Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

I think Snowwy's point was unless you are training the LEASE isn't a great idea!!!!

I personally know a couple who lease and if they were leasing as a Solo driver then im not sure they would have a house to go back to with all the problems they have had with the truck!

I have said more then once and I will say again, Central is an OK starter company get a year and move on!!

The Fleece program is set up for Central not the glorified company driver.

1/ If you aren"t getting miles can you take your truck elsewhere? Nope

2/ What O/O pays excess milage? We don't (we own our truck)

3/ If I want some time at home I have it....I don't need to ask for time I just take it.


I guess the point i'm trying to make here is you get a lot more Freedom as an O/O (Having your truck title in your hand)

 

Lets see when I started with Central I made .30 a mile new drivers now get .28 I believe. When I started with Central I got $20.00 for on times then one day Central took it away lets see I didn't get to vote on that. When I started with Central are safety bonus was $500.00 and that had nothing to do with on times. When I leased my truck I got .87 a mile got to .89 and Central took .2 away same time they dropped new driver pay I didn't get to vote on that. Lets see when I was training they decided to pull one more penny said when your student upgrades will pay you that back I never lost a student I didn't get to vote on that. Now if I'm making the payments on a truck and call an O/O why didn't I have a say. If I'm leasing a truck why should I have to pay excess miles maybe I don't want to bye the truck. If I'm an O/O why can't I pull loads from Centrals load board.

The point is Central own the truck your making payments on and if you look at the Central Refig on the side of your truck it says Operated By Central.

I went back to see what happened to Celtic I saw that he was fired over a accident that only cost $356.00 what the #### I thought that's what he paid insurance for fix it and life goes on. Just think if you hit something with your car and the dealer just took it away that's Central. I think he was a happy driver. I was the first to post on JJ Thread back in 2008 how many drivers that have come in and asked questions went to work for Central leased a truck and made it are there any still here. I am.......

i have seen good people come and go I've watched people lease and loose there trucks. Central dose what they want when they want and to whom they want. Any way you slice it your a glorified company driver paying Central to work for them I know I've been there. There an ok company to start out with but there are much better lease companies around.

 

I forgot one thing when I started Coors dedicated I got surcharge on both loaded and empty miles Central took that away I didn't get to vote on that either.

I also trained for them and I saw $3,400.00 weeks but I always told my students don't see your truck in the same way. Anyone can talk about the good times but I never hear anyone talk about the bad and I no all of you have seen and or heard people talk about them. Just think you could be next in line. For the record I did fine at Central I'm just saying what I know to be the truth.

 

ummmm, trip planing does absolutely nothing when your truck breaks down. and your truck WILL break down.

and those are things you can NOT foresee. you can preventive maintainance all you want. you will never know when your egr. dpf. ecm. or whatever is going to go o ut on you.

remember, you've only been driving ONE YEAR.

here's what i've seen in 13 years driving.

it all starts out good. but in the end. your living under a bridge.

89 cents a mile with 900 weekly payments. and other expenses. if you read the threads. you will see people complaining of CHEAP freight. they aren't renters. won't pull for less then 2.00 per mile. and truck payments of around 500 for the month.

if they can't forsee breakdowns. what makes you think you can. and they dont' have newer emission controlled trucks. so there maintanance is much much less.

 

Read my posts. Did I say it would all be roses? Did I say Central will roll over spread her legs and let you have your way? Did I say every truck is as great as my freight shaker? No all I am saying is my experieance. Yes it's only a years worth, but it's the truth of what has happened to ME. I have heard the stories and many are on here. Everytime I post anything positive snow and bad jump down my throat for not joining the bash central bandwagon.
I'm sorry you guys had such a bad time, but why do you have to knock anyone down who has had a diffrent experience? I forgot who said it, but someone was giving me a hard time because I said as a co driver I was getting 2800-3200mi/wk. And they said that people come on this site to find out about Central and that I was giving them false hopes because those numbers were not realistic. Again all I can do is tell you what my experience has been, maybe some people would like to have a little sugar with their medicine.

As far as the excessive mileage goes that is part of any lease. If you go to ford lease a mustange and put 100k on it your first year you are going to pay excessive mileage on it when you turn the car in. The main difference is that you pay it all when you turn the car in and Central has a pay as you go policy.

