Lease Operator

My advice is to not lease with Schneider National, even with experience. We leased with them for only 8 weeks, and went from having great credit and lots of savings straight to Chapter 7.

They have a "Choice Program" that allows you to preplan and self-dispatch, but that is only available to a select few. I thought I was going to that, having had my own operating authority, worked as a dispatcher and load planner, etc, not to mention 14 years experience. After I signed the lease and everything was finalized, I found out I was to be put on flat mileage pay, and that someone else would plan my work day for me. In essence, I was now a legally bound company driver who made the truck payments, paid to fix things, paid for fuel and taxes, etc. I was told I would have to do this for one year. This is also a "forced dispatch" arrangement, though not officially. I was told if I refused any loads I would sit for a week before I saw another message on the Qualcomm.

The dispatcher I was assigned to apparently had no authority to do anything beyond pass messages along. Getting to her required I be screened by two assistants. There was no getting through to the load planner. Preplanning was not in the load planner's vocabulary, nor could she provide accurate and timely information on loads. Schneider is the first and only company I have ever worked for where arriving early to a customer is considered a service failure.

As a result of poor load planning and really bizarre scheduling, I averaged 1800 mi/wk. My best week was 2100 mi. The "break-even" point was 2000 mi, so I was losing money hand over fist. SNI had more excuses than an indicted politician for why I wasn't getting any miles.

After 8 weeks I gave up. I demanded to be put on the "Choice Program," and they refused. I turned the truck in two days later and walked away from the lease and SNI/SFI.

That was a few weeks ago. I am now receiving tax bills from the IRS and various other agencies demanding payment of taxes that were deducted from my settlements but never sent in, mostly from last September. Naturally, I haven't heard a word from Schneider Finance or Schneider National, despite letters, emails,and repeated phone calls. They have kept the two required escrow accounts they insisted I set up for maintenance, about $1500 I would guess. I am also now receiving billing statements from various insurance agencies saying my coverage was retroactively terminated, but the refunded amounts were sent to Schneider.

Nice, eh?

Okay, now for some advice from someone who has made the mistakes...

Get your CDL on your own, rather than through a company sponsored program. Then, hire on with a training company for 6-12 months (I recommend at least one full winter), and get some OTR experience. After, try a different company for another couple of years, to get a different perspective. During this time, if the urge to buy a rig hits you, go back to bed until it goes away.

But, after this time, if you still want to go that route, save your money, buy your own rig, get your own operating authority, and if you still have the money left, buy a trailer. Roadrunner has an excellent lease program that allows you to go haul for someone else at will when they don't have freight (which is why it's nice to have your own trailer), but you must have your own authority.

Dunno if this helps...

 

The "Choice" program.

The only "choice" is whether you file bankrupcy now, or later.

 

I do not want to hijack this thread. However, it has gotten my attention. I am a Schneider company driver who is averaging more than 2700 miles on a dedicated account over the past 8-10 weeks. If I wanted, I could easily run more than 3,000. I also have on several occassions in that time frame brought home over $1,000. I am a brand new driver (with brand new driver pay, lol) since August, and the miles and pay far exceed my expectations. I am throwing it all away to drive locally because my family is worth more than money.

My question focus on the decision to become a L/O or O/O. I know some drivers personally that are making $0.20 / mile more than me (not with SNI) and are regularly bringing home $1500+ a week. My question would be how much money can a good L/O or O/O expect to make, because it seems if you can just show up , get a reasonable pay, get home daily or weekly, get full benefits, and not deal with the headaches and risk, why would you go out on your own?

Raid3r

 

Look up Pinoy on this forum, he said he has made $300,000 a year with Prime Inc. as a o/o. He mentioned that he netted $165,000.

 

Ha ha, yeah...o.k.

 

When you posted that I thought YOU were crazy, now I see you were right and he is the crazy one

 

CA Medicine Woman - thanks for posting the info. I hope that everything gets better for you after all this.
there needs to be something done to stop these big companies from operating like this...

 

Let me chime in. I went through the IC orientation back in September. Was almost in until my truck caught on fire during the road test. I will say the Finance bend over backwards trying to get me another truck. It just did not work out at that time. Going to try again in March when I return from China. Since I was in orientation, I have ran into other that where in my class, and not one is complaining. They are doing great and making the money that they were told. The difference between the Choice and Revenue program depends on what you qualify for as far as the lease. The depends on your credit. Credit lousy or no down payment, then you are automatically put in the revenue program. What I like about it, drive the truck one year, turn it in, then a new spec'd truck. Before I made the decision I talked to others on the road, and only ran into a few that were not happy. Found out that they where also ones that turned down loads, and wondered why they where not making it.

As with any L/P or even O/O, it is a business. Turn down loads, then do not complain that you are not makiing money. Even right now Finance is working with me. Keeping an eye out for my truck. The sales person that is handling my acct, talked to the mgr, told him that when he gets one that I am looking for, do not place it in the inventory list, and they will sit on it in GB until March. Even if they have to keep it on hold for 3 months.