getting into a TEAM lease program with Schneider.

Ok, sooooo let's clarify a couple of things......

1. Schneider lease......it's not a terrible deal, but you will have to work. The fools are the one's who think that just because they have their own truck they can go home every weekend and take the month of December off. You can't. You have to work at it. When I leased typically I would run 10 and 2.

2. Money.....solo a great week is $5k, an average week is around $4k.......figure $600-$700 a day. Out of that comes lease/insurance/maintenance/registration.....and whatnot.....$1200. Then there's fuel, another $1000. So, you're pretty much on the hook for around $2200 when the week starts.

3. Maintenance......part of your lease payment is a maintenance account. That covers everything from breakdowns to oil changes. That said, if you're leasing a new truck, 99% of your maintenance is under warranty. The money is yours to keep or apply to a buy out. However, if you terminate your lease early, be prepared to pay between $3000 and $5000 in a 'reconditioning' fee......that will come out of your maintenance account. Also know that when you go to the dealership for a warranty repair, you go to the end of the line.......just is. Since I pay cash, I go to the front of the line.......I also pay $150 an hour for labor.

4. Loads/routing.......you pick your own loads totally. There is no one to hold your hand, nor is there anyone telling you what you have to pull....ever. It's all on you 100%. And if you muck up, it's all yours.

5. Taxes and personal insurance.......you pay.....all of it. Last year my gross was around $168k. My state tax was $2500 and my federal was around $16k. Also, to ease my federal burden somewhat, I contributed $16k to a SEP IRA.



5. Teams.......I really don't know much about it. However when Freightwhipper ran teams he said that the load board was not good because it only showed 'team' loads......that is to say only super long haul. Most freight is regional, therefore, you'll be excluded from the most profitable and dense freight markets. So, I wouldn't recommend teams.......but, I am adverse to teaming anyway, so.....

6. Would I do it again? You bet. But I am me and I know I can count on me. I would say most of the failures come from people who simply don't want to work. When I'm on the road, I'm running. I'm usually up by 5 and try to be parked by 5. I typically run 400-600 miles a day. I can't give you all of the answers, but I can tell you that it's a self taught learning experience. I've been doing it for 6 or 7 years now, and I am just now starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of it.

If you're focused and want to work and want to be successful, you will be. But that's kinda like life in general. Good luck and don't do teams.

 

This would not be the case at Schneider......furthermore you would not be a 1099 contractor under these conditions.

 

Would you be able to take the truck to another company if you didn't want to stay at Schneider?. It's a huge positive that they let you choose your own loads.

 

Yes.....

 

Yes again.....

 

absolutely......here's the deal, there are 2 completely separate companies.....Schneider Finance and Schneider Choice.......Finance doesn't care who you haul for, as long as you make the payment. There are more than one pulling for Landstar making truck payments to Schneider.

 

Yes. I leased my first truck with Schneider and bought it out after 2 years. Then I drove it up to almost a million miles, and traded it for another at SelecTrucks and financed it at my local bank.