Celadon reviews

I moved over to Celadon after being with USX for eight years. I'm currently in their lease purchase program driving a new 2016 lonestar. Although costly to drive a new truck, there are less headaches in maintenance. I have a 2009 truck at the house that I lease purchased through USX and it was a costly one with constant upkeep, but that truck is now mine with the exception of getting the title straightened out (that's another long story lol).
My first week with Celadon was good then I ran into a bump with my dispatcher (driver manager) when I delivered a live unload in Laredo, TX. I was to pick up another live load the next morning and was dispatched with the current empty to pick load up. Two hours before pick up, my DM decided to tell me I needed to give the Laredo yard my empty so they could use it to pick up one of their loads. After a few rounds back and forth with him, I kept my trailer, got loaded and headed west with the load. I also have a different DM because I don't tolerate a person talking to me as that one did. All companies have thorns in the midst. Just have to know how to work around them before making the drastic decision to leave right of way. Also being careful on how you talk back, without putting yourself in a bad situation with the company in general. So far celadon has been good to work with. I'm under the 70% contract so I watch carefully the rates of loads they give me and always ask them what the rate look like in an area that I'm unfamiliar with as to avoid pulling cheap loads to keep the truck moving.

Also orientation is very different from any orientation I have ever been to. It is a two day orientation watching videos with very little human interaction. Bizarre I thought. Day one starts off with having credentials checked, drug test, and videos to watch, along with a road test to show your worthiness lol. Be warned, the is a sharp turn in the road test with a high concrete corner. Avoid this by swinging wide and utilizing your mirrors constantly as well as turning your head to make sure all is clear. Drive the school zone speed limit even when school is out. Don't drive too slow either when on the highway briefly. Day two is much of completing videos to watch, photo ID taken, truck assignment.
If you intend to lease, they send you to Quality lease which is next store to them for you to pick a truck of your choice (new or used-pricing depends on year if truck). Truck availability is random as they deal with all brands and many drivers constantly over there picking and choosing. It is a first come first serve bases.

To all drivers who are looking on going to Quality Leasing to lease a truck on at Celadon they will rip you off. First of all they will only let you pick a truck off there stupid list of available trucks so don't go there thinking that your going to get the truck that you want because they are in control of what they want you to have . You will end up getting something that you don't want to sink your money into a lot of there trucks are pretty much beat to #### . I signed on with Celadon thinking it was going to be a good company to work for boy I was big time wrong after I started running for them the paychecks got smaller and smaller until I was receiving no paychecks I even got the miles that they wanted me to get for the month witch was 9000 miles and when payday came it was in there pocket and not mine I had returned the truck at there fontana yard and they charged me 450.00 for returning it to quality companies i only lasted there in fontana the company comes up with ways to deduct more money out of your pay I told my dm that I don't want anymore low paying loads under 1500 payable to the truck then they started to look for higher paying loads and when the found me better loads they would give them to me and an hour later they would just pull them off of me and come up with some lame ######## excuse and I would be right back to the low paying loads I really think Celadon is one greedy Company they just want to bust your ### and keep your hard earned pay . STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY

As company driver they set your fuel stops. Only the owner operators have the freedom of where to fuel

I leased with Celadon for 6 months. First 4 were great made great money, then slowly started sitting more and more, and remind you in 6 months i only turned down 2 loads which where either way to heavy for my Lonestar or went to close to NYC  short story short i ain't there no more, that was my only lease experience and i'd never recommend anyone lease with them!

I'm in waxahatchie, quality will push you to lease a truck that day even if you don't want one on the list, I advise you not to do it unless it's something you want they will say they won't pay for you a hotel room but just tell them you'll just go somewhere else and there attitude changes quick. Also as most knows don't get a maxforce they have alot out here and will try to push that on you but there crap and don't get it.

 I have hired onto Osborn Trans. out of Gadsden, AL. They do both Celadon and Osborn orientations at this location. Orientations take place on Monday and Wednesdays

Here is the breakdown of your orientation:

Arrive the night before and call dispatch, they will come pick you up at the bus station, and take you to the hotel. At the hotel you will be given an option for dinner where you are provided a $10 card to get something to eat. The next morning, you will be picked up for an 8 am start time. At this time someone will come out in the "training room" and collect your DL SSC and medical. They also take your pic for your Comdata card. If your medical will expire in less than 6 months, you will take a new medical. You then load up in the van, and head to the drs office for DS and physicals. Pretty basic stuff no worry of sleep apnea, or other crap.

Road tests are given between day one and two, he will come get a couple drivers and take them out...

You will spend a good portion of the day waiting on that, my class had 7 as well as the Quality Drivers students that were there before us. We arrived back at the terminal around 11:30 and were given a menu to choose for lunch. It is Wal-Mart plate lunches, you can pick a salad or a meat and 2 veggies. Then as lunch is being picked up you begin the long drawn out process of computer assignments. This includes 14 Celadon training modules, that each roughly take 20-40 mins. They have a quiz attached to the back end of them. When you have completed with that, you then start on Pro-Tread videos. These are very lengthy, and they can range anywhere between 20 mins and 3 hours, including the Haz Mat training, even if you do not have the endorsement. When you have completed that (you will have an option to work on the pro-tread at the hotel on your tablet or laptop, which I suggest to help you get done faster) you will complete the onboarding paperwork (tax forms, accident, past 7 day recap, direct deposit forms) This will take you to the end of day two. By day three, they may still be waiting for your drug screen results, and to put you into hired status. Safety will come in and speak with you sometime during the morning, to pass around the haz mat books, log books, ect. They will also speak with you about the points system, and things that can get you terminated i.e. no hands free, careless driving tickets ect.

When in hired status you will be given your fuel card, meet your dispatcher, and assigned your truck, (if you are on the Osborn side this all comes down from Indy, so be prepared to wait while they finalize everything)

Since I live near the terminal, I have a chance to take the truck home before I am dispatched, but they will route you through the house to get settled in.

Thats about it, its really all just computer training, not much interaction with office personnel.

I am out, the Osborn terminal doesn't have their crap together, office personnel doesn't give a #### about drivers, and there is up to a weeks wait for a truck... Im going back to my local hometown carrier (not knight), I dont know I wasted 2.5 days on this crap.