I'm taking the L/P plunge

Sure. I've got independent health insurance. Runs me about $500/month to cover me and my kids for a middle of the road type of plan. Not the best, not the worst, but it's portable if I decide to go lease on somewhere else.

My main problem with what I've got is the life insurance is capped at a payout that is less than what I want it to be. Highest I could get from them as an O/O was $75,000. I'd much rather have $250,000-$500,000. I could still go and get another supplemental plan if I wanted to.

 

Wow, that's not accurate at all. Pretty common opinion, though.

I was genuinely surprised by how many long term lease operators that I've talked to here at swift. While I was debating the pros and cons of swift's lease program, I made a point of going out and talking to as many o/o and l/p folks as possible. I found the silent majority are long-term leasers who opened my eyes to the idea of maintaining a lease rather than purchasing the truck.

The very first guy I talked to was on his fifth lease with Swift. He had purchased his fourth lease truck the year before and didn't like the effect of his taxes, so he went back to Swift's straight lease program. Been a mentor for quite awhile. More than 16 years as a L/O for Swift.

Second person was a female driver on her third lease with Swift. 10 years as a Swift L/O.

Third person was on his second lease.

The idea that leasing is synonymous with automatic failure is beyond ridiculous. Reality is that some people are meant to be company drivers, some are meant to lease, some are meant to own. I've had some hard weeks out here, for sure, but the end analysis is that I make quite a bit more as a mentor than I ever would as a company driver. Even as a solo driver, I would rather have some of the additional freedoms that come with a lease rather than continue with the inane restrictions imposed on the company drivers. Still, I recognize that some prefer the comfort of the company side.

Gotta recognize that not everyone wants the same things out of trucking. I, and all of the long-term L/P O/O folks I've talked to, like where I'm at.

My only criticism of Swift is that they desperately need to establish a Choice board like Schneider has. I'm doing just fine, but I'd sure like to get rid of my dispatcher and all of the load planners. I'll run my truck harder than any of them ever will with all of their mighty planning.

 

Not unless he has you as a statutory W2 employee and is covering the employee tax ... frankly you would be better off getting a year under your belt as a company, then look at short term lease.

Ask scottie how it goes ... O/O can make you a lot of promises about the future ... the only thing that is real is what is on the table right now.

 

he discussed taxes and also workers comp and all that stuff he would need to pay and that is how he got the amount he could afford to pay he said after all expenses. Either way I have time to figure out my plans and also get to know him better as a friend as well. My main goal is to be able to buy a truck next year, I plan to save a little here and there when I can and then combine with my tax refund next year to go and get a truck, I know there are some dealers out there that will match your down too, I think arrow will match up to $4k down.

 

Arrow is going to want at least 20% of your money down with pristine credit and a proven track record as an O/O.

Also on a used truck, that is going to have around 500K on it, you need to have at least $20K in cash to back you up. You will spend about $2k just getting the truck torn down and properly checked.

 

what would you recommend I do? I wont have that kind of cash I know. I know buying from a dealer is so much cheaper than going through swift and I would make a lot more money or save a lot more however you want to look at it.

 

What makes you think it's cheaper going though a dealer ... you have ton of research in front of you before you're ready ... right now your number priority is learning to drive.

 

Yes in April/May 2010 I did my tour with the infamous Swift Mentor deal. In January 2011 I teamed up with the mentor dude as his employee. The first week his settlement was $26 bucks so I did not get paid anything. 2nd week I got paid $460, 3rd week $900 and 3 weeks after that my wife had received a check in the mail for $600 (we had come back to the terminal for hometime, the final check wasn't due me til the following pay period, but he took 2 extra weeks to pay me all in all was woefully short compared to the nearly 15,000 miles we drove.)

He was more interested in me taking over his truck payments and giving him $0.10 for all my miles for 'helping' me get a lease truck.

$0.32-$0.35 is fair pay for a rookie driver working for an O/O. Ensure you get everything in writing what he agrees to pay you. I didn't get anything in writing; the guy paid me what he felt. He said he needed new tires so a portion of my pay went towards that since I contributed to the wear and tear by my driving. Just be careful

 

That net or gross?