Leasing at Prime

Bravo! Sounds like you're doing well Desert Traveler!

 

Actually the Pete's and KWs have a high probability of spending more time in the shop than the Freightshakers do... the Cummins ISX and MX engines have more issues than the Detroit series 60 and DD series do. It's to the point some FMs just will not allow a Paccar product on their boards because of these reliability issues. Now that doesn't say all Pete's and KWs will do this, and none of the Shakers have problems either... however, with the numbers of trucks that Prime goes through over the course of a year, that' where the probabilities fall.

The lowest fixed costs come in with the Cascadia/DD15 package, and it's progressively higher for Pete's and KW's in that order. As far as the used trucks go, it depends on how much time is left on the truck... it's a mileage/time sort of thing. Most trucks at Prime will be pulled out of service after 3 years or 450,000-ish miles or so. A solo will probably go 3 years, but a team-truck that is run aggressively may reach the mileage point in the 1-to-2 year period. That being said, the lease payments on a truck turned-in early really can't be estimated but you're looking in the $650 to $900 per week range... plus plates, permits, etc. It just depends, and you'd have to talk to leasing about individual trucks.

 

A note on experience before leasing...

I generally tell folks that a year or two on the company side is a mandatory prerequisite before leasing. Now not all drivers straight out of training who get straight into a lease crash and burn in their first year. There are no absolutes in this. However... I've seen a lot of folks come into this, and by 6 months in their own truck absolutely hate everything about trucking, can't deal with being away from home, have a woman in their life that demands they be home or a divorce, can't deal with the stress of driving, etc.

It doesn't happen to everyone, but it's much simpler to walk away from this as a company driver than a lease operator. All it takes is one QualCom message, and your next load will route you back to the terminal for the next lease operator orientation, and you'll be out in your very own brand-spankin' new lease truck by the next week. Jumping into a lease right after training isn't something you just have to do, or be consigned to a company truck from hell forever.

My real point is that the lease failure rate is so high, that you should do everything you can to get the odds in your favor before jumping in the deep end. DesertTraveler is on the short end of the odds right now. If there were 10 guys in his lease orientation group, only 2 of them will be going to the lease completion dinner 2-1/2 years from now, on the average. For a long time the half ripped-off of the chassis sleeper from truck number 600503 sat in the pile of junk from wrecked trucks behind the tractor shop in Springfield... that's one of the trucks I could have leased on that day I got my first lease truck. I don't think that guy made it to the end of his lease. Stuff happens. It may be a medical deal or a life deal that has someone turning their truck in early. Very often, its a financial thing, and Prime will only let you get so far behind on your accounts (in the hole) before they pull the plug on you.

Don't let someone tempt you with great big numbers on a settlement... it may be two weeks worth of running that you're looking at. Find out if trucking is for you, build up the cash you need to grease the wheels of your business and sustain operations, and get some experience before you take the plunge. It just works better that way.

 

Ain't happening unless you train, team or go flatbed on the company side.

 

I've seen one or two LWs in both tanker and flatbed, but I believe they were lease trucks. Tanker requires a year of experience before they'll bring you on.