Is this really legal?

Rollin and Trollin sorry about your experience.I was with kllm for 3 1/2 year 2 on the lease.
It took me to the 2nd year naïve,to see the lease was setup for failure,consider yourself fortunate to get out while you can.
Currently at a new company,with the only regret,that I didn't join them sooner.

 

You know, I don't understand why anyone would 'lease' their equipment to a carrier without a clause that specifies payment of a guaranteed minimum payment.

If you lease a truck from Ryder, for example, they're going to charge you a minimum amount per day, and maybe a per mile charge.

Why then do you agree to 'lease' your truck to a carrier, then agree that you'll only charge them for the work that they decide to give you?

This whole 'lease on to a carrier' thing seems to be completely backwards to me. If you agree to dedicate your truck and a driver exclusively to a particular carrier, that carrier should guarantee to cover your fixed costs and your driver's salary, regardless of whether or not they have work for you to do. That's not what's happening.

 

I've had prime drivers tell me how great it was lease purchasing right out of training, that they were their own boss even though they couldn't afford to get home and sometimes didn't get a check... Unbelievable... I mean there's some small companies that will lease a slightly used truck in good condition with really low payments, but it's just for experienced drivers. These mega-training companies like prime, transam, CRE, and KLLM are nothing but bloated CDL mills using false advertising ("be your own boss!!") to rope unsuspecting people into their scheme, with millions of displaced workers (thanks to a recession and a non-recovery)to feed into the revolving door turnover grinder, while their buddies at ATA scream "we can't find any good drivers!!"

 

why is it that LP defenders cough,hack,germanbroad,wheeze talk about many lp successes? if you " finish a lease" and have to repeat I count that as a failure becoming a real OO means finish LP take clean truck title then do as you wish ie trade for newer iron or maybe continue running said truck or whatever but if your tough enuff to finish a LP you should have good enough credit to get off the LP merrygoround.

 

Abilene Motor Express out of Richmond,Va.

 

Hi there @Rollin and Trollin . That does seem about right. Like I posted in another part of the forum, I never had the pleasure of doing that since I was dismissed due to accidents on my DAC last year. When they pitched it to us back in OR 2, they gave us a survey called pre-Alliance promising 10,000 miles in a month. The recruiter wrote different facts and figures on the board of what one could hope to accomplish if they chose to sign up for the lease program. I'll be honest and say I thought about it while I spent what would be my first and only weeks as a solo driver. I learned how to watch my fuel and accomplished that 7.0 MPG in that Peterbilt I drove for the company. Hate to see how these "training" companies begin to allow newbies like you and I to even jump into to that big of a responsibility out of school. That is the true reason that my DM treated me like crap when I was there. He wanted me jump into the lease program by dare I say playing the race card, "We bruthas. You're not going to make money as company driver. Join the Alliance so that you know what it's like own your own truck." I told him I would consider. Not once did I flat out say "no". Plus I was 25 at the time and wanted to be solo for a second to learn the business. Don't get me wrong. There were some success stories in the l/p grid from some of the rookies. I was just in no hurry. But enough about that. The biggest thing that I've learned so far from working under people that own trucks is that three main things kill you: Fuel, repairs, and insurance. Well if you get technical, it also pertains to if work in your part of the industry is slow too.

Now you talk about a business plan right? Well you have to know that most of that equals to sacrifice too. You only brought home $194 you say? That's when you put that to the side and try to keep going. Salvaging and saving is how I made it even as a company driver. Someone else said "Don't borrow against your pay." Well that's what a cash advance really is. I've seen so many drivers abuse those things until it was ridiculous. I only used those when they were needed such as lumper fees, tolls and pretty jazz. Even then you had to do your mileage slip and attach all paperwork (not like you didn't know that).But remember: They have the say of you get any of those expenses back. Not enough miles? Did you go to dispatch yourself? Screw your DM/FM. Do it yourself. They're just there to count your pay and make sure you get it. God there's so much, you may PM if you wish.

~ Voodoo Oinkie Pyg. ~<3~

 

I agree no person or company can stop you from making a living