Best Leasing programs?

From those I've talked to, dont even bother with Prime...unless you got alot of Vaseline handy. I dont know about Wil-Tran, but I did lease a truck with ATS, and its pretty much the best lease program I ran across. I made $113,259.58 in 8 1/2 months. After expenses and taxes I cleared about $67,000. Its only a 12 month lease with a $3,200 bonus at the end that you can stick in your pocket or put it towards a new truck. If your lease truck has low enough miles you can lease it for multiple yrs and buy it at the end if you want. I had a 2004 379 that was going for $70,000 on the truck lot and I could have bought it for $36,000.

 

There is another way. How about taking 5 years as a company driver to save up the money and have everything all paid for when you start? In that short time if you're single, without a ton of huge debts and obligations, you could have enough to pay about $50,000 cash for a good used aerodynamic fuel efficient truck plus the $15,000 minimum you'll need in that checking account for "surprises". If you're married or already burdened by a ton of debt it's either gonna take a while longer or probably just not a good idea at all. I wouldn't think about trying it any other way especially in times as hard as these with all the volatility plus the weak freight market. Not every o/o that fails is a lazy business person. Even savy businessmen can get in over their heads and fail. What's the rush? Take your time and do it right... Regardless if you do it my way - the way that will make success much more attainable - or your way, you're still gonna need that $15,000 emergency fund in the bank before you start... I'm not an o/o btw. I've pondered and thought about it a lot though.

 

I know u guys are going to beat me up for this, but here is my 2 cent worth. I'm a JB Hunt company driver. I to are looking at leasing because i just dont have the big down payment to spend. JB Hunt has a program that i'm getting ready to enter. It might be worth your while to check it out. Prime was a top choice for me, but I have a family that i liked to see every 2 to 3 weeks. With Jb Hunt you can have a truck payment as low as $275 a week depending on age and miles on the truck that you choose. I would suggest looking on their website for all the details, I just don't want to go to indepth with it and risk getting booted of here as I really value this website. Everyone one has their own opinion and I respect that. It cant be to bad since I enjoy driving for them as a company driver. And yes, their lease trucks run much faster than company trucks.

 

(translation) Their least trucks burn much more fuel and cost me more money than company trucks.

 

The first problem is driving for JB Hunt. LOL. No, not really. That sounds good if it works for you. However, keeping your speed down will put more money in your pocket. It is good if the truck will run faster because many are reporting those that ar limited at the lower speeds are not getting the fuel savings the companies hoped for. Ask the shop supervisor or director of maintenance what the optimum RPM for running is (not speed). Also ask what the lowest RPM that it is safe to up and down shift is. That also will put money in your pocket.

 

Why dont you give ATS a call. I think you'd like their program alot better.

 

why leasing as a company driver can be bad:

1. Same cpm for heavy loads (burn more fuel)
2. Same cpm for all terrains (hills burn way more than flats)
3. Same cpm for geography (NYC)
#and you have no control over load selection -if you get a ###### load it's just gonna eat up your profit.

At a minimum I would look at Schneiders 65/35 split (they act as a broker) where you pick the loads. Fuel prices are just way too high right now to lease and not be able to have some say in your loads. Look at Landstar also.

 

They do offer non-forced dispatch.

 

Go ahead and refuse a load as a lease operator and see how long you sit waiting for a "better" load.

This is how the company retaliates against drivers wether they be company or lease operator to let them know who is really calling the shots.

Do as your told and you will be kept busy. Start refusing loads and watch your miles get lower and lower until you cannot make your payments let alone pay your bills at home.

 

When I was at ATS I would average 5-6 load offers to pick from when I sent in my MT call. But that would be before say 11 am. After that, they pickins were slim so you might only get 1-2 offers. And I have refused loads on occassion, wether cause it didnt pay enough or was going somewhere that it would cost right at or more to run it there than the load was paying. And it was mostly to low freight areas meaning I would have had to deadhead a 100 hundred miles or more to get another load or sit and wait till a load was available. That just isnt worth it, I refused to do it, me and my DM had a few rounds about spending money to make money blah blah blah, but other than that, he never developed a vendetta against me. He kept me running hard and he kept me out of the areas I didnt want to go to.