It never ceases to amaze me......

It never ceases to amaze me how many drivers get sucked in to a lease never to own truck from you name the company and then whine and cry about going broke.

These all have one thing in common, they all want to be owner operators but want none of the risk of actually being an owner operator. I have a close friend that has gone through 2 of these fleeces and has lost his ### on both of them. When I told him it is more how he handles his business then the companies he was withs ( it was always the companies fault never his) fault he challenged me to lease a truck from one of these companies and see if I could do any better. I took him up on his challenge and successfully completed my lease and put money in the bank every week. How did I do this you might ask? I ran the truck like a business not like a job. I still took my home time every 2 to 2 1/2 weeks and still had a paycheck every week.

I would say that if more drivers that got into these programs would run the truck like a business more of them would be successful. Most of them spend too much money take to much time off drive to fast (if you slow down you save big on the fuel bill) and then cry when they fail.

They sit themselves up for failure from the start, knowing that they can walk away from most of these leases at any time without any consequences. They have no real skin in the game and are ill equipped to be an owner operator. If you don't have at least 6 and I mean at the vary least 6 months of expenses in the bank you have no business even thinking of trying to be an o/o. Then most get the big head and think they know more than the company they are leasing the truck from. Even though they think of them self as an o/o they still think and act like a company driver. You can't afford to think that way.

These companies that offer these lease purchase plans aren't stupid they count on you failing. It even amazes them when someone succeeds. I succeeded because I ran my truck like a business, just like I did when I had my own authority and was an actual owner operator. I received the title to my truck and then sold the truck and am now a company driver again. I like it better that way.

 

I mean watch every penny know your break even point know your fixed expenses and your variable expenses. Slow down I could run 70 to 75 MPH and average 5.3 mpg or I could run between 59 and 62 MPH and average 7.3 MPG. that's a big savings.

Take care of your tires and they will take care of you. I got nearly 350,000 miles out of my steer tires and 485,000 out of my drive tires. I checked the air pressure everyday and my alignment every 50,000 miles. I did however do most of my own oil changes and grease jobs. It saved me big time.

I pulled a reefer and ran on percentage rather than mileage. I took alot of runs that where between 500 and 800 miles. Most of the time the shorter load s payed better then the long ones. Example a 2000 mile load might pay $1.40 per mile plus fuel surcharge or I could take four 500 mile trips for $1.65 per mile, you get the picture? Other drivers would whine and cry about getting the short loads, not me I'll take them every time. You also have to work with your dispatcher not against him. If you work with him (weather you're a company driver or a O/O) it will make your job alot easier.

Most companies go to the same customers on a regular basis. If I knew I was going to a certain area I would ask in advance for the short load that payed better. If it was available %90 of the time I would get it. By the same token if there was a crappy load that had to go I would take it and not grip about it. I developed a relationship with my dispatcher and he with me. He depended on me as much as I did on him. He would communicate with me and me with him. We counted on one another to get the job done.

Why did I chose to get back into a company truck? I did it for the same reason I did in 1995. When the truck breaks down I call in and THEY get it fixed. If I want to take off 2 weeks and go hunting,fishing of just spend time with my family I can. These are things you can't really do when you have a truck payment every week. If you really work at it though you can make it with a fleece purchase but you have to be willing to do the work. Know one else will. It seems that most drivers just don't or for whatever reason won't do what it takes to be successful.

I hope this answers some of your questions.