Melton Truck Lines Reviews: SAFER Record, Flatbed Pay, Fit

A recruiter says Melton Truck Lines: Tulsa flatbed, paid training, tarps, and lanes into Canada and Mexico. Then you search the name and land on “great starter company” threads next to people who bounced off the physical work. Melton is not a dry-van mega with a different paint job. Open-deck work is a different job — straps, tarps, chain, weather — and the paycheck is built that way.

Pay, home time, and online ratings move. Verify current figures with recruiting, on Indeed, and on the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Rules change. Verify current requirements at fmcsa.dot.gov before you act on anything in this guide.

Melton Truck Lines safety record: what FMCSA data shows

Start with the federal file. People searching “Melton Truck Lines SAFER” or “Melton safety number” need the legal entity. On the Company Snapshot pulled for this article, USDOT 34666 is Melton Truck Lines Inc at 808 N 161st East Ave, Tulsa, OK 74116, phone (918) 234-1000. Entity type: carrier / freight forwarder / broker. USDOT status: ACTIVE. Out-of-service date: none. Authority: authorized for motor carrier of property (except household goods) and broker of property (except household goods) under MC-100666. Authorized for-hire, interstate. If a recruiter hands you a different number, stop.

The same snapshot — FMCSA systems dated 09/07/2026 — lists 1,395 power units and 1,223 drivers. MCS-150 mileage is 134,942,625 for 2025, form date 05/13/2026. Cargo checkboxes include general freight; metal sheets, coils, and rolls; motor vehicles; logs, poles, beams, and lumber; machinery and large objects; grain, feed, and hay; and construction. That mix is open-deck work, not drop-and-hook van.

U.S. roadside inspections, 24 months before 09/07/2026: 2,752 total. Vehicle 1,644 inspections, 283 out of service (17.2%). Driver 2,752 inspections, 18 out of service (0.7%). Hazmat 194 inspections, 0 out of service (0%). National averages printed on that snapshot (table dated 08/28/2026) are 22.26% vehicle, 6.67% driver, 4.44% hazmat. Melton’s printed U.S. vehicle and driver OOS rates sit under those averages. That is a rate comparison, not a claim the fleet never fails a Level I.

U.S. crashes, same window: 1 fatal, 37 injury, 82 tow, 120 total. FMCSA counts involvement in reportable crashes without a determination of responsibility. A large flatbed fleet will show volume. Read the current file yourself.

Canada on the same snapshot: 8 inspections in 24 months — 5 vehicle (4 out of service, 80%) and 6 driver (4 out of service, 66.7%), with 0 Canadian crashes. That is a handful of inspections, not a second national average. Do not blend it with the U.S. table.

Safety rating: Satisfactory, rating date 08/04/2009, later review 06/12/2012 typed Non-Ratable. A 2009 Satisfactory line is not a weekly grade. Most carriers never get a new rating unless FMCSA investigates. Walk the fields with our SAFER score company lookup.

None of this replaces a live lookup the week you would sign. Open SAFER by USDOT 34666 and confirm Melton Truck Lines Inc in Tulsa.

Who Melton is, in plain terms

Melton is a Tulsa open-deck carrier that has marketed itself as a North American flatbed shop since 1954 (meltontruck.com). The company’s driver pages describe OTR across the lower 48 plus Canada and Mexico, terminals that include Tulsa, Birmingham, and Laredo, and paid paths for drivers who have never tarped. Flatbed driving jobs also list limited Southern and East regional fleets for experienced drivers in specific zip codes.

The product is open deck. If you want a no-tarp van seat, this is the wrong article. The TMC comparison people actually type into forums is a different Iowa ESOP shop — our TMC Transportation reviews cover that file. Melton is the Tulsa CPM flatbed name.

Pay: CPM plus the extras for throwing tarps

Melton pays company drivers cents per mile, then stacks extras for the work that is not driving. The 2026 driver pay page and the home-page increase note list this experience ladder (verify current pay for your role): 60 CPM at 0–11 months, 63 CPM at 1–3 years, 64 CPM at 3+ years, then Melton-mile steps from 65 CPM after 100,000 company miles up to 74 CPM after 3,200,000. The same pages advertise top earners “up to $100,000” a year. That ceiling is recruiting copy, not your settlement.

Accessorials on that pay page are the flatbed part of the check: $100 tarp pay per tarped load; +$0.16 CPM over-dimensional; +$0.06 CPM hazmat; +$0.06 CPM Canada freight; $25 extra pickup or drop; $25 for a clean DOT inspection; layover $75 after 24 hours empty; holiday pay $30; fuel bonus advertised up to $6,000 a year. Training pay on the FAQ: $800–$1,000 after the pre-hire evaluation course, then paid time on a trainer truck. Rates change. Get the current CPM, tarp rule, layover clock, and any training recoupment in writing.

Your check follows miles, how often the freight actually needs a tarp, detention, and how long you stay out. A 60-cent new-hire line with no tarp work is a different job than 64 cents plus $100 a load. Ask for a recent settlement on the lanes you would run, including a short week.

