logan. Rates in toilet.

Malone does not have a load board.

CRST Logistics does. Good for buck-a-mile military loads!

Dude you should lease on if you wanna sit in a truckstop with CRST stickers on your doors!LOL!!

There is no frikkin' freight!!!!

[thbogle]

I leased on at malone for a year and it was average. I never saw the rates they brag about. Mostly cheap freight and they took quite a bit from the checks. Took from surcharge if I got one, took from stop pay, took from tarp pay.

I would get into a lane and run for a couple of weeks then get kicked out of the lane onto random freight. Got a few good runs back and forth between Ks to CA and back to KC MO. Good rates out and back and then the "freight dried up". That was a usual comment heard.

[GMAN]

I did pretty well with CRST Malone as did a friend of mine. Another friend didn't do that well. I think it was where he wanted to run. He only wanted to run in a certain area. When you are in this business those who do best run where the rates are best. There are some who won't run in the Midwest or rust belt in the winter because they don't like cold weather or snow. During those times rates are usually higher in those areas because so many drivers are unwilling to run in the cold or snow. CRST Malone has agents who have cheap freight and others who have fairly decent rates. It takes time to find the better agents. It isn't any different with Landstar, Jones, Mercer or any of the other agent based carriers. CRST Malone does have a dispatcher assigned to each truck. I had a good dispatcher but mostly looked for my own loads. Prior to leasing to them I had run my own authority so I was accustomed to hustling to find a good load. I understand CRST isn't doing as well right now, but neither are most carriers. I just spoke with one of my drivers who told me that there were about 13 TMC trucks in Virginia Beach when he left the truck stop yesterday. He said that it looked like a TMC terminal. Everyone is having difficulty finding decent paying loads. Sometimes it is even difficult to find any sort of load. When TMC has difficulty loading their trucks you know things are slow since they seem to love those cheap rates. When you lease to an agent based carrier your success depends more on your ability to find those agents who have good paying loads rather than a dispatcher. Some work with specific agents who keep them busy and act as their dispatcher. No matter whom you lease to you cannot rely on your carrier to make you successful. You must be proactive and seek out those loads that will assist you in accomplishing your goals.

I am not sure what you mean when you say that they "kicked" you out of a lane. I always ran when and where I wanted. You are not required to take any load with them. In fact, I would not want to run for any carrier that I had to run in a forced dispatch system.

[YerDaddy]

I leased on at malone for a year and it was average. I never saw the rates they brag about. Mostly cheap freight and they took quite a bit from the checks. Took from surcharge if I got one, took from stop pay, took from tarp pay.

I would get into a lane and run for a couple of weeks then get kicked out of the lane onto random freight. Got a few good runs back and forth between Ks to CA and back to KC MO. Good rates out and back and then the "freight dried up". That was a usual comment heard.

They don't mess with my money. And the deductions are minimal. That is what I like about them. They're honest people. Not like Landstar nickel & diming ya to death. You get 100% Fuel Surcharge and 100% Tarp Pay (only if it's a separate item) and 100% detention (very rare to get any from tite-azz shippers & consignees). Everything else is 75%.
Only deductions are the initial $500 escrow and annual permits. Everything else is at your option. non-trucking liability ins., comprehensive ins., their plate, their trailer, flatbed equip. you bought from them. You can get all that crap elsewhere if you need it.
My "dispatcher" is my coordinator. She just handles the system/paperwork on my loads. I choose my own loads. She is there as a last resort if I can't find anything else. Besides, she's busy enough with all the retarded drivers who need their hands held. They are also good when you are new to the company the first few weeks.

I don't see how you can get kicked off of something unless you messed up on a load and then you can only blame yourself. Freight does dry up. When TMC or Maverick or Melton come in and hacks 35 cents a mile off of a rate (true story) do you wanna make a few $100 less on the load?

But what's point now? No freight anywhere.

[geeshock]

well, I see all the loads are widdle of country, like gman said

[thbogle]

Never messed up any freight, always delivered on time or ahead of time. Did tell a agent once I wasnt pulling his load. Load was loaded bad and was too heavy on one side so the load and freight was leaning. Told the forklift operator to move it and straighten it out he refused so I refused to pull it. They took the load off my trailer and I left. I wasnt out there to loose a load. Place was weird though, wanted me to sign for freight before I saw it or it was on my trlr. Other than that I never made anyone mad that I know of. My dispatcher tried to dispatch me and tried to give me freight but I usually refused it because I would get myself into a lane that payed well. Finally he just started calling me and telling me what my freight was and I was already assigned to it. I complained and got told If I didnt like it i could take my truck elsewhere. So i did .

I dont think I saw a fuel surcharge more than once when I was there and that they took 75% of it . I had all of my own equipment and trlr. It was cheaper to buy a trlr than to rent one of theirs. Of course they kept telling me I needed to use one of their covered wagons and park my step and I would see better freight.