Anyone here completed a lease with STEVENS?

nope. not dumb and dumber no more. now have finisher trainers.

 

Probably for the best. When I was there two D&D drivers left the yard for the first time and headed to the Fling Jaah just around the corner to repower a load. On entering the lot they got into an argument about where to look first for the repower ... they promptly tore the hood off of a brand new Pete belonging to a very upset Indi O/O. Doesn't exactly give the best impression. Both were sent packing ... it was an interesting experience for my D&D partner and I, we had fun, but it was a flawed system.

 

Everyone here seems to forget that Stevens' lease isn't a Purchase!! Your just "renting" their truck! You will never own it, you are a company driver who now has NO benifits, no insurance, no vacation, no sick days.. Now YOU have to pay for everything... for a measly 9 more cents a mile! Not only No but HELL NO!

As for the driver who made $150k gross and $15k net... people forget in business you write off everything you can as a business expence.. If you set up your company correctly and keep records you can write off milage on your personal vehicals, claim part of your house as a office and thereby deduct a % of light bill, phone, and all related equipment needed to have an office..
You can draw dividends from your company... So, you want to claim as little as possible as profit because that means more taxes you have to pay... I've made $90,000 one year as a O/O and wrote the whole thing off and then some (showed a $2,000 loss) one year on paper... You think I didn't make a dime that year for myself!!

 

You have your opinion. You want to own your truck. Don't belittle the people who choose to use a different approach to make money. A measly 9 cents per mile more, that adds up quite nicely by the end of the year. I have the benefits, health insurance that makes company plans look sick, I take vacations each year, when and where I want. I choose to "rent" my business equipment, rather than own.

Leasing is not for most of the people who do it, as they do not understand how to run a business, they think the entire settlement each week is theirs to keep.

 

Seems like Gonzo never learned Math. $0.09/mile X 100,000 miles = $9,000. I'll take that measly money any day.

 

I love people that berate leases. They have no idea what they're talking about. They are fixed on "owning" the equipment.
I don't care if I own it. As a matter of fact, I'd rather not! No hassles when time to get rid of it. It all comes down to how much money you can make.
I've done it both ways. I guarantee you, the lease, if written right is MUCH easier and in my opinion better.
And I've made more money off the lease.
Look at all the companies out there that lease rather than own. They're probably stupid...companies such as Walgreens, Safeway, Simplot, Kodak...just to name a few. They lease their trucks, buildings, equipment...
But these rebel O/Os know better.
Geeez!

 

Right you are! As a matter of fact, Stevens requires Owner Ops to have equipment that is five years old or newer ... what do you do with the trucks you own after no one will work with you when they're too old?

Spend that same amount of $$ and get a new truck in five years ... works for me.

 

Oh, I have a great idea of what leases are.. The people here are the ones who get their feelings hurt if someone even suggests their "fleece" is a good idea.
Steven's is a company for students.. you have that right.. so why do they try and shove a lease down students throughts?
How is $9000 per year "big money"? You are loosing health insurance, vacation pay, and everything else? Your buying fuel and making repairs on someone elses equipment that you'll never own and never develop any equity in.. Your not a owner operator and chances are you've never worked for anyone else in your driving career if you actualy belive that this is a good deal.
My "math" is just fine, I have a sharp pencil and can't seem to make any #'s with Steven's work to anyones advantage but Steven's.. There is NO advantage for driving a "rental" truck
The .09 cents is going to get swallowed up by taxes anyhow, you will not see an improvement in your bottom line. Your better off staying a company driver..

 

Gonzo, I think your pencil may be sharp, but your eyesight may not be.

TLeaHeart posted that he NETTED $0.09/mile more money than he did when he was a company driver.

The key word is NETTED! So after all those expenses you listed were paid for, he put that extra $9,000 in his pocket.

Why do you care so much about some other driver's mode of operating their business?

If a lease deal is not for you, then so be it. Don't hate on others if they choose a lease.

 

Gonzo's ranting and math remind me of the old addage: Never teach a pig to sing...