Delta Express

Delta Express/Carolina Logistics.

Ruger2016 Bobtail Member. Pay- 90% of load gross, 10% for dispatch, broker, factoring. On paper, paid 100% of load gross then deductions. Deductions as a new O/O to this company. Most of these deductions are not explained well. murky at best. Issued fuel card: % of the total cost of money used on EFS card for fuel, lumpers. Example: $1,200 in fuel for 1 week will be a $60 charge against your 90% of gross. Plus a $1.00 fee for swiping the card each time. Lumpers: each EFS Code issued comes with the $1.00 fee. Say a $200 lumper cost fee. Delta charges the O/O $5.00 admin fee just to issue the EFS code, per code request to pay lumpers. Tags & permits: we got tags thru Delta but some O/O have said they were permitted to use their own. Some say they has their own but Delta required them to get new ones thru them Of course, they take $100-$150 out per settlement until tags and permits are paid for plus a fee for doing it. Insurance: insurance is fully paid by O/O, bobtail, liability, cargo etc. deposit upfront to start insurance but will take out of settlement until deposit is paid. $995 a month cargo per trailer, tractor $206, trailer is $45. Other newer trk is $350 for tractor & $60 for trailer. Escrow: $2,500 per truck, paid upfront or out of settlement at about $200 per week. Logo/decals/Dot #'s. $150 never told of this charge. Workmans comp: $140 a month. Trailer: use theirs for 12% of load gross or provide your own. This is a per load fee. Also, its 12% of load gross at 100%, not 12% of the 90% paid to Owner ops. Just figure 22% if you use their trailer, 10% dispatch, 12%.

If you flatbed, need racks amd equipment, thats another 2-4%. Truck must have current DOT Inspection but they inspect your truck & equipment upon arrival and there is always at least a $1,000 bill of needed repairs before you can take a load, 1st time. It now seems to be somethimg of a regular thing. They require an in-house inspection every 90 days. Pre-Pass for scales. Not eligible because safety score is so bad. Means you must go into every open scale. Tolls are at the expense of O/O. May book own loads off of whatever load board or prior customer. Weekly settlement, always paid on time. Repair shop: is, well, you make your own opinion. They will carry some debt and then take out of settlement. They like to see 50% of bill paid when work done. We've had repair work performed and within hours the fix broke, oil leak seal, new water hose clamp failed, never balanced new tires put on etc.. Had new brake shoes put on trailer, 4 days later a level 1 inspection. Failed, none of the brakes were within proper adjustment. Never adjusted brakes chambers after new shoes put on. Took iit y straight to TA for inspection and yes, all brakes out of adjustment so TA did yhe adjustmemr for us. Broke reefer fuel tank during pm service on trailer so had to have new tank installed and the circus continues today. Dpf cleaner machine, Michelin tire account, 3 axel alignment machine, full diagnostic equipment etc. Will help pay for on the road repairs but again, really like to see between 30%-50% paid by owner when repairs are done. Dispatch is good, 24hr roadside assistance. Small company of about 200 trucks company and O/O. Small cross docking and stoarge capacity. The 1st 3 months was hell with paying all the fees, renting their trailer, paying back for tags, insurance etc. again, all these expenses and fees are not clear before, during, or after the hiring process.

Took some time to figure out their deal. I won't say scam but sure as hell felt like it. Undisclosed information! Owner of Delta/Carolina. 100% absentee. Have never seen, meet, bumped into. Some corporate staff are a joke. Have asked and requested several times to have a meeting with owner, nothing. Some corporate staff change policy and procedure, never informing O/O and therefore end up costing O/O money, time, loss of loads etc. Some brokers we have worked with well are telling us to jump ship because of problems and Delta is on the road to being black balled for booking loads and bailing. Mostly O/O booking loads then finding a better paying load and abandoning 1st booked load. Also, cargo claims because O/O are losing freight, damaging freight, setting reefer temp wrong and spoilage. They don't have a terminal yet so no place for a driver/Owner to be while at orientation or in for truck repairs. They are building a new facility with lounge, showers, laundry, kitchen but right now and past, zero amenities. How we minimize expenses. Found and lease our own trailers saving approximately $2,000 a month per trailer. Got our own fuel cards and contact brokers directly for lumper fees using Comdata or EFS code so no fees. Communication between corporate, dispatch, shop, and Owner ops is horrible. Mostly due to 1 or 2 specific people who are in positions they are wholeheartedly unqualified to be in. Jacob, the 20 something operations manager is a complete and absolute joke. Everyone is scared of this kid. We have tried to find out his connection to the company but alas, everyone is too scared to speak. Hreat way for am absentee owner to run a company. Put an unexperienced kid in charge to scare the hell out of everyone so gjey keep their job. Overall, we rate Delta on a scale of 1-10, a 6. Yes, leaving sooner than later. Great experience going from company drivers at a large career into tje relm of a true leased on owner operator.