 

I will say the same thing I've said before in this little quarrel . You have to learn how to play centrals game by centrals rules and still WIN!! L/o or company it doesn't matter, if you do exactly what I just said you will succeed. I for one have done really well with centrals lease program and get good miles, I run on coors ded and avg 3200 a week solo and around 4600-4800 with a trainee. Does everyone do this, no but if you really pay attention while you're sitting around at the terminals you'll notice there's always people sitting around complaining. Next time you see someone sitting around ########, ask them what they're doing there sitting on their ###. Central will offer them a loaner if their truck is broke down. I'll bet you most are just there doing a totally useless and unnessisary 34 her restart. The worst thing any of you new guys or trainees can do is sit around with those people and absorb all the BS that they're saying. You need to give central and yourself a fair shake and get out there on your own and see for yourself. Truck driving is definitely a lifestyle not just a job, you may like it and you may not but just like anything else you won't know till you try. That's all I have to say about this. LoL.

 

Ummm your right trip planning has nothing to do with when your truck breaksdown. Maybe I should have added in budgeting along with that. As you said your truck WILL break down, the people who fail are those who do not know how to budget. I have 10k set aside in my maintenance account to give me a cushion if/when my truck breaks down. It is common business since and eventhough yes you are RENTING a truck (lease=rent) you own your business and those steering wheel holders who lease because they want a shiny new truck probably will fail.

I have never said Leasing is great everyone should do it. I have repeatedly said it is hard work, but if you know how to run a business you can (not will) suceed. I have and have given examples of my time here, good and bad. I remember even saying that the lease has ruined my hometime and that looking back I would probably have leases through a 3rd party.
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My advice to anyone wanting to lease is read the lease (not the "this is what you would make if you leased spreadsheet) the main complaints that I see are from people who think they will own their truck. I read the lease, I did the math, and it made since for ME.

 

and there you have it folks advise from someone who has been in the INDUSTRY only 1 year and fell into the lease or go broke program that soooooo many of these mega carriers offer. to fully get a grasp on what goes on with the leases wheather it be with central or any other carrier please take advise from people who have been in the biz for a minimum of 5 yrs y]]they know the ins and outs not just the company bs that has been pushed down their throut for 1 yr. i my self never leased from central BUT i knew of plenty of people who lost everything with them company drivers included ( me included). i now do my own thing with my own truck pulling outta the ports ( what a difference that is) not saying what i do is better than what central has to offer but hey it REALLY works for me. i guess what im trying to say is beat the bushes other than just here and get some real advise from those who have been around the block/ wheather it be just going to a truck stop and just talking to drivers about the industry or certain companys inperticular i think you will find your answers and the cold hard facts then.

 

PSU and bonecollector, there will always be people bashing the lease at any opportunity here and I put it more on the carriers than these people. Leases ruin lives because people sign on the dotted line after they get a few QC messages that say "Last month it would've been raining money in your sleeper if you were a lease operator."

The fact is signing a lease means taking on risk, and many new drivers don't do their due diligence before making that commitment. They sign for ALL the wrong reasons. New truck, no forced dispatch (half true at best), and hometime whenever you want it, for as long as you want!!!! If they ran the numbers they would know thats all a plan for failure.

These companies do walk the line between giving people an opportunity and baiting people in to bad situations with their lack of honesty. If you think central is bad about that go hang out with some prime or CRE lessees. When you watch person after person walk down the path to financial ruin it's apt to give you a pretty negative response to any talk of the program that put them there.

That being said, I'm halfway through my 3rd month on my lease, as a solo driver nonetheless, and I'm still doing good. I have saved 11k in that time as a "rainy day fund" for breakdowns, slowdowns, etc. (technically I already had 3k of it when i signed) I came in to this with business experience. I can calculate profitability, figure break-even points and, possibly most importantly in this industry, be my own advocate when miles aren't where they should be. I wouldn't recommend a lease to most drivers, but it's a good fit for me.

To the lease trolls: Why not go with well reasoned arguments and warnings to new drivers rather than slinging mud and throwing a fit every time someone says the word lease? It would be more productive because the drivers would have reasons not to lease when o/o salesmen are trying to convince them. Reasons other than "don't be an idiot." To someone who doesn't have an argument against leasing the sales pitch will smell of sweet honey, and a new lease troll will be born a few months later.

 

i do agree with this BUUUUUTTTTT i would like to add that theres an old saying IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY. What i mean is you need to have a good sum of money in the bank already when you lease you will need this to live on and pay YOUR BILLS when starting out. leasing is not one of those things where you start making TONS O MONEY right off the bat. your gonna need a cushion. as your experience and general understanding of how it all works comes into focus yes you will see a gradual incline in profits and only then. in my experience those who have jumped into things such as a lease with no capital to bacik them almost always fail. just remember what comes after ( im telling you) and thats (i told ya so).