What drivers actually say

Public review pages are not a verdict. Indeed’s Melton Truck Lines reviews, updated 08/25/2026, sat at 4.0 out of 5 across hundreds of write-ups (verify current). Pay and culture scored in the high 3s on that snapshot; work-life sat lower, around 3.1. Titles in the mix cluster on “great starter company,” “good place to learn flatbed,” “great training,” and “physical work. Its flatbed.” Melton replies to many of those posts. That is company PR on a public board, not a third-party audit.

The pattern matches the job: people who wanted a first open-deck seat and structured training tend to stay in the positive column. People who wanted van-style home time, or who did not want to throw tarps in weather, fill the work-life complaints. Weigh recent driver titles, not a single star.

Home time, equipment, and why flatbed is a different profession

OTR at Melton is built around long-haul, not weekend-every-week. The jobs page says drivers in one hiring zone are out 12–14 days, and drivers in another about 21 days, collecting one 24-hour day of home time for every seven days out. Southern regional (OK, TX, AR, LA along I-35) and an East regional fleet try for weekend home time — limited, experience-gated, zip-code gated. Pin down your map. “International flatbed” that includes Canada and Mexico is extra miles and extra paperwork, not a shortcut home.

Equipment is part of the pitch: late-model company trucks, in-house terminals, cargo-protection facilities. Ask what is governed, what cameras are in the cab, and who owns the tarps.

Flatbed is the job, not a side skill. Securement, tarping, and chain work are why the extras exist. If you will not do that labor, Melton’s CPM ladder does not matter. If you will, the question is whether the tarp and OD pay on your freight shows up often enough to justify the time on the deck.

Who Melton fits — and who should look elsewhere

Melton tends to fit a driver who will learn open-deck work, can live with OTR time out, and wants a published CPM ladder instead of percentage-of-load math. It also fits someone who will look up USDOT 34666 and who will stay long enough for the Melton-mile steps to matter. Paid training for no flatbed experience is on the recruiting pages if you will actually throw tarps.

Look elsewhere if you need a no-tarp dry van seat, you need weekly home time unless you qualify for a regional board, or you will not do physical securement. Compare best trucking companies to work for and the TMC Transportation reviews so you do not pick a logo off a “TMC or Melton” thread.

How to vet Melton before you sign

1. Confirm the legal name and USDOT. Melton Truck Lines Inc, 34666.
2. Re-open the SAFER snapshot the week you would start. Authority, U.S. inspections, crashes, rating. Use the SAFER lookup walkthrough.
3. Get the current CPM, tarp pay, layover, and training pay in writing. The 2026 pay page is not your offer letter.
4. Define home time for your zip code. 12–14 days, 21 days, or a regional board — and how a day of home time is counted.
5. Read the training or tuition terms. Paid CDL and paid flatbed training often come with a stay-or-repay clause.
6. Cross-check people, not just the logo. Indeed and a carrier search on cdlscan. cdlscan is two-sided — carriers review drivers, and you can research the house — and search does not require buying a full report. It will not replace SAFER or the offer letter.

If you have already run for Melton, add a review on cdlscan so the next applicant is not guessing from a recruiting card. Search is free; a full report is paid. Neither one replaces looking up USDOT 34666.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melton Truck Lines a good company to drive for?

It depends whether you will do open-deck work and live with OTR time out. USDOT 34666 shows active authority, a Satisfactory rating, and U.S. vehicle/driver OOS rates under the national averages printed on that snapshot. Indeed sat at 4.0 out of 5 on the 08/25/2026 recap (verify current), with work-life scoring lower than pay. Verify current pay and home time for your board.

What is Melton’s USDOT number?

On the snapshot used here, Melton Truck Lines Inc is USDOT 34666, MC-100666, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Confirm the number on the truck matches that file.

How does Melton pay work?

Company drivers earn cents per mile on an experience ladder, plus extras such as tarp pay, over-dimensional, Canada freight, and layover. Melton’s 2026 pay page listed 60–64 CPM by tenure, climbing with company miles toward 74 CPM, and $100 per tarped load. Rates change; get the current split in writing.

Does Melton get drivers home on weekends?

Not as the default OTR product. Company maps describe 12–14 or about 21 days out depending on home location, with limited Southern and East regional fleets that try for weekends. Ask how home time is counted for your zip code.

Does Melton hire drivers with no flatbed experience?

Recruiting pages say Melton takes new CDL-A drivers and runs a pre-hire evaluation plus trainer time, including paid securement training. Requirements and any repayment terms change. Verify current hiring bars with the company.

Does Melton run Canada and Mexico?

Melton markets itself as an international flatbed carrier with U.S., Canada, and Mexico work. The SAFER cargo list and a Canada-freight CPM add-on on the pay page match that pitch. Ask which lanes you would actually be dispatched on, and whether you need extra credentials.

How do I look up Melton on SAFER?

Open FMCSA’s Company Snapshot for USDOT 34666 and confirm Melton Truck Lines Inc in Tulsa. Read authority, U.S. inspections, crashes, and the safety rating. Do not treat the small Canadian inspection table as the main file.

TMC or Melton?

That is the comparison drivers actually ask. This page is the Melton file: SAFER 34666, Tulsa, CPM plus tarp extras, OTR time out. TMC is the Des Moines ESOP percentage-pay shop. Pull both snapshots. Do not pick a logo off a forum title.