Swift Transportation and their Lease Purchase Plan

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by jakebrake58, Jan 20, 2011.

  1. Army91W

    Army91W Heavy Load Member

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    I second that. No one borrows a $100,000 plus with 0% interest.y
     
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  3. Morella

    Morella Road Train Member

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    I wonder how many people are able to get any decent interest rate on a truck note right now, but that's the part that people leave out when they're telling you how bad a deal leasing is.
     
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  4. jakebrake58

    jakebrake58 Light Load Member

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    DickJones: you are right about the suits...but you know what? At least I took a chance to sit in front of them and be frank and honest about what I saw and what I thought would improve things. You ever do that?

    Morella: I've been driving for almost 19 years. I was taught to get the most out of your time as an OTR driver. I want to hit that 3000 mile per week plateau EVERY WEEK. based on a 52 week year thats 13,000 miles per month. 3000 miles per week is easy, its less than 500 miles per day. There are many weeks I get there and then some. But it's way to inconsistent. I might do 3200 miles one week, the next week I barely break 2400. For me, personally, its not good enough.

    AND when I have to consistently argue with planners about revenue, its not good enough. The Load Offering system works about 50% of the time. I know its new but they could already do better with it. That was one of the things I talked to the higher ups about in October.

    And I don't care if you believe me about my miles. DOT wouldn't see any problems with MY logs at any time. I did almost $170,000 in gross revenue in 2006 and about 4 months of that was at the old loaded rate of .88 per mile. We didn't get bumped up to .92 until May of that year.

    You like what you do, then fine. But I want to maximize my potential every day, week, month I am out here. I used to be able to do it here at Swift but not anymore.

    As far as why I lost money when I was running independent: FREIGHT RATES WENT WAY DOWN! In 2008 we saw fuel go ridiculously high (I paid over $5 per gallon for diesel out west), then they came down really quick during the summer. When the economy crashed in August, freight rates went down as well. In September-October when fuel went back up many people were unwilling to raise rates back up or pay fuel surcharges. EXAMPLE: My LTL seafood load from Seattle to Florida would pay around $7200-$8000 before the economy crashed. Seattle to Boston paid me $6200-$7000 before the economy crashed. Both of these rates went down nearly 40% by December 2008.My loads that got me out west from Florida basically dried up and I had to broker myself out west. That made it even more difficult. I tried running produce from California and Arizona through a very good broker and friend in Salinas. Freight rates were terrible all the way around.

    Hey Morella, before you deicde to criticize me for something you don't understand then why don't you try asking a question instead of writing to me like I'm some sort of idiot. At least I tried to build something on my own. I took a risk, stuck my neck out there and busted my butt to be successful. You ever done that? You ever had your own, truck, trailer, DOT authority? If not, then you don't know what you are talking about.
     
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  5. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    You know something? they tried that same BS with me. I had been running all 48 (going off Great Lakes Regional) for a couple weeks. Was in Lancaster, TX terminal, and my DM messaged me saying i was on safety hold because of my DOT inspection and i had to sign a new contract. At the time, my DM told me the new contract was because i went from GLR to all 48. Okay fine....so i called up rapid response, asked them about the DOT inspection, since i had only had the truck 2 months, it was not due for a DOT inspection till mid Jan. R.R. tells me "yeah, you're right...you're not due. But we do have a new contract to sign. I was emailed this contract a few days ago, printed it off, and refused to sign it, because it was worded that i was going to be paid percentage not mileage. Come to find out, this guy in PHX told me that the GLR fleet was paid on percentage, and i had signed the contract in mid-Oct (and ran GLR for 4 weeks) this guy basicly told me that i needed to sign the new contract that would be retro active to the start of the lease (new contract also had a 'sign date' of 10-14-10). PHX told me that, "oh, you'll make more money doing percentage", and then later said that they'd go back and audit all my loads, between the 14th and the 24th of Nov., then all loads i've pulled after the 24th would be paid mileage.

    I simply asked him (and my DM as we were on a 3-way convo)"Is Lucy in PHX, employed by Swift?" his answer, "yes." "So Lucy represents Swift when dealing with lease contracts?" "Yes." "So if Lucy accepted my contract on 10-15, issued me my truck number, driver ID, etc., then its fair to say SWIFT accepted the contract on 10-15?" "Yes." "Okay, then i'm not signing a new contract".

    The guy then went on to say that i would remain on safety hold till i signed the new contract. And i had informed him that if he was threatening me with "go directly to jail, do not past go, do not collect $200.......or else". I told him my next phone call will be to my lawyer to explain that any contract signed under those conditions would be signed 'under duress', and wouldn't hold up in court as a legally binding contract. and i reminded this guy he said 'i'd make more money', and asked if he thought i'd really see that money, if i made "more"?

    I said, "Lucy accepted the contract on Swift's behalf. If Swift let me run for a month, and THEN saw they could make more money off me by running percentage, then try forcing me to sign a new contract, thus taking more money out of my pocket, thats on you guys, not me. I will not be signing a new contract. Let me know right now, if i need to have my laywer give you guys a call?"

    The guy in phoenix said, "we'll hash it over on our side and get back to you."........never heard anything back. and i had a 850 mi PP within 30 minutes.
     
  6. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    You mean, have i ever decided to waste my time talking to someone who dont give two shakes of a stick at? Nope. Not when an email directly to Richard Stocking did the same job, and saved me all that time.

    You know what they were hearing, the whole time you were talking? They weren't hearing english words coming out of your mouth, all they heard was "Cha-ching, Cha-ching, Cha-ching". You couldn't talk loud enough for them to hear ya.

    you got as far talking with them as you would have putting your forehead on a baseball bat, puting the other end on the ground and running around in circles.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpAxevwDBWg hope this helps....
     
  7. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    should have took time to read the whole post. I love it when drivers, either on here or sitting outside at a terminal, constantly DickJones measuring? Beating your chest "i made $170,000 gross last year" (or whenever). Yeah, you might have grossed that, but what did you get to KEEP after paying to keep your truck running? We all know that isnt what you MADE. Maybe some look at gross as what you 'make', but to me, when i say 'what i make', it is what i get to actually SPEND...or what is taxable.
     
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  8. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    Jakebrake58: Your mantra here seems to be "don't criticize what you don't understand."

    Problem with that statement is you are saying this to other people who lease from IEL and haul Swift wagons. Basically, doing exactly the same thing you are doing.

    What's going on that we "don't understand" and that's so different from what we're doing?

    You better scan and upload those settlements and the logs that went with them to prove your 18K-mile assertions. Until I see them for myself, they're BS. You're trying to get us to believe you ran an average of 68mph for nearly 600 miles each and every day of a 31-day month. In a Swift truck. On Swift logs.

    Yeah, sure.
     
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  9. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    maybe he went to Dr. Diesel over there in Bloomington, IL. and got his company truck's gov. disengaged? or all his loads have been down hill, both ways, with snow up to his catwalk.? :biggrin_25524: :biggrin_2559:
     
  10. HEAVY DUDE

    HEAVY DUDE Road Train Member

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    I checked with my dealer a month ago on truck financing. 8% is what I was quoted.
     
  11. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    getting a "quote" and actually GETTING that $100,000 loan are two different things. you can get the best APR quote in the state....dont mean jack if you can't get approval.
     
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