Need help choosing a good company to lease on with.

Thanks for all of the responses. I didn't expect so many. I am really considering Nationwide. I do have a couple of issues though. 40 -45 k loads "mostly" will put my Caterpillar in the 5 to 5.5 mpg average range. I would have to make a ton of money to offset the fuel my truck consumes. I didn't think it would be that bad when I first got it but it's nasty on fuel. Loads under 30k I'm getting 6+. I have gotten as good as 6.5 but I was basically empty on flat land.

Also rollin coal you stated insurance is cheap at $62 a week? I'm not sure I'm following you there. Maybe you mean per month? Right now bobtail and physical I'm paying $20.95 a week. I don't pay cargo. The company I'm leased with pays that.

I also know it's not the miles per week that matters. It's the pay per week like you stated Old Man. Here's what I'm averaging with B-Lak the company I'm leased onto now in Jonesboro.

Average pay per week after deductions and fuel= $840 net. Still I have to pay maintenance and taxes out of that. Average miles so far is 2200.

I want to be in the 2500 to 3000 miles per week range with an average take home after fuel and deductions to be in the $1200 to $1800 range.

P.S. I don't want to #### off any flatbedders out there but that isn't for me. Some of the companies mentioned are 100% flatbed haulers. I just want to do dry van. I would be interested in reefers but I don't have any experience doing that.

 

So is anyone leased on with Mason Dixon or it's sister company Universal Am-Can? I called them and spoke to a guy named Robb in MN. He seemed like a friendly and honest guy. He said freight is kinda light for them in the Memphis metro area but they are heavy in the south and midwest. So getting home or close to there would never be an issue. I have a son that i get visitation with and can get more than the standard everyother weekend, but I need a company that will work with me on it. Universal seems a good fit on that part anyway. I just don't know about the money, miles, deductions, deadhead and the rest of the in and outs of the company. I've only talked to one driver for them. He was leased on to Mason-Dixon and he spoke of it like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but he was a flatbedder and I won't be flatbedding. I'll be doing the dry van thing.

The things that worry me about them is they don't pay for deadhead, but I was told deadhead is light since they drop and hook in the same customer a lot of times. Also I've seen their trucks and trailers out on the road and they don't look like they have the best kept trailers out there. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

I do like the fact that they don't force dispatch in any way and give you choices on loads and weights and pay. The fact that they are 100% agent based I guess makes a difference. Robb told me home time is my choice I can stay at home for as little or as long as I want. Just let them know ahead of time so they can plan for the change. I've read a thread on here about them and it's titled Universal Am-Can sucks!!! LOL. I would like more info than just someone badmouthing a bad experience though.

 

I checked around on insurance before I bought my truck. Insurance is the ONLY and I mean ONLY thing good about this company I'm leased onto. It is cheap here. They know a insurance agent or something. It's through Bennett Insurance in Little Rock, Ar.

I called Dill Bros. In Little Rock and they couldn't beat the rate. I know Dill Bros. has the cheapest rate on cargo anywhere in the region, but since I don't have my authority I don't have to pay that.

Bobtail is pretty standard anywhere you go at $9 to $10 a week. Physical is what is variable it goes by how much your truck is worth. It ranges between 2% to 4.5% or higher. Then there's addons like your talking about with legal plans and then the OCC accident insurance. It's kinda like work mans comp but not really.

I have the $10 a week bobtail. Physical at 2% of the value of the truck. I paid cash for my truck. I have it insured at $21,000 so its $10.95 a week. I don't have OCC accident or a legal plan. My total is $20.95 a week.

Unless I hear something just aweful about Universal Am-Can I think I will try to lease on with them. I like the whole agent based idea in general. Landstar has the same deal but require you to have a hazmat and I really don't want to go get one. Universal doesn't require you to have one. Plus from what I've heard they are more personable than Landstar.

 

Yeah I talked to a driver for JNJ Express. He said he was looking to get out cause he couldn't run as hard as they wanted him to. He was telling me there at JNJ it was 3000 a week min.

I really don't need to run that freaking hard. My home, commercial vehicle, and personal vehicles are all paid for. I'm just looking for a decent income. I don't see myself going into debt ever again.

I can run 2500 to 2800 miles a week easily. I just want something better than what I have now. Like I said i'm only averaging $850 a week now. I can do better than that driving a company truck.

Nationwide seems like they would be a great fit for me. Universal I like as well because of the hometime and agent based system. I'll let you guys know what one I choose. Thanks for all the suggestions.