lease program

Run away...

 

have only seen a hand full of lease drivers while parked at our yards (easy to spot cause they have the L next to their number and well the only ones I really pay attention to are the older rigs or the ones still in May's old colors), and they don't even talk about it in orientation at all, but I think joker was looking into it? or someone on the boards was.

 

Oh yeah, you can make a fortune. That's why so many people are doing it.

Don't bother reading the contract. Just go ahead and sign it. Trucking companies are very honest. They have YOUR best interest at heart.

(sarcasm)

 

Was thinking, not anymore. U can make money depends on breakdowns etc depends what kind of over head u have rent etc kids. You're gonna make the same as a company driver til its payed off sometimes less sometimes more.

 

I paid off my Lease/Purchase in Febuary (2012) and looking to get my Second Truck.

The reason many fail is Basic. They know nothing about running a business and/or have too many bills at home.

Who makes more? Obviously the guy that OWNS the business. As an Owner/Op ..YOU are a Business Owner. You have to be agressive in your business to Succeed.

Many Fail because they base income on "Weekly" income .. It's a business, it must be based on "Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly" income.

If being a driver for a Company is better .. then why are there Trucking firms hiring you? And why is 70% of the 4 million Trucks on the road Owner/Ops? Think about it.

Even my first year as Lease/Op, I made more than I would have if I was a Company Driver.

But Owner/Op is NOT for everyone. You must be business savy .. a "Wolf", not just a "Sheep".

Many Lease/Ops that pay off their Trucks leave May.. why? Maybe they got their own Authority or Leased onto an "Owner/Op Only" Company that pays more. As for me, I am happy at May Trucking and for now, I will continue to Lease onto May Trucking.

 

Agreed, a great driver does not make a great owner/op. I know may great roofers, plumbers etc that fail as a roofing/plumbing company.

Just curious, if you don't mind, 'ballpark' your income after all is said and done. I did the math before, and with what May was paying, I could MAYBE make $10k more than as a company driver. Given the liability of breakdowns, etc, the risk v reward was not there.
I could make $10k more, or I could make $10-20k less if I had a catastrophic breakdown.

Why are 70% owner/ops? Somebody has been drinking the OOIDA kool-aid lol
I'm quite sure that number is skewed by the likes of Prime, TransAm, CR England etc, who screw over thousand of 'fresh of the turnip truck rubes' into become owner/lease-ops.
Of those 2.8M owner/ops, how many of them atually make $75k+/yr? Personally, I would have to make at least $15-20k more than I do now as a company driver that to justify the risk you take on.

Now, don't get me wrong, I constantly go back/forth on the issue myself, but as I said, if I can't make at least $75k why? If I can make $55-60k now, with no worries of what my next huge unexpected expense will be, why lose the sleep(and possibly so much more)...

That being said, I have met 3-4 May drivers who are not only happy, but have paid off at least one truck with May. If you just HAVE TO 'be your own boss' then do it! But until you have your own authority, you're never you're own boss.

 

Even with yer own Authority .. no one is ever truely their own Boss. You have Shippers, Recievers, Brookers, USDOT-FMCSA .. and so on.

The Risk of breakdowns is not a "Risk". It's a reality, a Truck is mechanical, it will breakdown. The breakdowns is included in your yearly expenses (Tax Write-Offs).

After all is said and done ..you make more as Owner/Op and you are your own boss to the point one can be. No one is telling you that you cant drive to that Truck Stop 20 miles away because they pay for the fuel and so on.

Its not just about more money.. It's about having your own business and not limited to a company and their will.

Owner/Op is NOT for everyone .. I am selling my first Truck, but if I wanted to, I could be a 2 Truck operation tomorrow... but am chosing not too (too many headaches in my opinion).