Switch out to different truck or drop it altogether?

If you're an "owner operator", why would you give Swift a free truck? You got it like that, huh?

Until that title is in your hand, you're not an "owner operator". Not hatin', just keeping it real.

 

We laugh because you are a lease op not an owner op as you do not own the truck.As an owner op I don't have the luxury of switching out a truck,I have to buy another truck or spend the money to get it fixed right.I have no idea how the swift lease works with maintenance but if you're paying the bill I'd take it somewhere else as they should know the egr coolers go bad on these.They just apparently don't want to spend the time or money on it if its on their dime.If you haven't had any other issues talk to them and see if they would replace the egr cooler that would probably fix your issue.If they are going to keep doing the bare minimum and fix it enough to get it out the shop so its not their problem anymore I guess you could go the route of swapping trucks.Next time read thru your lease so when problems come up you know what you can do.

 

The big secret of the Fleece/Operator deals is the maintenance. Fleecers just have no comprehension of what it takes to keep a truck on the road.

First fleecers are lead to believe that socking away that .10cpm is just a escrow account of their money that they are going to get back. The fact of the matter is most fleets with in house repair facilities average around .15cpm in truck maintenance. As a fleecer you do not have in in house maintenance. Your contract requires you to pay an 'approved shop' of the companies choosing. Now the fleece company offers up their shop at what they call a 'discount rate'; usually something like 1/2 the hourly fee of regular shop. They just bill four times the number of hours to make up the difference!

Add to that most of the fleece-crap carriers are no better in hiring mechanics as they are drivers. It is just they pay their mechanics hourly so the culls that cannot get a job elsewhere stay for life. And that is who works on you fleece truck, out of your pocket. Most fleecers/operators cry how their business fail because they got a 'lemon truck.' The reality is the fleece company just fooled a driver into taking responsibility for the maintenance of a company truck! That fleecer has not idea what it takes to run a truck, let alone a company, and that is why all leases fail.

Get out.

 

Congratulations .... he's with Swift.

First he has complete control over his maintenance account. From the amount he wants to put in, from nothing, a minimum of $.03 to a maximum of $.20 ... He can withdraw that money at anytime for any reason and have access to within 10 minutes after he makes the request.

Second, he can take that truck to any shop he wants, he can take it to the Swift shop - and yes they do suck. He can take it to Kenworth. He can take it to Cummins. Or, he can take it to Joe Blows Truck Repair and Massage Parlor if he so desires. Warranty will pay, bumper to bumper - other than wear and tear components - up to 450,000 miles at any place that is authorized to do warranty repair work.

Last -"That fleecer has not idea what it takes to run a truck, let alone a company, and that is why all leases fail" - and this is true of anybody who gets into any business before they are prepared. Our young hero OP is in over his head ... Not because the lease is designed to make him fail, but because he hasn't prepared himself to succeed. But, that's the nature of business, you try, you fail, you learn, you reset and try again ... some eventually figure it out, some decide they are better suited to work for someone else.

 

I read.

It is called an escrow account: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escrow
As such it is not your money. It is money held for a future transaction. It would not be in the contract if was 'your money.' They let you believe it is your money because the fleece/owner's income would be beyond pathetic if the fleecers did not think this. It is your money if you can reach in your pocket and do what you want with it now.

The fact is you will spend that amount of money you have in this escrow account and more to keep this fleece on the road. Any business men knows it is not you money until you take care of overhead. As I already stated your overhead will be around .20cpm. The escrow is just down payment on this overhead. Most if not all, of the fleecers do not understand this concept of overhead and therefore do not save for inevitable maintenance, that is why the fleece company forces the maintenance escrow in the contract. They do want to be stuck with a poorly maintained truck when you 'business' fails.'

Read your contract. "Joe Blows Truck Repair and Massage Parlor" will not be authorized repair facility. 'Authorized ' will mean in terms of the contract not in general terms. Most real owner/op do much of their own maintenance in order to make the business work. All fleece contracts prohibit that practice in totality. Therefore the profitable general maintenance will be run through a 'authorized' shop and out of the fleece owners maintenance account and pocket! The warranty is just that a warranty; it is not part of the $.20cpm it will cost you to keep the truck maintained.

'He has not prepared himself to succeed' because he entered into a fleece! Don't need the Halmark version of the fleece scam.

 

Sir. ... if you were clueless it would be an improvement.I've completed one lease with Swift ... I'm very familiar with my contract ... not mention I've exercised every one of the options I mentioned ... you can base your opinion off the vast knowledge to be gained at the truck stop counter ... or you can chose to be educated about the facts.