Our experience with Success Leasing

Lumpers are not included in the linehaul at Prime. I have never in 3 years here has a lumper taken out of the linehaul, and I have only not fully been reimbursed for a lumper once, and it was clearly stated when I got the load that the maximum reimbursement for the load was $120.

 

Well I could understand the fuel killing you with multiple fuel stops. Some people think, well today is Monday, week stops sunday. FIll up on Monday, and then fill up on Sunday. You still have 2 fill ups coming out. Even if you were already negative. If they had his truck governed at 62mph, was that really even a lease truck? Because I read somewhere on here (forget where on the internet) that lease trucks were at 76mph.

Me personally, I know you said he opted for the 2007 Freightliner. How much was the difference in the payment? Apple for apple. Meaning truck for truck. If it was only $100 or $200 a week I would have taken the brand spankin new truck over the used one any day. You have to realize, theres no tellin how many others drove that truck before you got in it. No telling what was messed up on it, and had to be fixed. Much less what they say might have been fixed that actually was not repaired correctly at all. And the APU, why wouldnt you want that? You realize how much you would save if you did get stuck somewhere and wanted to be comfortable using the APU over idling the truck? 24 hours of idling is 24 gallons of fuel you lose. You sit for 3 or 4 days, thats a lot of money just down the tubes. Prime used to not even offer brand new trucks to lease out of orientation. My brother in law worked for them and he took a junky 3 month left lease, and got what he paid for. A piece of junk. But he did complete it, got his $1800 lease completion bonus and then got a brand new one. But he did not make it either. But the thing about him, he makes no bones about it. He will tell you he was flat out stupid. He went $9000 in the whole with them PLUS got truck abandonment on his DAC report. Nothing he can do about it either. He just took the truck to a drop yard, (Houston I think he said it was) and left it there. You cant do that. Take my advice, ALWAYS turn the truck in where you picked it up. No matter where its at or how big the inconvenience. But he will admit he was dumb about it. He kept getting outrageous advances, and all of that stuff. Of course this was back about 7-9 years ago when you could get high dollar advances. Most companies laugh at you when you try pull that now. His new truck had 24 miles on it when he got it. He just did not run effeciently enough.

Did you guys use the Tax Service there at Prime? I think they use ATBS (Atlas Truck Business Solutions) or something like that. They give you reports monthly I believe, telling you where you are at, or above national average, and where you are below. Basically telling you what areas you could improve to make yourself more profitable. I thought that was who they used, but it could just be JB Hunt that offers that service with ATBS.

But all in all. When you get a used truck. Most likely theres a reason someone else took it back to begin with. Cheap payment means cheapo truck, probably not to well maintained. If I cant get a new one, I aint leasing. I would be asking to see maintenance records, a complete print out on the truck, if it was used and I actually even considered leasing it. Or flat out telling them if its not new, get me a company truck. But thats just me. Call me crazy, call me stupid. Id rather know the truck I am in has warranty for anything and everything that can be fixed under warranty. Not paying out of my own pocket for it.

I will keep in touch though if I am successful. I am going against a brick wall with prime right now waiting to hear yey or ney. IF I am hired though, and lease, I will keep in touch.

 

Prime lease trucks are going out at 65 mph these days... you can't go to Canada with a truck that isn't governed there. Billsgirl's fella got one that was set to 62... so it was used as a company truck prior to his lease.

Prime doesn't "use" anyone's tax service... that's up to the individual. Perryman and Assoc. does rent an office at the Springfield terminal - they do an adequate job, and are familiar with the trucking industry.

 

Well thats good to know. One person said something about take the service, dont do like I did and not get it cuz they will screw you. But, why wouldnt you want it? I dont wanna deal with the headache of all that junk on my own. Not being a fresh lease operator anyway. But the one guy getting a company truck that he used as lease explains a lot. One more reason I would want brand spankin new over used lease truck. Costs more in terms of payments, but less headaches. Plus more warranty. Take advantage of all of it. Dont be consumed by not taking it.

 

AHHHMMMM, I should be like SOME OTHERS here and report you for your insulting comment. But it takes more than little petty forum comments to rattle my chain. Nice try though.

 

New trucks aren't necessarily a cure-all to problems.

There have been a lot of problems with the 2007-engines; the EGR technology was rushed into production, along with the diesel particulate filter technology in the 2008-engines. All the major manufacturers had to change their engines in a major way to deal with it. And there just are dogs. Class-8 trucks just are not anything like an auto. This being said, it looks like the industry is in for another round of rushed-into-production technology with the SCR stuff in the 2010-engines.

A used truck has a history to it. Given the proper set of inspections, you are dealing with a known quantity - it's a crap shoot with a new truck because there is no operating history. You might want to pay attention to Ken Rutherford's point of view on this.

With this being said, there are no guarantees, and a warranty is not even close to a promise of a guarantee. It all depends on how much money the dealer wants to put out on a given truck and it's problems. Even with a new-truck warranty, if you're having problems the loan or lease payment is still due no matter what. The truck is in the shop and you're loosing money. In the end, it may be cheaper to ignore the warranty, and just shell out the money to get things done NOW!

The big problem here is the unrealistic expectation that the operator won't have maintenance problems, and that they can get by without having a standing emergency fund. At the least, one can expect to have to do a three-axle alignment - new or used, before going out on the first load. Better plan on having the money in the bank for your first set of PMs as well.

 

LOL, yeah I figure that much. Obviously you got to save money for maintenance. Doesnt prime make you have an escrow account for that, or is it minimal like 8 cpm? I am not saying everybody should go with NEW, but I sure as hek would. The thing I hate most about the new trucks is the exhaust. Smells like its burning wood. At least on the few trucks I have seen with the new emissions junk. IT will be tight on the wallet for me, for quite a while, but thats what I plan to do.

 

All non-warranty repairs come out off of the top. If there is money in your emergency fund - that's something that you set up and is optional, then yeah, there is an escrow account. Otherwise, it comes out of your settlement before you see anything. This is what got Attitude Adjuster in trouble...

Have you done anything like look at this with a rough business plan and some real-world numbers yet?