 You will never make it on a lease purchase
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjthetrucker  I've been driving for John Christner for about six months now, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I get plenty of miles, drive a nice truck, and have full support of the staff in the office.
I'm gonna try and run down the good and bad of this company from what I've seen so far. If you have any questions you can pm me and i'll answer ASAP.
The Good... - Late model equipment. Most of our trucks are two years old or newer, and very well maintained. The trailers as well. We have Pete 379's, KW W900, KW T2000, KW T600, International Eagles, and Freightshaker Classics. We've also recently gotten in a bunch of the brand new KW T660s and rumor has it we're gonna get in some of the Pete 387's and the new 389's. What kind of truck you get depends on what's available when you go through orientation. It really is a chance game on what you'll get for a truck, but even if you end up with less than your ideal truck in the beginning, JCT seems to be pretty good at getting drivers into the trucks they want when they become available.
- Good miles. As long as you can prove yourself to be dependable, making all of your appointments on time and not rejecting loads all the time, you can be successful here. I can't recall the last week I've had that was under 3000 miles, and most of my weeks are around 3400 or more. Once the planners and dispatchers get to know you and how you like to run, you will start seeing better loads and miles that fit with your operating style.
- Friendly and supportive office staff. Most of the people I've talked to in the office have been very nice and helpful. Everyone has their bad days sometimes, and you have to remember that when a dispatcher's being a jerk, they may have just gotten off the phone with one of those drivers who start the call with "y'all are pissing me off..." JCT really seems to strive to maintain a family type of atmostphere. Even the shop personnel are easy to get along with.
- Pay. Our base pay is .90/mi. with a .02/mi safety bonus, paid quarterly as long as you have no accidents or tickets during the quarter.
- JCT pays all base plates, permits, hwy taxes, etc. (Pretty much an industry standard these days)
- They also pay for all tolls, Oklahoma PikePass, Pennsylvania EZPass, (Good for most of the northeast) and PrePass. (Which I LOVE! Little green light, little green light...)
- All reefer fuel is paid by the company (Yes, some companies make the driver pay for reefer fuel)
- ALL dispatched miles are paid base pay PLUS fuel surcharge. If you're not getting your fuel surcharge on your empty miles, you need to consider JCT!
- Drop yards. You wouldn't think drop yards would be that great to brag about, but they can be a big help. We have drop yards in Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Mira Loma CA, Phoenix, and I believe we also use a shipper's yard for drops in Manteca, CA. (But don't quote me on that) One nice part of drop yards is they're usually a nice safe place to park. Why deal with the truckstop when you can go to the drop yard for a nice quiet night's sleep? Plus if you can get your load to the drop yard closest to your destination at least a day early, you'll usually be allowed to drop the load and pick up another, reducing down time and building up miles! (Note: being allowed to drop depends on where your load delivers, when it delivers, and if JCT can be sure someone will be in the area to make the delivery)
- I LOVE the lease purchase program... The vast majority of JCT trucks are on lease purchase plans through the company. (Very few company trucks left in the fleet, and most of those are local drivers) The lease terms are 5 years, payment amounts depending on the age and mileage of the truck. Your down payment is made in the form of a side note for the first year of your lease, and when your lease is completed, you have the option of purchasing your truck... for a dollar.
The cons: - Like I said before, the truck you get depends on what's available at the time you go through orientation. The equipment manager will give everyone a list of the trucks available, showing truck model, mileage, model year, and accessories (such as an APU or HVAC system) Then you will all go racing outside to beat everyone else to the truck you want, (lol you'll see) and once you've picked one you want you take the number back to the truck manager and that'll be your truck. Don't get too bent out of shape if you wanted a Pete and got an International or soemthing like that though. They really will try and get you into the truck you're wanting within 90 days.
- You are running as an owner-operator. This means YOU are responsible for YOUR success. If you like to take a lot of time off, or prefer not to drive more than 3000 miles a week, it will be difficult to be successful here. Once you factor in your truck and insurance costs, fuel and maintenance, you really need at least 3000 miles or more to make a decent living. (I understand everyone's financial situation is different, but this is just a generalization. I know I need 2700 miles to cover the truck expenses and my bills at home.) Some company drivers come over from training companies and are used to 2400-2800 mile weeks and fail cuz they're not used to having to drive that much.
- I can't really think of anything else right now that I'd consider a bad part of JCT that don't relate to what I just said. You really need to be prepared to run your own business. Planning your fuel stops to minimize fuel costs, keeping up with inspections and maintenance to reduce repair costs, and tracking all of your miles and expenses and profits to maximize your profit margin are all keys to making it. That's not just here, that's everywhere. Anyone who's been an O/O knows that, and company drivers really can benefit as well from doing the same thing.
I'm kind of half asleep now, lol. But if you have any more questions about JCT, please don't hesitate to pm me and I will reply ASAP. You can also find most of the information you're looking for on the company website.
If you do decide to come drive for JCT, and you found any of this info helpful, I ask you please tell them you were referred by Ryan in Truck #L1798B. (Yes, we do get referral bonuses.) Thank you and good luck! -Ryan | You wil never find fault in just 6 months. That's the idea, to make you happy so you can past the word on to other potential idiots. On any lease-purchase you will only end up $200.000 - in the hole at the end of the lease. A lease purchase is only designed for the company to make money; NOT THE DRIVER. If all it took was to lease a truck then pay a $1 at the end with the $80.000 dollar balloon payment, See they never mention that do they? You see instead of zingging you at the begginning they zing you at the end of the lease, but by that time most people have ran away so fast; now those other idiots can get the truck they wanted.......while the ones who had them are now working at JB Hunt. Always bare in mine; if it were that easy there would be no need for Companies, everyone would lease their truck then buy it outright for $1. Including me.  |
06.15.2008
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