Stevens transport

I think you may have some unrealistic expectations and I know you've made one huge mistake.

The unrealistic expectation is the mileage goal you've set. In a now bygone era that got finished off around 2006-2008 You used to be able to run those kind of miles, in fact 3000 was the minimum miles most companies would expect from a driver in a week. That was back when companies did better when they got more miles out of a truck. The business has changed due to elogs, CSA, fuel prices, etc. Now companies do better on the most part by squeezing the most profit out of the miles their trucks run. Part of this new business model is accomplished by taking shorter, but higher paying per mile loads. In today's reality 2200 miles is the new 3000 and 2700 miles is the new 3500. You should have never done your math with more then 2500 miles and in business you should always go with the more pessimistic numbers so you probably should have used 2200 miles as you basis for calculation.

Here's what you absolutely did wrong. You leased a truck. You haven't even learned all the ends and outs of driving a truck yet(that takes 3 to 5 years to really get it all in) and your jumping into business for yourself at the same time. Do you have any business experience? If not I can tell you it's a much different animal then just working for a paycheck. Decisions you make(like where you fuel and how heavy your right foot is) will have a big impact on your profit/loss.

My advice is finish your year at Steven's and then walk away from that lease to a higher paying carrier. Work at that carrier for two years and then get private financing for a truck if you want to go into business for yourself. If you can't get private financing and decide you want to try leasing again make sure you do your homework because most lease deals are designed to get a driver to drive for free. There are a few exceptions to this but not many.

 

GabeScott is right, you can not realistically expect to get more than 2500 miles per week as a solo driver. I worked for Stevens for three years ('09-'12) and I leased from them. But I was a trainer and averaged 3500-4000 per week (me and student combined) and I made decent money. It is almost impossible for a solo driver to be profitable in a lease truck. The business model in trucking has changed and long haul runs for solo drivers are a thing of the past. Stevens will have you believe that you will be getting coast to coast produce loads, and you may actually pick them up in California on a regular basis, but you will inevitably be re-powered off of it so a team can get it delivered in the time frame that the customer wants (WholeFoods is really strict on that and will reject late loads). The trucking industry, as a whole, is going to a regional run model. Anything over ~600 miles that is not time-sensitive is cheaper to ship by rail. Anything that is time-sensitive is only possible to be run by a team.

You need to either become a trainer ASAP or go back to a company truck. If you try to continue leasing as a solo driver, you will continue to starve. You will only be able to generate enough revenue to cover that lease payment and fuel with nothing left over to live on. Oh, and you can forget about ever going home. If you take a week off, it will take you 3 months to get out of the hole because that truck payment doesn't take time off. I am glad I started with Stevens because their OTR training program is first rate, but I wish I hadn't stayed for 3 years. I've got a job now that I make a good living and sleep in my own bed 3-4 nights per week. Life is too short to stay on the road for 6 weeks at a time. Good luck, I hope you get it all figured out.

 

For awhile there was some pressure being applied to do the lease thing, but after numerous "NO, heck NO, from us, the pressure is off.

Researching on this forum saved our bacon. O/O's say they need $1.40/mile to the truck to survive, well then, how is the Alliance program going to benefit us if the lease agreement is only going to give us .85/mile?
It's NOT!!
Also, top that bad math with a maintenance account @.40/mile that the company will KEEP when you are done with your lease? $4800!!, minus stuff that gets fixed at the yard??

Well, posters on here say, when the deck is stacked against you, time to fold and walk away.

 

I always wonder why people get the urge to "lease" a truck. Especially when I hear " It's only 2,000 a month." In my mind I just shake my head say wow out loud good for you and say a short prayer.

 

But the good news is, Stevens sold another truck and they are making their money, whether you go bankrupt or not is not one of their concerns.

Adam

 

Hey guys, I'm a Stevens driver, I did alliance for the last 6 month of my year on the company, the only reason I did was because they only pay 26 CPM when you have a family it's hard to make some money at that pay, and with alliance you have the chance to do just a little more, but you do need some experience as a driver and with numbers otherwise you will end up broke.. 2 out of 5weeks I was making 2400 miles the other 3, 1700-1900 the reason is because you don't count the days u spend at the shipper and costumer so I made in average 2400 dollars in the 41/2 weeks, but I just did the transfer to a company and I'm making about 2700 in 4 weeks. Making a little more money because don't have to pay truck note or fuel expenses, so I push the pedal to the metal, trying to get those miles, the lease program it works if you wouldn't have to deal with Qualcomm HOS regulation, than you all be making 3000 miles a week.... But when you are new driver u think that now everything but the truth it take 1-2 years to really understand the industry

 

Thank you everyone for the heads up I'm about to go to Stevens transport to get my cdl I'm glad I was doing some research first

 

steven arron has always been a crook.back inthe 80's he owned arron foods he got caught injecting water into hams he sold to schools,he paid his associate to take the rapp & he went to prison,arron did not.

 

I am a huge supporter of a good lease. 85cpm plus fsc is not a good lease. On top of that they keep your maintenance escrow?? More research should have been done my friend. If that lease is walk away (I pray it is) walk away ASAP. Go company, get your year in and lease with a good company.