Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

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There are a lot of folks that are professional steering wheel holders out there now. With the recession, a lot of people went out of work and into trucks, without having a lot of knowledge about what they were getting into. It translates into rude, stupid people in big, dangerous trucks.

 

So, you've been driving like Sparky for 3 months on your own, but you've had an 18 month lease? Or, you got an 18 month lease and you've been a rent operator for like a month now?

 

Don't. I know there are people here who will tell you to do it, but don't. At least not for a year.

This is why.

Will you be doing this job in a year? Turnover rate at Central for company drivers is 140% or more, according to the safety department. Turnover rate for the lease division is still about 75%.

Drive for a year. Decide if you want to do it for another 5 years. Then, if you want to lease, go talk to the lease op department. There's a big push to lease and get your schooling paid off, but don't. Trading in $2500 in schooling for a $2000 a month truck payment isn't worth it.

Don't ever expect to own your own truck, if you lease through Central. It's not in their best interest for you to own your own truck. They will want you to get out of your lease, into a new lease. It covers the payment on the truck, and keeps you tied to Central. And, they claim depreciation on the truck, not you on your taxes. When your lease is done, you will have to find financing for that balloon payment, if you want to keep your truck. Central won't carry the loan. Many truckers who lease often don't have good enough credit to get the $40,000 loan needed to pay off their truck. So, they lease a new truck. All those damage fees, maintenance costs, over mileage fees, etc that they charge you on the old lease get rolled into the new one.

I don't recommend leasing at all. I've seen it fail for far too many drivers. It's good for a few, they have to have some to parade around and show how much money they make. It's decent for a chunk of them, maybe not like the top group, but enough they stick around. A lot of them train. But for those who do okay, there are drivers who don't. Some of them it's their fault, they don't want to do the work, or they don't know how. And for others, they know what they're doing, but it doesn't work out.

Remember, if you lease, you can't just walk away if you hate the job, the company, or the truck. You are stuck, unless you find someone to take over your lease, or you're willing to walk away and fight Central for any DAC or credit report damages.

Would you rent an apartment forever, and never buy a house? Or lease a car, and never make payments and eventually own it? If so, and you're okay with it, then you might consider leasing. Just try sticking it out with Central for a year, see if you even want to stay with them to lease.

 

My co driver and I have had the "own a truck" conversation. We actually considered going and finding one, but in the end we decided not to. Since we're looking at getting off the road here soon, it would be counter productive. Now, if someone just dropped the keys to a truck in our lap, and gave it to us.... well, I think I'd stay out a few more years.

 

That is one of the first steps in the decision making process. If you are going to buy a truck, you have to know that you will keep rolling with it for 5 years or more. You can pay off a good used truck in 3 years or less. That gives you at least 2 years with no payment. Most trucks will run past 1 mill miles before they need an inframe. So you may need to have the money for that handy at all times. At least I would.
If I was to buy a truck I would put down enough cash to get the payment less than a grand a month. I would prefer around 800 bucks a month. Plus I would want to have close to 10k in the bank for any emergency.
This is before even buying the truck.
But you figure a good 4 year old used truck will run you around 1/3 if the cost of a new one. It was much less than that last year. But now people are buying again.
Also, when you have your truck payed off. You should put the payment money in savings each month that you would have used for a payment. Do this till you are ready for a new used truck. That way you can upgrade if you like. You will have 2+ years of saved payments. Plus any trade in money.

 

My other half was a glorified company driver with central!!!

truck payment on a peterbilt 387 was $645 a week it did have an apu so the payment was a little higher!!

Dispatcher was Lynnette H.

Now let me ask you a question can you take your truck somewhere else if your miles suddenly dry up??????

If some stupid broke 4wheeler hits you they will sue Central and if the damage is over $10,000 you will get fired at fault or NOT!!!

Can you just decide gee im going to take a week of, without sending in a mac well in advance ???

I still have lease Op friends working with Central one has changed fleets and Fleet managers a lot trying to find a good match and it still hasn't happened!

Oh and if you train you have to take whatever garbage ld your assigned!

I will take a $3800 down and $1340 payment a month anyday yep it wont be a nice new truck but when the last payment is made its ours and gee if we run 14000 miles a month there is no excess milage fee, If we want to take a few days off no getting it approved we can just do it!!

A lease Op does make a small profit when he gets someone to Lease with Central!

If you turn the truck in before the Lease is up no it won't go on your Credit as its a third party Lease!

Hopefully the IRS will stop Lease programs like centrals if enough people do the paperwork and send it in, or Central will have to change the terms of the Lease!

 

well, i wonder if any of central drivers has past the 1 year mark yet, if so how long, have read some old posts from 2009, they say c.r. england go's to the same shippers and recievers

 

Actually, you do mess up compliance if you send for new fuel routing every time you need fuel. If you've already fueled on your load, and then you request new routing down the road when you need it, the new routing will wipe out your old routing. So that fuel stop you already did won't be in the new routing, so it's consider out of compliance.

 

I've been with Central well over a year. What do you want to know?

Yes, we go to many of the same shippers and receivers CR England goes to; it's common when you're both refrigerated carriers.

 

Hi , can you tell me how long you were out with the trainer and what you had to do to upgrade? thanks