Bolt Express Questions

chuckwagon

Seasoned Expediter
I have just been approved to sign a straight truck on with Bolt Express out of Toledo.
It is a 22-footer.
Has any one had any experience with these people?
Are they pretty good on getting your settlements to you, traffic, keeping busy, dispatchers, etc - the usual questions?
I am not sure if I will go with them yet - but they seem OK to me.
Thanks for the input.
 

tec1959

Expert Expediter
Chuckwagon,Everything I've ever heard about Bolt Express has been very positive...I've heard there really good to work for...
 

chuckwagon

Seasoned Expediter
I am not sure if they are even taking vans on no matter where you are at.
I would though suggest calling Mark at 1-800-545-4789 and he will tell you straight up.
Best of luck to you!
 

whitewolf53

Expert Expediter
CHUCKWAGON: I have been with Bolt since May of 05.
They have been keeping me busy except
for the month of Sept 06.
My only complaint about them as i have
stated before,is they never seem to put
enough money on the com card for your loads.
There is no problem asking for more money
but they charge you 15 bucks for doing it.
NICE SCAM!!!!!!!!!


Mike
Whitewolf 53

HERE LIZARD LIZARD LIZARD

:p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p
:9 :9 :9 :9 :9 :9 :9 :9
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
Chuck... I hate to sound like a nitpicker here; but why do you ask about Bolt AFTER you signed on?

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas
 

chuckwagon

Seasoned Expediter
Hey Hawk,

I will not be signing on till this coming Tuesday as long as they and I can get the bs drug test thing set up before then along with the other typical paper work. If not right after Thanksgiving though!
I almost went with Turri Transportation out of Michigan but I kinda like Bolt a little more.
 

dhalltoyo

Veteran Expediter
Be prepared to run many cheap loads.

As most of the third layer of carriers, Bolt, and many other as well, has what is known as "Major Accounts". Expect a 10-20 cpm decrease in the loaded rate.

Keep your ears open during orientation and listen for this canned statement. "You may OCCASIONALY be offered loads that are less than our ADVERTISED RATE (nice glossy brochures, recruiter's party line, and EO ads)." NOTE: Please take the time to look up the definition of the word "OCCASIONALLY".

After 90 days, go back through your settlements and I'll bet you will find that 60-70% of your loads are discounted offers. TRANSLATED: "Cheap Freight".

PS. The drug test is not BS, as you so crudely stated. If I even suspect a driver is operating under the influence, I’ll make sure he ends up feeling like a cheap watch…stopped every five minutes.
 

whitewolf53

Expert Expediter
>Be prepared to run many cheap loads.
>
>As most of the third layer of carriers, Bolt, and many other
>as well, has what is known as "Major Accounts". Expect a
>10-20 cpm decrease in the loaded rate.
>
>Keep your ears open during orientation and listen for this
>canned statement. "You may OCCASIONALY be offered loads that
>are less than our ADVERTISED RATE (nice glossy brochures,
>recruiter's party line, and EO ads)." NOTE: Please take the
>time to look up the definition of the word "OCCASIONALLY".
>
>After 90 days, go back through your settlements and I'll bet
>you will find that 60-70% of your loads are discounted
>offers. TRANSLATED: "Cheap Freight".
>
>PS. The drug test is not BS, as you so crudely stated. If I
>even suspect a driver is operating under the influence,


i DON'T THINK THAT HE TOUGHT THAT THE DRUG TEST WAS B.S, I think he was just taliking about the hassle of taking it.After i went thru orientation with BOLT they jusy sent you down to the clinic to pee in a bottle.GOOD LUCK WITH BOLT CHUCKWAGON,HOPE TO MEET YA OUT THERE SOMETIME.
Mike
whitewolf 53
>I’ll make sure he ends up feeling like a cheap
>watch…stopped every five minutes.
 

AnneM

Recruiter
Recruiter
Hi! Can I just ask you where your information about Bolt Express came from? Were you ever leased on with Bolt? Have you ever sat through orientation? If you were to run the Bolt system and take what we give you, you will in fact gross the amounts that are listed in our brochure. I would like to extend an invitation to you to come in and speak with us. I will be more than happy to show you the current figures that show you that indeed there are some reduced rates but our drivers are grossing the amounts that have been quoted to them by our recruiters.
 

simon says

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
See "Dhyalto". Third tier companies are those on NLM's list with poor service records. Tier 1 companies are ranked highly by NLM. Those who get most of the NLM freight have great on-time records, and generally good (low) rates. They have little or no original accounts of their own.
They exist to drag down the rates for NLM spot bids, and they utilize NLM almost exclusively to get back to their tiny zone. Companies that rely on NLM "hot freight" are dinosaurs (rather their operators are) waiting to die. Such companies also feed off the overflow freight from bigger companies. Still waiting for truth in adventising, viz. " Come sign on with the personel-oriented NO FREIGHT EXPEDITING CO."
 

flatbedin

Seasoned Expediter
I am going to orientation with Bolt on Tuesday November 28. I will just clear up all the information first hand on my space blogs. Just look for Live 2 Ride (that is my screen name there). I will update it as often as possible with all detail of a "3rd tier company". From the good, bad and ugly.. That way everyone can find out first hand about Bolt Express... That way we can all know the "truth"..

Wish me luck

Preston
 

Buckeye71

Seasoned Expediter
I agree Bolt is a good company but I beg to Differ about the rates! I was told I would average about 2500 to 3000 and I never hit that mark yet came close but never attained it!
 

chuckwagon

Seasoned Expediter
When I started this thread I asked what I thought was a simple question.
Has any one had any experience with these people?
Yet, we still had some that had to take the cheap, she said he said, I heard this I heard that approach.
If you did not have any experience with a carrier I do not think it is being fair not only to the carrier but to the person asking the question to spew out garbage.
If you know of someone that had some experience with a carrier then refer the person asking the question to that person.
Let us if anything else be helpful to our fellow drivers and driver prospects rather than bashing each others carriers.
Thank you - now go ahead and insult and attack me - its' OK I have become very very thick skinned.
 
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