Schneider Smart Start Lease

I'm currently getting into a Schneider lease. I've been driving with them a while and am currently a trainer. Everyone I've talked to who is leasing has been pleased with the program and earning about what they were told, even a lot of people here say it's okay. As far as having to run mileage, I will not lease if I have to keep running like a company driver, I'm going select (dispatch yourself) or nothing. I'll be able to answer your question a lot better in a week or two since I'm currently setting it up.

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Are you going to stay a trainer as well?

 

Nope, no more training for me. Schneider actually won't let you train as a lease driver. That and I wouldn't want to, not going to tear up MY transmission hehe.

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I didn't know that about the lease drivers. I agree 100% about that trans, I don't know how any trainer can put up with it, let alone someone else in the truck all the time. Sometimes I hate myself at the end of the day, I really don't need someone to "abuse", if you will.

 

Yea that was the hardest thing about becoming a trainer period, handing the keys to a new guy and sitting in the passenger seat. Some guys are pretty good drivers, some horrify you before the truck breaks 4th gear. I know it's a company truck and all but dang it hurt to hear the gears grind all day long. I would have quit even if I wasn't going lease, I lost money training. Told my boss I'm here to make money and nothing else, if I want warm fuzzies I'll go home to the wife hehe.

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When I was there, I looked into leasing, but not real seriously. The most I did was talk to some lease operators, and read the website. The guys didn't have anything bad to say, and some of them weren't exactly brand new.
Speaking of transmissions, is there any warranty on the truck?

 

the freight we get on the choice program would never work for training anyways.

the choice board seems to be pretty slow right now. there has been some challenges keeping the income up. you have to learn to think completely different then a co or mileage driver tho. you don't want to run miles, you want the shortest runs possible for the most money. If you revert back to the "I just have to keep running" mentality you will fail, just a matter of time

 

Absolutely, many guys don't ever get that, most do however.
The way I run now is percentage, if I got paid for mileage, it wouldn't be much for only 350 a day.