Holy Hanna !!

The 2 options I stated for most people were pay a cdl school or go to a mega.. You seemed to have gone to cdl school which was one of tbe options I mentioned.

 

I’ll drive for the mega because there’s no way I’ll invest any money in a Cdl school nowadays.

 

You did it one of 2 ways in which I mentioned.. You shelled out the cash to go to a cdl school that you said you borrowed or took loan out for. Im trying to figure out how your way is diffrent than how I said people have the option to do..

Now Ill give you the other side.. I did the mega carrier with cdl training.. I didnt have anyone to loan me the $6-8k they wanted for cdl school at the 2 places here in central FL that were close to me.

I also wasnt going to go in debt to go to either of those schools because quite frankly the companies they had set up to hire you paid pretty ####ty. I checked them all and they sucked to be blunt..

I'm less than 2 months into a walk away lease now. I pay more than what the OP's guy pays.. Yea I pay $1k and change each week + .05 per miles mileage charge and .05 tire charge, plus fuel, oil and whatever else isnt under warrenty. Im paying betwen $2,5-3k a week to run this truck, yes a royal ####ing if you ask me...

Yet even while getting bent over Ive pocketed just under $9k in less than 2 months, not including this week, that Im on right now. Basically Im at 6 weeks in and have put $8.9k in the bank before taxes..( $25k to the truck but all that matters is what hit my bank account)

Do you think I could do that making .45 cents a mile as some company guy? No, not very likely.. Can I get ####ed, sure, but I can and will walk at a moments notice if my company isnt getting me loads so I stay profitable..

The simple fact is, I will have the money to buy a used truck by this summer working as a lease op doing what everyone on this forum seems to think cant be done.. Am I worried about buying a truck from the company I'm working for or finishing the lease? Hell no.. its a means to an end..

I need a years experance to do what I want and Im getting it now while making money, with out going in debt.. Im all ears for anyone to tell me a way to do it better than what Im currently doing.

My basic rule on how to handle a lease op with a mega is I understand I might have a #### happens week and go negative. My rule is I will not go negitive 2 weeks because I'll be gone.

Last.. 2005 was 13 years ago.. This country has fine tuned how to screw workers in that time. In 2005 I was running cable making $1,5k week and working 4 days to do it. Cant do that now either...

 

This I looked at one of the big cdl schools on central FL, they want $6 or $8k I forget which just to get you your cdl. Not including your housing costs while there. All the companies they had to hire you, required a years contract to pay back a precentage of your school..

I went tne mega route because I was paid for my training and make more than what those companies were offering.

 

I'm glad it is working out for you!

I have no experience with lease/purchase, and my comment was toward a business philosophy, or attitude. You are making it work regardless of the prospect of owning the truck when you are done. I hope that this continues, and that it is indeed a walk-away contract without penalties.

 

I wanted to add, no its no easy money doing a lease op and yes Im busting my ###. it also seems every week Im having the same discussion with dispatch about my last load of the week being scheduled to drop after the payroll cut.. Every week its a new fight to make sure I cover the costs of the truck and then cover the pay to myself..

Example right now my current load is 3 stops.. Im sitting at my 1st unloaded waiting on my reset to finish. In a few moments I drive to my 03 that has an appointment at 0930. My 90 isnt scheduled yet because they want to see how I look after the 03..

I sent them a message to get the thing scheduled for today, because I want this load in before payroll cut off at 4pm. It's this kind of stuff I have to push and fight for every week, so no lease op is not easy but it can be a means to an end if you are capable of getting things done, not just driving the truck.

 

Its working right up until it doesnt work. Its a constant struggle every week. There is no way I'll keep doing it once I get my year in and have adiqute money in the bank to move on.

 

All these posts I've read. None of us mentioned the shiniest part of the lure.

Free to get into.

That's the part that makes the other "What am I getting myself into" thoughts vanish.

I mean I put $8400 down on my truck.

 

I should be paying my company 40 cpm to drive a nice truck like that!

 

Some or at least mine are also free to walk away from. Granted you will walk away from some money, but as long as you don't get your self in a big hole, the risk is reasonable.

My take on leases is the adverage driver will make just enough to keep his head above water. Whether it's good enough money to make them happy depends on each person and their situation. To me its a means to a end which lets me leap frog a bit further down the road a bit faster than if I worked cents per mile.

I will say, that for myself, Im in the position that I can walk away even if I take a beating due to having no debt and no mouths to feed but my own. Even with that said, I do think the lease is financially a bad deal, but the key factor for me at least, is its a walk away with no money down at the start.