Looking for Insight into being a lease operator

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on the forum. A little bit of background info on me first as it might help with your responses.

I'm a 27 year old guy who was laid off from CPC logistics in Bethlehem, PA at the end of this past June. I worked there for 2 weeks shy of 2 years and ran a 500 mile radius up and down the east coast and even out into Ohio and WV. Before that I had driven locally and within 500 miles at my other driving jobs in the 4 years before CPC. I have no violations in a CMV or a personal vehicle either.

I've been trying to find another company driver job but it is slim pickings around here right now as I'm sure it is everywhere. But last week a good friend from a previous job called me and told me about lease opportunity with Mason Dixon Intermoudal (sp). I've called the man in charge and left a message but haven't heard back from him yet. But my friend has sparked an interest in me about buying a truck and leasing on with a company as he has done. From all accounts he is doing very well with the company he is leased to and truth be told I need to figure out a way to pay my bills because I only have 3 extensions left on my unemployment.

So I was wondering if anyone could offer up any advice on which companies are good to lease on with right now. I'm not looking to get rich as I've been in and around the trucking business my whole life. I just want to be able to make what I was making at my last job after expenses which was between 1000-14000 a week. For a lot of you guys that may not seem like much but this is what I need to make in order to pay the bills and have some breathing room.

In a perfect world I'd like to do be able to stay in my 500 mile radius, but I would be ok with going out for a few days to a week at a time if that is what was needed to make the money I'm looking for. I'm looking at tractors in the $15-25k range so I can have a low monthly payment and be able to put 500/week into a maintenance account because I know a tractor in that price range is going to cost money to maintain. I can do most all the work as I was a heavy diesel mechanic before I started driving, I was also a 63W in the Army (mechanic).

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated and I'm sorry for the lengthy post, I just wanted to give as much info and background as I could for ya'll to get a good understanding of what I'm looking to do.

Justin

 

Ok well I heard back from the recruiting manager of Mason Dixon today and talked to him and their NJ terminal manger. From the sounds of things I will be able to make some decent money with this company as long as I find a truck within my budget and keep my fixed weekly expenses around 7-800 dollars a week.

The toughest part of this seems like it's going to be finding a truck. I will need to finance the truck, there is no way around that fact. I've talked to a few people and I've heard it's very hard to get financed for an older truck, say in the 12-20k range even with a letter of intent from a company. Anyone have any advice on this part of my endeavor?

 

Thank you Lilbit, I will surely do that.

 

That Lone Mountain looks like it only leases trucks. Plus all the trucks they have to lease are outside of my comfortable payment zone.

 

I'll try and clear some of this up if I can olhand. I was part of the Walgreens division at CPC. I brought home between 1000-1400 dollars a week depending on the bid I had or on the extra board during the busy season because you almost always make more on the extra board. When I was laid off along with a few other drivers who were lower on the totem pole they didn't have any openings for the Truevalue account.

As far as equipment goes, I could care less what I drive as long as it's legal. I spent most of my time in NJ and NYC while working for CPC. I also have 6 1/2 years total driving experience. But it's all basically in a 500 mile radius except for one year I spent over the road hauling cars.

The reason I'm looking into hauling containers is because I have a close friend who does it and is making good money at it. I look in the paper and on Monster all the time for local jobs but none of them pay enough. I have bills to pay and after talking to Mason Dixon I can make the amount I need per week and then some even after fuel and my estimated fixed weekly expenses. Containers are a pain the butt, I understand that. But I have to do what I can so I don't lose my house once my unemployment runs out.

Hope that helps.

 

Not sure why my last post had to be approved by a moderator, but I just wanted to add this.

Even though CPC is hiring for a few other accounts, one being completely new to the area and the other being their tire account. Myself and my wife don't really want to be put in the situation of making good money again and then getting laid off.

CPC was a great company to work for, I had truly thought I found my home there but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I still stay in contact with a lot of the guys I worked with and from what I hear the tension is pretty high between the drivers and the office people. So I'm not exactly sure what is going on but it doesn't sound like many of the drivers are happy like they were when I worked there.

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond to this thread olhand. I have applied to a few other companies that were advertising pay rates close to what I was making before but I am assuming they hired one of the many other drivers who applied with far more experience than I have with my 6 years. Which I honestly can't blame them for doing as it's definitely an employers market right now.

I'm just trying to figure out how to keep doing the only thing I really know how to do in order to provide for my family. I only have a few extensions of unemployment left and after that I risk losing my home. But I would rather go down knowing I tried everything I could rather than just sit and hope I get a phone call from someone who wants to hire me.