I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Clearly, you haven't been paying attention, if you think I'm going to be rattled by that comment. Please scroll back or ask around the forum to learn my views on the lease vs company thing; it's fairly well known.

And the math on last week actually worked out to .214/mile, after all expenses. The cpm in my graph is a least squares mean plot, which means it isn't a straight line or even a linear variable but a geometric curve that increases exponentially to a mathematical maximum as the paid miles go up (as a function of fuel economy). Last week, as per my prior trend based projection, I really should have only cleared .187/mile, but as my truck's engine breaks in the fuel economy isn't a constant but is rapidly improving versus prior performance with similar load weights and terrain. Using my handy scientific calculator, I plotted a new P&L protection taking that into account (not factoring in any future increases in average mpg). By keeping my disposable income budget the same, I will be able to increase my outlay correspondingly and either pay off all my debts a little early or keep up with most of my debt load and pay off my largest debt way early. My largest debt is this Peterbilt. One route clears my ledger a few months ahead of schedule. The other gets me a large pay raise to use to clear everything else out very quickly.

Three guesses which way I'm leaning?

If I were to go to being a company driver, my plot line would be much much simpler (miles run X cpm - expenses - taxes). Most times the take home pay is remarkably similar given the cost of health insurance and other benefits these days. And the tax benefits aren't quite as good. Still, it's much less complicated and way easier, and there's a lot to be said for that.

 

The math is simpler if you use a spreadsheet BTW. But I hate spreadsheets. And I like the Casio Scientific calculator Phredd left behind.

 

Basically I've always said to each his own. I'm eating it for a few years while making the payments, but that's going to end and I'll get a large raise (in effect). You're taking home a lot more, but you're not building equity in your rig. If you don't want your own truck, that's perfect for you. If you have decent credit and/or a good down payment, you probably shouldn't lease if you want a rig--better deal to go to a dealer. If you want/need to be home daily there are great opportunities in most every metro. If you like the open road local would drive you crazy. We're all different shaped pegs, man. Your hole isn't better because I don't fit in it, and mine's not better because you don't fit. There's a tush for every seat. When the dust settles we're all truckers with a job to do.

 

(At what point did I turn into Tony Robbins? Should I hypnotize somebody with my teeth now?)

 

Not with a lease. But I can claim the entire payment.

 

Well since I'm currently putting away .10/mile towards future maintenance costs (and current maintenance costs are covered until the lease is complete) I think I'll be okay, at least for a little while. My fuel costs are around 38% with loads averaging~43,000 pounds over the last month. As a lease driver, I can't compare my income per mile with true owner ops because of the apples to oranges thing; instead, I have to keep a close eye on my controllable expenses and focus on getting out of the red. When/if I pay off the truck my whole accounting and tracking system will necessarily change. I'm no 20 year veteran owner, but I'm willing to bet you had to start out at your own beginning too. I think I'm doing okay, especially compared to the owners I know personally who don't even know their own fuel percentages. And I've never laughed at or judged somebody for doing things differently (unless they're doing drugs or running outlaw then crying about the consequences).