just looking for some reliable info on the company. good bad etc. what kinda miles, are they consistent, and are recruiter full of it or stick to their word.

 

Typical $.90/mile carrier. Whether that's good or bad depends on what you're looking for. The freight will generally be more consistent with those type of companies...but then again, it is $.90 a mile.

 

they have like 8 full pages in those truck propaganda mags at truck stops. i've only heard good things but it was only from a limited number of people

 

Ok, I'm sorry first of all for bumping this, but this kind of thing unchecked drives me nuts. A lot of people yell about .90 a mile. While I agree, it's a bit low there are things your not taking into account.

How about, Paid tolls, paid scales, paid detention on Loading, unloading, trailer breakdowns, Guarenteed Stop pay, Guarenteed pay when bills in hand, They deal with collecting crap. They pay all plates and permits, Fuel sircharge is adjusted some times twice weakly. The .90 per mile (actually .91 now) is paid on all dispatched miles (movers guide) loaded and MT. For someone that is new to OOing, or doesn't want a bunch of head aches, Dart has a great hand hold program, if you chose to use it. THey will hold your hand as little or as much as you like. (What price do you put on that?)

I got a buddy that runs Flatbed for CRST and we are always compairing rates. He's paid percentage and Can pull from CRST freight or load boards or whereever he can find a load. He's pulling for 75% of gross. When you facter in his trailer costs cost of plates and permits, tolls, scales, etc etc etc. We come out within pennies of each other. Some times he's ahead some times I'm ahead. Depends on which area's he's pulling from. Also seems that he has to put together several partials to keep up with that silly 91cpm

Not to mention the fuel program helps offset fuel quite well.. Current Fuel sircharge, factered in with my MPG, with the fuel program, I can keep my CPG at about a buck a gallon. even at a $4.06/gal price at pump.

Moral: You can't look at a CPM and just buck it without knowing all the work ins that go with it, IMHO.

 

To answer your question, if you're still interested:

The company is solid been in business 75 years, not stillin business by taking advantage of people.

They now own a company called Dartco, formerly known as All Points. They merged All Points and Major (recently perchased) and made Dartco. Consists of 350 company trucks. All trucks leased to the dart pool of freight.

You can make a living at dart if you don't sit still. If your knew to O/O and think you're going to pay for a truck and sit at the house, you'll fail. If your willing to work, you can make it.

I did the lease perchase through Highways sales. If I was to do it over again, I'd chose not to do that. But thats not because I think I'm getting screwed. You lease the truck through Highway sales, and end up taking care of almost all the dealer end stuff (warenty issues) directly through the dealers anyways. Why not just lease there in the first place?

I would never lease one of the used trucks from Highway sales. If you are not making it at dart, one of two things has happened. A: your sitting around too much (your choice not the company's) or B: you got yourself a lemmon and it's in the shop alot.

Getting into this business with nothing down and no money in the bank is the fastest way out of business. I did it, but I wouldn't do it again. I was running on a prayer for little more then a year. I went with a brand new truck so at least my issues were all warrenty, and I know how to hold on to money so in times of down time, I had was able to roll expenses and such.

As far as money made, depends on what your payments are. Know your expenses going in. As GMAN usualy says..save money and pay cash.. I didn't listen, so I make less money then I would make if I had listened.

I have my truck payment $1900/mo + a generator payment $332/mo and all the other operation costs anyone else does, and I make a living.

Wifes a stay at home mom, homeschooling our boys. We support our family off the income I generate from this truck, from this company.

Keep in mind we know how to manage money, and we keep our overhead as low as possable. I plan to to pay the truck off, have a maintenance account big enough to pay for the repairs the truck needs, and drive enough to pay the bills, build a replacement fun, and build a group of investment accounts while spending much more time at home.

I currently know several drivers that have paid off trucks at dart that drive two weeks and are home two weeks. They didn't intend to build "Trucking Companys" but be self employed.

Thats my goal. I didn't want to be a full bore O/O like some of these guys do. I love driving truck, but when it's time to go home, it's time to go home, and working for a company you have to listen to all the "you're not getting enough miles" crap. I don't have to deal with that. Dart to cry, and I make a living.

Everyone wants to know numbers. well, my Uncle and I both came to dart at the same time. last year he did 160k Gross I did 125K gross. He ran like 130k miles, I ran 98k miles. I have kids and a wife I want to be home, he has a wife that goes with him so he likes to be out. On top of these numbers there is stop pay, detention pay and layover pay you pick up.

Bottom line, Darts got options, and they can be succesfful for you, but only if you learn how to work the system, play the game, and take ownership of your business and make smart decisions.

Oh did I mention I don't run at night, and I take a day off every week even when I'm on the road? I don't work hard, and I make a living.

My rate/mile over the year is low because I came in under 10k miles a month and everything is based on that. Basicaly I sit home WAY TOO MUCH while having a 2k a month truck payment.. Get up over 10k a month and your making pretty darn good money... even at 91cpm.

It all really comes down to what you end up with for equipment... Got a solid truck, your golden. if you don't, it's going to hurt.

And make sure you communicate well/clearly with your fleet manager.. get a crappy one or a personality conflict, change.. Mine rocks.

HOpe this helps... I'm sure I'll catch some flack with the numbers I tossed.. always someone doing better Finacially.. But then I never have measured success strictly in cash or cash flow.

Can you believe they pay us to drive around the country!?!? :P

 

Sounds like commercial... :lol:

 

I heard Dart drivers get rich.

 

The story on the guy with the penny giving scholarships won my heart.

 

Unchecked? That would imply that I was somehow passing along false or incomplete information, thereby misleading people. Point to anything there that was inaccurate. I don't know much about Dart, which is why I didn't volunteer much specific info. But I know they're a $.90 a mile carrier and those I do know about...from experience. I never said you can't make a living at $.90/mile. I did, I know plenty who do. But you'll make the same as a well-paid company driver when all is said and done. Anyone that says otherwise doesn't know the first thing about accounting. As the other poster stated, for those who only want to be self-employed, that's fine. For those who want a return on their investment, it doesn't cut it.

I didn't badmouth Dart, so let's not get all defensive. But let's keep the lipstick away from the pig, shall we. :lol: