thinking of training

You need to get some real experience driving - you're just scratching the surface at 8-months, and some business education. Leasing is not a paycheck on steriods, its running a business which is vastly different than just mashing the throttle and going down the road. Its a lot of hard work - and you can't be making stupid rookie mistakes and expect to get out of it whole. The majority of folks seeing dollar signs in leasing end up going bust - be warned.

 

After spending hours on these threads when deciding to start my trucking career and with which company (I just got my CDL permit and will be in Prime Orientation on May1st), I would not consider leasing for at least a couple of years if ever. It does seem to work for you though? Not sure if its about the money or freedom for ya but I am assuming that it is something that works for some people over being a company driver. I guess I am wondering what the good side of leasing is after reading post after post about not doing it

 

Depends on your reason for doing it. Freedom? I suppose so - freedom from having a company boss - you can turn down loads, but not running pays zero. If you think this is about more time off, that's accompanied by less money - the bills keep rolling in. Sure you can make money at this, but many do not - once again this is not employment on steroids. Here's a hint... there's lots of great truck drivers, but not so many great truck driver/businessmen.

Does it work for me? Yes, but your mileage may vary.

 

i would not lease your just a company slave paying there bills making more money for the company . get a few more yrs experiance save every penny you can and buy a decent used truck. and with only three grand socked away your glutin for punishment i recomend having atleast 30 grand socked away for expences and downtime. whats your credit rating like good bad that another thing to consider as you'll need credit out on the road as well like if you need to rent a trailer or need to get your large car fixed. never lease why cause theres hidden expences and your stuck to one carrier very few will let you buy the truck out with third party financing and are you gonna wanna buy your large car out at the end of the lease with all them miles on it and it will start needing repairs also if you lease a large car you can't take it and latch it on with another company your married to the co you lease off of and most of the time most wont let you modify the equitment very few will so if you want an apu chances are forget it. and lease purchase trucks usialy wind up costing more than there worth!! don't let them shiny toys be to distracting as there cash ######. you'll be responsible for your workmans comp and health ins the list goes on and on.

 

Great post, and is the reason that I stated on another thread, have a plan, know why your leasing. The misconception that new drivers have is that they will get rich doing this. It's hard work, and what I mean is your gone for days on end, you could get little sleep, you diet suffers, you live in confined space, and yes your married to the company your leased to. On the flip side when you lease a truck you get a new truck every three, or four years speced with the the goodies of your choice, you do pay extra for them. You go home when you want, assuming you have a nest egg because the bills still are due every week. And if all goes well you could make more money then a company driver. With all that said if your new to trucking, spend a few years getting to understand what it takes to be profitable in this industry, and see if this life style is for you. Once you sign your commuted and its very hard and costly to get out of a lease. They say its a walk away lease, well it is, but if your in the negative, of there is damage to the truck your still responsible for that money.

 

i think he should stay as a company driver learn the bussiness. and make sure it's what he wants to do for his carreer. and take a bussiness management class and learn how to broker out his own frieght billing the shipper at retail rates and not wholesale rates. and with only three grand socked away i doubt he would make it no pun intended towrds him. and with the way diesel is climbing it's 5.37 in some places

 

I believe that's what we've been saying...

So let's go for the whole smash! No little stops on the way, just one business class, and we're a business genius! Straight from brand new rookie to independent owner-operator in one trivial step. Why its so simple everyone can be an instant trucking millionaire!! Just add a little overpriced diesel, and a smidge of uber-arrogance!!!

WOW!!! $5.37 a gallon!!?? Sure glad I don't live on your planet!

One year trucking, and you're an expert. You've never walked through the door at our carrier, and have no clue what you're posting about. Thanks for your input.

 

um go for the whole smash?? i did say he should stay as a company driver as i remember. that would give him time to learn the bussiness and examine his options to what works for him now wouldn't never said i was a genius just common sence. i may have never walked through your door but o drove transfer dump for a while then i got a better offer and i took it. and i never updated my profile. i never said anything about becomming a milllionaire eather maybe just better ways to provide for himself in little steps ofcourse. i said take a bussiness magement class so he will have experiance on how to run a bussiness as thats how most fail as well as well as the load brokering so he will how to get retail rates and not wholesale rates it would benifit him.