Running With Schneider!

We checked all the options and found a new truck the best way to go. The payments on an older truck are almost the same cost as the maintenance acct is higher than new. The Freightliner 2014 are the only ones that have no down payment.

 

The new 2014 Cascadias are $796 a week plus $100 maint for $896 a week for a 1 yr lease with a residual of $119,500....

Think about that !!!!

 

I can tell you from my experience :
I was on choice program two years ago.. I bought a 2007 t2000 with around 400k on it.. Loved the truck had the acert cat engine and ran good.. I was one of three out of our orientation that took the optional casastophic insurance two didn't .. That insurance was then around $35 a week, but it paid for any major issues with engine, tranny or rear end.. little over two months into the job I lost the engine in my truck.. The insurance paid $17k for a new motor no money out of my pocket.. The only thing I was out was it took KW in South Texas almost 5 weeks to get the motor parts and the engine put in, so I lost 5 weeks worth of runs plus had to roll the payments and insurance of those 5 weeks into my next 4 weeks when I started running again, but I recovered.. I would have still been running on the program if it wasn't for my ex wife getting sick and me having to give up being gone so much.. Now she is back to good health and I've been going through the process of getting back on the choice board.. SFI is working with me this time out though I'm getting a new truck.. If you weigh the maintance for new vs old and difference in fuel mileage to payments I personally feel that it's better to go new.. There is still a chance that you might have a major breakdown but it's under warranty if it happens instead of losing the $35 a week for the cast. insurance.. If you decide to go used I would without a doubt get the insurance.. as far as the T680's those are more of upgrade trucks from what I've been told plus KW does not have the long warranty like Freightliner does..They also offer 1 yr , 3 yr or 5yr lease the longer you run it the lower the residual is at the end.. just food for thought just depends on how much you want to jump in being young.. also they will be reluctant to let you on the choice board with no o/o exp so you might have to run mileage program first for a few months to get some exp under your belt before taking on the choice program.. Oh and the shorter you run the lease the higher the weekly payments.. Hope this helps I can say I've got a few years exp not as much as some but more than average and a lot of mine are o/o exp and I have to say after running the choice board and talking to guys that were and still on with Landstar that the choice board is the better deal and if you can't make money on it .. it all comes back on you.. you have to be pretty independant so to speak

 

Can you explain a little more about this? Does that 796 include your insurance, permits, etc? Or is that just purely the payment for the truck? The maintenance account is your own money at the end of the lease, correct?

If I understand correctly, take that 796*52 weeks a year = 41392 + 119,500 = 160,892 by the time you are all said and done to own the truck for yourself, right?

Any idea what the payments and residual would be on a $35,000 truck?

While you are still in the process of purchasing the truck, are you allowed to modify it and work on it yourself, i.e. could I install a big inverter, put in a mount for a TV or VuQube, etc?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

Its 796 + 100 maint + 160 (full coverage insurance on the truck required) + 45 workmans comp + 40 bobtail insurance + 35 permits + 35 base plates + 3 prepass + 30 for some misc crap they add = 1,244
a week

Enjoy

 

I certainly hope it works out for you.. per DAN the guy in charge of Schneider choice.. his own words were..." We have an 85% turnover rate in this program yada yada yada"

Its not the loads that are the problems but rather its the people that get duped into thinking they could live a half normal life, turn a profit and still make those ridiculous truck payments to schneider finance.

As I said before that they are doable but only by guys or girls that do not want to go home for months and literally live in their trucks. If that isn't the case you will get screwed. Don't have to heed my warnings..
try it out and when it doesnt work out which chances are it wont.. enjoy dodging their collections dept

 

I have to agree.. I did it before and the only reason I quit doing it was because of health reasons for my EX wife(we have two little ones together) , but I agree with atruckr.. If you want to make a good living for a truck driver and not have the BS that goes with most companies this is the way to go.. I think the reason there is a lot of turnover is b/c drivers get into without understanding SNI is not going to hold your hand or wipe your butt when your doing this.. You have to think and operate independent for sure.. I know when I was doing it before and living in oklahoma which is not a great area for freight most of the time. I still got home at least every 12 to 14 days sometimes sooner I was able to go through the house and stay a night here and there and was making pretty good money.. When I moved to San Antonio I had more luck getting in and out b/c of proximty to Laredo and Houston..
On another note atruckr. I got the green light today from SNI and I'll be in Green Bay on the 15th for orientation and getting my new truck.. Time to hit the road running