The Good, The Bad, The Honest Truth of a New Roehl Lease Operator

Where are these numbers coming from? Not even close to accurate.

 

This Powder dude just goes around talking noise on lots of pages. You know he is one of them Super Truckers he knows it all.

 

Rabble, rabble, rabble... Don't forget me, I just make noise also!

 

So what are your numbers? Fuel alone is costing around $.50-$.58 cents a mile. Average income per mile loaded and empty averaged together is somewhere around $1.39 and from that you subtract your maintenance. Roehl is about middle of the road on compensation, there are some such as DART that I don't know how drivers can make it, but then there are companies like Risinger, or the tank division at Schneider that pay much higher.

Let me also make a point about leasing a truck from the company you pull freight for. This is a very good deal for the companies, but could be a disaster for the driver. During the lease you are renting a truck and as part of that rental agreement you also agree to pay all maintenance costs for that company truck. In short you take all the risk and hope for a reward at some point in the future. Let's look at what happened in eek's situation. He bought a new engine for Roehl and borrowed the money to do so from Roehl who charged him %15 for the privilege. That engine will have to be depreciated over a number of years. If he ends up with the truck then it may be a good deal, but if he turns the truck back in he will never recover his expense.

If you read my posts over the past 4 years I think you will find my position is very consistent regarding how to get a truck of your own.

 

All I'll say is after expenses, fuel, and escrow, I'm just under .50/mile pre-tax. That doesn't include any training pay. After my escrows are filled I'll be around .60/mile. This assumes a 10K month. Obviously the goal to success is staying out of the shop.

 

Roehl doesn't lease the older Columbias anymore do they? So your kinda forced into leasing a newer truck with higher payments. They should give you the option to get something older, after all it's your money

 

I was told by a lease driver they were putting new non egr detroits in some of the older trucks and you could lease them or a newer truck.

 

You can lease any truck you want. Old or newer.

 

Oh, interesting. That sounds like the way to go. I've talked to a few guys that have been leasing with Roehl some just started some said they've been doing it for years, and the next question to the guys that have been doing it for years is, "do you own the truck?" And the same response "no" is it safe to assume that leasing a truck through ANY company your pretty much just renting it? But you have to pay for gas, maintenance, insurance ect ect... I understand that if you do it right, you make a little more than a company driver, but I'm starting to figure out the HUGE differences in somebody that says they're "owner op" to someone that says they lease.

it seems like a good gig to someone that has poor credit and can't go to a dealership and buy their own truck, but for someone that can save a little and go to a dealership, hands down sounds like the way to go. Just my opinion

 

If you can finance outside a company then do it. More choice, better terms and it is reported to the credit bureau which improves your overall credit. Also if you don't like the company you can leave with YOUR equipment.