My lease adventure

So it's been a long long time since I have posted in here. Couple of reasons, hard to keep up when I'm on the road and enjoying home time( really I just mean lazy), and the biggest is company related. I heard through the grapevine that the company was aware of my thread, so I stopped posting to see if anything was said to me about it.
Nothing ever was.

So.... I'm still with the same company. I have been running steady and consistently these last several months. I leveled up in class and started running Canada loads.

I have about 5 more weeks till this lease is done. Remember, I will not own this truck when it's done. I get a completion bonus and the option to buy it at fair market value if I so choose. I plan on taking about a month off from trucking to spend some time at home, and just relaxing. I am fairly sure I will come back to ATS after my month, but I will not say 100%. A few interesting trucking opportunities have popped up and I need to research those at length.

Since this "lease adventure" is almost over, let me summarize in bullet format.

First the good.

•Depending on on how the next 5 weeks go I should be at or very close to 100k for the year net.
•I'm not lying about that number.
•I enjoy the environment at this company, for the most part.
•While I am just a truck number to some depts here, there are many many office staff that know me by sight and that makes me feel good.
•My Driver manager is very very good.
•The lease has held no surprises for me which is good. They have done what they said they would do.
•Payroll has been spot on 98% of the time which is rare in this industry.

Now the bad.

•Trailers, trailers and trailers. Seems like I am always getting them repaired and wasting my time doing it.
•There's not often preplans here. Wait time has been minimal, but sometimes I deliver a load and head for the nearest truck stop, just to turn around and back track after getting a load. Knowing a direction to travel would be good.
•Recapped tires... Don't like them. Have had issues.
•Deadhead for hometime. Usually for me it's 350 miles or so. Get me closer to home, or chip in for fuel!!
•Having to use their shops for every other PM. It's a hassle.

In summation.

I have enjoyed my time here. I have made great money. I have learned a lot from the company, but mostly from other drivers. There are some really great people here. I have made memories I will never forget. Running convoy from one end of the country to the other with some of the funniest guys I have ever met.

I do recommend this company and this lease to experienced, hard working and intelligent drivers that know what they want. I still hold to the opinion ATS is NOT the company to go to if you want to purchase a truck through a lease. There are better faster ways for that. But, if you want to lease for the reasons I want to lease then this is a great company.

Cheers guys,
Rooster

 

I have still been around. Kinda burnt out a little. I'm sure everyone feels that way from time to time.