Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="mwonch, post: 12386162, member: 155071"]It's a fleece-purchase tactic. It's supposed to help pay for the low weeks and emergency repairs. Anymore, it's just a down payment that no one ever gets back for a truck the driver will never own. Megas do this, too. Only they use legal cover. If a truck is turned in (even if switching to another at end of lease), every scratch, dent, and loose bolt comes out of the escrow. Need cleaning? That, too. Anything left (and there never is) is either given back to the driver or applied to the new lease. You know, for that huge but always elusive balloon payment if ya wanna "buy" the truck. Before anyone says that's what the maintenence fund is for....what maintenance fund? Tires and PMs use all that nearly as soon as it accumulates. Ain't any cheaper to do it at a terminal than at TA or Love's. Breakdown on the road and need a tow? Got supers so it's a road call rather than limping to the next shop? Lights start flickering or burnt out? Red lines leaking in the AM at a mountaintop rest area? All gone! And then some. Need more cash to cover in a pinch? Escrow. Maybe. If they're nice that day. Big and small companies know most will never complete a lease OR never complete the 3 or 4 leases required to actually buy a tractor. So these days, it's a huge income boost, nothing more.[/QUOTE]