Leasing at Prime

If anything I'll probably try to team my first year and run my ### off to save up Money and see first hand how the business side of trucking works.

 

Ironpony. Its nice to read some very sound business advice. Personally I think of myself as a company driver, even though I lease I have found the best thing to do is tell yourself your working for whoever, think that all loads are forced dispatch,get a good relationship with your dispatch and fm. I can only speak from my experience but if you show your part of the team they will go above and beyond to help you succeed. I can hear the sighs from here no home time, treat me like a number so on and so on. Buddy if you want good home time don't drive truck that simple. Yes I've missed some things with my Daughter but when I'm home its quality time and I have money in my pocket.

 

2 more weeks to go before I go to the terminal in Springfield. Too bad my replacement truck is 3 weeks after i drop my current truck. But overall after 6 months of leasing the truck I am very happy and I know I still have a lot of more learning.

 

Ip, Thanks for post #62 on IFTA and calculating base fuel price. I read that when considering applying to Prime. Now that I am with Prime and have access to the web site, I did a comparison exercise between several states and understand your point about base price. Lowest price at the pump does not necessarily mean lowest price paid after your fuel tax is calculated and any overpayment rebated.

 

Hi Ironpony... First, I would like to say that I rarely ran across someone in the trucking field that has given such good advice to someone thinking about being a Lease/purchase trucker...

Frankly, Your advice could be valuable to Drivers, L/P or O/O's...

I am a retired trucker.. I was also a O/O and owned three trucks over the years.. I don't remember any
company offering lease purchase when I first starting driving..

I did talk to a lot of Drivers before making the choice to go to Trucking school which Uncle Sam help pay for
after my time in the Navy..

After driving for a few companies over the years, I did decide to own my truck.. Had the money saved up for
20% down and had operating expenses set aside..

I never stopped trying to learn anything that would benefit my goals.. I did see plenty drivers fail when they
never learned to build their bank account before going out and buying stuff for their truck just to make it look
pretty..
I did start my career in Refer but didn't like boxes, especially climate controlled.. I did come in handy back then
because the first truck I was on, didn't have A/C or power steering for that matter.. After taking on a load of produce, we top-iced the load, opened the storage door under the sleeper and filled that with ice too.. It was
15 years old before I started driving it..
After a couple months on that beast, I moved up to a nicer truck with a/c and power steering...

Most of my career was spent in open-deck freight.. After selling my last truck, I did end my career by going
back to being a local driver for awhile..

Lease Purchase isn't for everyone, but neither is being an O/O or even a truck driver for that matter...
Sad to say, too many jump into this profession without even thinking about just what it is to be a Trucker,
and trucking companies make it easy if one wants to try it..

There will be some that will be critical of your advice.. Ignore them...

I'm sure that you will become a successful O/O too and going about it the way that works for you...

Your posts will not be of help to me, I'm retired, but enjoy reading about my past life even thou I was never a L/P
driver, It is not that much different from being an o/o.. Been over 16 years since I last stepped into a truck..

Good luck to you, sir....

 

Just a quick question, if the is has been answered elsewhere please let me know.
My husband is out on TNT now, and is considering jumping into a lease after this TNT is over with. I personally, don't think it is a good idea, especially since he is just starting out. I told him I think he should go company for his first year. I don't think he is going to listen to that, his trainer is awesome and telling him all about the lease end. Which is great and I have heard a great deal of information about it and from I hear is sounds good. I just have my reservations of jumping into a lease without really knowing the company side too. If that makes sense. So I guess my question is, would you recommend going company for the first year, then possibly doing the lease? If so what are pluses of being a company driver over a lease operator? I am so afraid that my husband would jump into the lease and we would be screwed because I know that with lease you have a lot more financial responsibility.

 

Go company driver , learn the way things are done and make your MISTAKES ( and there will be mistakes ) without the added financial risk of a lease.