Leasing a small fleet to a major company...Please Help!!

since when do large companies hire good drivers?

 

Believe it or not in the mid80's Contract Freighter's (CFI) used to do this. Drove for a guy who had 2 trucks leased to them. CFI paid the driver and the truck owner. I never knew how much the truck made and he never saw my pay check. Back then they had no company trucks though, they were all O/O or Fleet owners. They hired the driver's BUT the owner had the final say based on their info. It can be a major headache. Finding a good driver was as hard then as it is now and that can make you or break you. I personally don't know of any company doing that now. I suppose there are companies out there who you can lease the truck's to BUT finding the RIGHT driver is not going to be EZ. Good Luck (in today's trucking you are gonna need it and Lady Luck can be a fickle ole witch).

 

Hiring drivers seems to be the number one problem....In two years we've hired
7 drivers and to date only 1 has been with us more than 9 months who actually
wants to work and is not costing us money in some way...

 

I feel for you! I always liked driving for O/O's or Fleet owners.I liked the freedom without the hassle. The one's I drove for pretty much let you run the truck as if it was yours and of course no FORCED Dispatch. I LIKED THAT! I know that finding drivers was hard though. Saw a lot of guys come in the front door and go out the back. Didn't like the Dispatcher, didn't want to go here, didn't want to go there, wanted to be home every weekend,the truck wasn't running right,the trailer had a light out (pay a truckstop to put a trailer light in for crying out loud) where's my paycheck(whatta ya mean I only delivered 1 load last week,it was 1200 miles) etc etc. Some things never change no matter how technological we get! Just want you to know you aren't the first to deal with this and you won't be the last. Some drivers can't see the forest for the trees. I know this though, there are drivers out there who will do the job and do it right and appreciate working for you. Just keep looking!! ####-- it can drive you up the walls waiting for one though.

 

Keep in mind, nobody is going to take of your truck like you would. And it is going to be next to impossible to monitor what's going on with your investment while handling your other responsibilities to YOUR boss. My strong recommendation to you is to drive your own trucks. It is very tight out here right now, and tough enough to make it yourself without having to take care of your drivers too. Remember, the truck has to make a check too........

 

hey leadfootlarry
if you want a good driver let me know. I have a good contract with a carrier in a niche market gquick55@yahoo.com

 

Very Risky!!!! There will be weeks your Drivers will make more than the trucks make after expenses. With current economy being leased to a company tends to be the safer bet providing they are strong company. But then Miles may drop off, or Company gets more shorter hauls which they get a higher pay for but you the driver or owner make less.

When I first got my truck I had no paycheck less than 1000.00 unless I went home. In the last 4 months I have not seen many checks over 800.00, and seen several under 300.00 with one at a -400.00. Myself I need to run 1000 miles per trip to be good profit. Then and only then I could pay another driver if I had one in the truck, and still have money left. 500 miles or less, I break even if not losing. In order for me to make money on shorter loads I have to work harder to to achieve the same results in the long hauls. Then I pray I can fuel soon after my drop.

I too looked into buying a second truck and lease it on, but the money just not there at most Companies. Best to get your own authority if your going to hire other drivers in my book.

 

I have 3 trucks. I run one, and I have family of sorts (my cousin and my god father) run the other 2. No matter how hard they try, they cannot compare to me when it comes to picking the right loads etc. Bottom line is, you will work harder and smarter for yourself than someone else will. Little things break and as an owner you will try to find and fix the problem if it is in your ability to do so first, company drivers... well lets say it burns my arse when I get a $20 bill to replace a $2 light bulb. I also will lump loads myself when I can and when it pays me too, my other drives... well you just cant expect them to do what you would do (liability isalso a factor here) and work as hard as you will work. The only advantage so far that I have from my family is my trucks are well taken care of. My biggest pet pieve out here is these tools behind the wheel that take a $100K truck and literally shat inside it. Burns my arse to no end to see someone disrespect the one thing that their livelyhood depends on. Bottom line is I made more money when I had just 1 truck than I have since I bought the other two. I am sure things will improve but in times like these, I sure wish I didnt have the extra added stress.