You just may be successfull if you run hard and don't take alot of hometime. Sounds like Injun is doing good because she looks at every little thing she can do to increase the bottom line, and thats the way it has to be done. I leased for two years with england right out of school and at the end of my lease I had over ten grand in the bank, and a brand new pickup truck. I was on a dedicated route and left after lease was up only because I got tired of running to the same place all the time. Im now running as a company driver otr with a diffrent company. Just my 2 cents........now let me have it!
My mentor hated that shirt and refused to wear it except at terminals, where he was required to wear it. Perhaps you didn't realize mentors get in trouble if they don't wear those shirts while in a terminal. They are supposed to be available to answer questions from all drivers, not only their trainee. It's the ones who strut around the truck stops with all their patches and that chest sticking out that amuse me.
Trucking is no different than any other business when inexperienced people get the BUG to be their own boss. See my neighbours kid who is an Electricians start up electrical contracting operation , sure he knows the hands on side but not a clue how to run the BIZ side. Another started a landscape outfit , same thing BIG$ , blew it on toys and then when slow time no $ to tyde him over.
That's the usual deal over on my side of the truckstop parkin' lot. If you're making money, its because you have some business experience.
IP so very true and so many do not believe it until its too late. I always looked at it as the TRUCKS $ and it paid me to drive it , did not have the flashiest trucks nor all the toys ( do now ) and it has paid off. My son and nephew are doing it the same way slow but sure and its also paying off for them.
one of the lease ops i spoke to weeks ago now, said he puts himself on a budget. he has what he needs for bills, a LITTLE spending money and the $$ for food, etc. The rest just sits in the bank account till its needed. Which is kinda how i was when i was a co. driver. Sure i bought an occasional DVD, or went to a movie. But i hardly ever even checked my bank account. I knew how much my previous check was, and barely even came close to spending 1/3rd of it on myself. after a month, i suprise myself by looking at the ballance, and find i've got a couple grand in there.
To be totally honest and noninflammatory, DickJones you do come off a bit,hmmm how shall we say, gruff? You posted a question beginning this thread but evidently already knew your answer. People gave you their honest opinions and you *were* gruff with them. You will do well in your new enterprise. I am very curious how successful you become as you said you would be posting monthly status reports. I also wanted to reiterate that there is a massive anti-lease sentiment on these boards. They really came out of the woodwork to blast against it on this thread, I was almost thinking some of them built a voodoo doll of you in effigy and are dismembering it lol.
Those 52 were at 1 terminal. But even if there are repos parked at each terminal how many can it really be like 500 or so compared to 2500 out there succeeding? I met a guy who had 11 trucks. He drives still and has 10 guys operating the others and he takes his cut off each 1. These are all Swift trucks. He started with 1, get it paid down then hire a guy and start over again.
what is "gruff"? I honestly didnt have any idea when i first started this thread. But when i ask about percentage pr mileage pay, then someone starts in on how bad i'll fail leasing....when that isnt even part of the discussion, yeah, darn right i'll be gruff. the first week isnt done yet, but i've got a 'rolling' settlement statement on the kiosk. and so far, i'm being paid $800+...and that is only running a couple loads and 1200 miles.....yeah....i havent taken out my truck payment, but everything else has been. fuel....rebates figured....road tax....IFTA...etc. and my miles have picked up pretty well. My average loads were running 300-350 as a co. driver...now they've been around 500-600. I had a load from central KS couple days ago, and wanted to t-call it in e. st. louis. but they wouldnt let me. they wanted me to run 200 miles of a 730 mi run, and t-call it in Edwardsville (KC) ks. i told them no way. So then i was told if i could make it to the final by 130p their time, they'd take me early. so i ran 650 mi in 10 hrs...and then drive 90 mi this morning, and got it unloaded a day early. result? i sat for 4 hrs, but got 2 250 mi runs for the next day....so i'm already 'up' 300 miles (ball park) for running my tail off the day before. so i'm staying busy.....
