Wanted- Best Co to lease thru and get % of loads

Dan....I didn't answer all your questions... When I called Prime and began talking to them it had been 13 years since I had driven OTR....the last 11 I had been running local as a Freight Hauler. They had no problem with that as long as they could verify my driving during that time. I signed on as an A-Seat and Leased my truck before Orientation was over.

 

Steve & Lo....

Thanks for taking the time & effort to answer my questions. Making this decision on whether or not to go back otr is one of the more difficult decisions I have had to make. My present job pays about 56k a year and I am topped out as far as pay goes. My goal, if I decide to go otr again, would be to increase my yearly income after all expenses to around 75k or more. That should allow me to put another 15 to 20k per year into my retirement accounts which, like many families our age, got started late.

To get started otr again I have been looking at company driver or lease operator (Prime), and then going o/o after probably 2 years.

One of the reasons I am looking at flatbed (haven't rule out reefer yet) would be for the hard work (exercise) and the challenges it may present. Have been following the posts that broncrider and Brickman have been making and probably would fashion my business plan similar to that of broncriders, as it seems to be a very sound plan, and one that I think I could make work for myself.

Well I am sort of rambling on now, so anyway thanks again Steve and keep it safe out there!!!

Dan

 

wait to get a truck of your own at this point you dont know what truck you like what areas freight are good in i.e a load going to florida yay it pays good but you can't get out of florida nothing goes out you haven't figured out what freight lanes run good and you need to know the rules of trucking very very well when the truck is yours snd you mess up the money is coming out of your pocket. i advise you to wait too i wanted to be an o/o since day one but i have waited and i am glad you will bump things it is a statistical fact you will have a preventable incedent or accident( sorry for spelling) and when you are leasing the company may not be as understanding about it as say a company that is ued to new drivers their insurence is set up for suck a thing. plus you have not learned all the little tricks and tips trucking isn't just a job it's a life style and as an owner op you have to know how to pinch the corners to make the money work for you good luck man

 

I can't believe anyone would even consider "Lease". The whole thing is slanted towards the company. First off, trucking is dangerous biz. It's right up there with logging as far as deaths.
So when the company shifts workers comp cost's onto the driver, they save a bundle right there.
Second, a truck is totally depreciated out in three years. So when they sell it, it's taxed at capital gains rather than the high income tax. Huge savings for the company right there.
Remember, this is a very low profit biz. One company which I don't recall their name made - before taxes - about $3800 per employee in a year.
Now if a company can starve someone out of their lease, when they are going to get 5- 6 thousand just from the maintenance fund. And the tire replacement fund ... ya right, they're going to replace all the tires just before they sell it? So that can be a couple of $thousand more for them. Yup, they're real motivated to keep you around.
(more laughter)
Remember, they will make more and less taxed money when that truck is sold. So who wants to be a sucker and make the payments for them?
And I understand they pay bonus of $1,500 just to get a sucker in?

 

Unfortunately, my other half made the mistake of leasing from us xpress, the only thing you are doing is making the truck payment for them and in the mean time not enough miles for profit and deduction after deductions. Consistantly in the whole. Talk about indenture. Signed lease can't get out for a year or pay that nice 5 figure fee. Better off getting your own.

 

Sorry to hear about your husband.....But, his mistake was signing a closed end lease.... One thing about Prime is the open end lease....you can walk away any time you like... And if you're running on mileage....that's the wrong way to go..... Percentage all the way....Unless you get a $1.50 mi guarantee. Leasing isn't the problem....the company you lease to....is the problem.

 

Dude, listen to these guys. They are shooting straight with you. Don't lease where you get your freight. In other words, don't play where you work! Can get ugly and once the romance is over, there is no where to hide! And you might want to push that ego aside long enough to accept that you are not perfect and could have troubles, like all us hooman beings do. Insurance will eat an inexperienced driver alive amd if you get that accident on your record, you will be in even warmer water. You CAN wait 3 yrs and do this thing right. You will be glad you did.
But, that's just my 2 cents worth.

 

let him lease on and we can see him back on here after winter after the freight has slowed and he has bumped into something or the winter has played all the winter games he hasn't delt with yet and see how #### experienced he is thenany how not getting ont that....... i keep reading DONT LEASE YOUR TRUCK WHERE YOU GET YOUR FREIGHT would that still hold true with prime..... it is a complete walk away lease at any time and the dispatchers get paid acording to how they run you so it is in their interest to keep you rolling.. jst curious... and even as dumb as i am i would never lock myself into a set amount of time lease..... and another example my cousin was with melton flat beds running 1500 miles a week making awsome money with them and what do you know about 5 months till the end of his 3 years lease purchase with them all the sudent 800 miles a week be came standard... so yes it is in the best interest of the company to let you almost pay the truck off then starve you out of it and they will do it... will prime i do not plan on buying my truck i am renting my truck is how i look at it.. if i get sick give it back if something breaks it is under warranty... if i have to be down for a few days they give you a loaner... they sound like they are in it to make money and i can't help but think if they were not o.k the would not have the thouands of lease ops they do... but the buyout at the end is a rip off. i am using them to test the water and if i lke it i will go to a dealer and get one and pay half the payments a month for a new truck however i am stuck with the truck no matter what happends to me the bak still wants the money.....that is how i look at the higher price of leaseing ..you are makin the truck payment and the what if insurence payment what if something happend ..oh thats right i have been paying what if insuence and i walk away from this worrier free and come back later when things are good again..... by for now

 

Wolf....some people just don't want to hear anything other than what they believe.....and that's ok. They just won't have the same advantages that we will... I'll be seeing you around the yards....and on the big road!