DART transit.......anyone there?

Honestly driver, if you're a hard worker, able to manage your time, and can put up with a little bit of bs, leasing with dart can be a very lucrative decision for you. The runs are pretty good, and if you manage your settlements right, bringing home $1600-$1800 a week is not out of the question, with a realistic average of $1300-$1400 a week.
I don't know where you live, but there is a dedicated for Georgia Pacific/Target that pretty much is a regional run, but the driver's are dedicated to gp, and believe me, there are plenty of gp's east of I-35. So, I'm sure if you were serious about hiring on, that dedicated would be available.
As far as truck specs go, they are spec'd light, in order to scale out heavier loads. They have the smaller tranny and turned down for insurance purposes. But, 65 will get you anywhere you need to go, with an average mpg of 7.5 or better. Fuel discount is pretty decent, and finding the cheap fuel is no further than a website away.
Micromanagement is just part of the game, but don't let them walk all over you. It's your business!!!!!
I hope this small amount of information helps. If you need anything else, let me know.

 

Trailer availability/quality
Small transmission (pulling hills are a nightmare if you're heavy)
Not getting paid miles to go home

 

The dedicated I'm on is not the super south, there is a waiting list for that, it's another gp/target dedicated. It's not a bad dedicated. It's not a traditional dedicated, because you may deliver in an area where you can't get to a gp or target load, and they'll have you drag a OTR load or a funky brokered load, but usually you'll stay in a decent load lane. But, to my knowledge, there isn't a waiting list for it.
Settling loads depends on you. If you have a few loads under your belt and they haven't cost you too much to run 'em, settle on 'em if the day of the week is right and you'll get your money either direct deposited or however you want to get paid, the next day or Monday, after a weekend.

 

It's mileage, driver.

 

Well hunter, just like every company trailer pool, you have junk, but as long as the trl holds the freight from point A to point B, then you get paid. You don't make any more money a mile when you drag an old, junk trailer, or 1 right off the assembly line!