Looking into leasing want to pick my own loads

Unless you buy your own truck outright, get your own authority, and run completely independently, you'll always have a dispatcher. They will haunt your dreams forever.

The one major difference is that you have the right to turn down loads. Although at most places I've heard of, turning down a load without a legitimate reason (And "I don't want it" is usually not a good reason) is a good way to sit for a couple days.

I wish some company out there would change their lease payments to monthly. I think more people might succeed that way. Most people will be quick to tell you that it's easier to come up with $2000 in a month than it is to come up with $500 every week.

 

That's not true at all. Drivers who lease on to Landstar or Mercer do not have dispatchers, you pick loads off of their load boards.

Many L/O programs like Sammons or Schnieder Choice also work off load boards and do not have dispatching.

 

If I'm not mistaken, leasing onto Landstar requires you to have your own truck... so either way you have to at the very least buy a truck in order to get rid of dispatchers completely. Not to mention that unless you are 100% independent, you'll have someone that you answer to, although they may be called an "agent" or "manager" or whatever.

I wasn't aware that there were any L/P programs that offered picking off of load boards though, that's definitely interesting.

 

That was harsh....but true.

 

It takes money to make money......always.

 

Leasing on to Landstar or Mercer is NOT running your own authority or running completely independently, it is running under their authority and being dependent on their load boards.

You said that you had to “run your own authority” and “run completely independently” to pick your own loads and that is just not true.

 

Even though you may dispense with the "dispatcher" at many carriers you might lease on to, you will still have to negotiate ("haggle" is such an ugly word!) with brokers... or as they call 'em at Landstar- agents. There's no getting around that, so if you have a problem "negotiating" with your company dispatcher, plan on having a continuing problem. Except it will be much more painful because your entire economic success will depend on how good you are at it.

$2k? Money is what makes business work. That's a couple of days of making things work in a bad spot. More is much better.

 

Just to add to what the horse with the steel balls said ... frankly if your reason d'etre to run you own rig - whether it be leasing or owning - is to get away from the adversarial relationship with dispatchers, then you need to find another profession.

The more you become responsible for your own success or failure, the more fortitude and balls you'll need to take on those who will take advantage of your easy going nature. If not you will find yourself hauling loads for $.85 a mile out of Laredo.

 

Not to mention that it doesn't matter what you do for a living, or how high up you advance... EVERYONE answers to SOMEONE. Always.

Even the business owner answers to his customers. CEOs answer to the board of directors, or to their customers. Employees answer to managers. Lottery winners answer to the IRS. Everyone answers to someone.

 

Actually there is a company that offers that, I know because I'm doing a lease with them right now. I'm thinking that it's the same company that Snowy is referring to, as I pay nothing out of pocket for any truck expenses. I am free to pick all my own loads from the company load board or any other load board. Also as long as I keep the truck moving I get paid because I get a percentage of every load hauled as a paycheck. There is no forced dispatch if I want to go home for a while I do, as long as you're truck is making progress and paying down your balance every month the company is happy. Also it's a walk away lease so if it's not working out for me I bring the truck back to them and they buy me a plane ticket home. Although I don't see that happening with me as I've been here 9 months and already paid off $20,000 on the truck. If I stay on this track I'll have it paid off in less than two years.


Oh I almost forgot to tell you the company name. Its Sammons Trucking in Missoula MT

As for the OP saying he doesn't like confrontation, you may want to think again about leasing or owning a truck. It's your truck and your business you're the only on that can take a stand for it. If you think a dispatcher is bad wait till you have to deal with a broker. Sammons has had my back with the few issues I've had, but I was still the one that had to call the issues out and deal with them