""My Own Truck"" ?

(Sorry, the post got to be quite long)
For several years I've been lurking about, reading posts, comparing advice given about all kinds of things, (best oil to use, tire brand reviews, opinions on e logs, rants, different views on 'the correct way' to do this and that', etc..)
A lot if them helped, a lot were just funny, some were informative, and quite a few seemed to have been written by folks in a perpetual bad mood with nothing positive to say or add on every sort of subject.
This subject of leasing is by far the most controversial it seems.

So, I became a member just so that I could post my 2 cents worth. Hope you think it's worth at least that.
I first started as a co-driver with an Owner Operator who had an older long nose, decked out with lights and chrome and wood. He was very particular about how his truck was driven and maintained, and I learned quite a bit from his O/O perspective.
I team drove as a company driver with a guy who had been there, done that. It was a smaller company as I don't like the offerings of the mega carriers. I Learned more. Soon, they offered me my own truck (at crap per mile pay)
Company driver at an increased rate over the years, mostly reefer, or flatbed, but found myself quite often trying to figure out how to get into 'my own truck'.
Throughout the years I saw a lot of drivers in a lot of trucks that I knew weren't company trucks, and wondered how they came to be in them. So, what the hell, I started asking them.
Over time I found a few that sounded like do-able propositions, and looked into them further. Never big companies though, so I can't really shed light on their deals.
I finally got on with a small company, (took almost a year), that has something like a lease deal, but not exactly a lease deal. Here's the basics of it:
I get 85 percent of the load
$300 goes into my maintenance fund for tires, oil changes, repairs, and the like. Capped at $5000
I pay my own fuel, they supply a card.
Insurance, finance charges, IFTA, plates, etc are all included in my payments or the admin fees which also include keeping me loaded and all the back office stuff.
Fairly straightforward. Example: If I do 3 loads this week, and they pay $1700 each. That's $5100 total
85 percent is $4255
-$1140 truck, trailer, etc
-$300 maintenance
- about $1250 fuel (your mileage may vary )
This all leaves me about $1500/wk
I have an accountant.. I don't 'write things off'
I expense them.. since they are expenses
And I keep track of them
Obviously this is just an example of a medium week
Loads and rates and fuel costs change, but I usually do better than this example.. I think some don't do quite as well, some maybe a bit better
I don't really know the other drivers too well, none of us have time to sit around a campfire roasting marshmallows and telling stories.
There are only 10 or 12 of us here, and the owner, who drives too, says he's not really looking to expand.
I do know that Dan, who drives a green Coronado glider, Is on his second truck.. but I'm sure that means he built enough equity in his first truck to get the Coronado and probably take some cash out as well.
It's not really 'my own truck'.. or is it?
Would I want to pay it off and go it alone?..
Get my own MC number? Authority? Find my own loads? invoice or factor the BOLs? Do my own back office things? Nope.
Some people would.. that's their prerogative
This is a good fit right now.... For Me.
When this truck gets to half a million miles or so, I'll trade it in on a new one..
Just sayin.. if you look around hard enough you can find something that fits whatever YOU want.
But there's a lot of work to be put in to make it work. And remember, if you burn up a hub in the middle of nowhere some night under load..... Handle it!.. you wanted your own truck remember?
Questions?
Comments? (All you guys named Richard.. cause there's always comments from a bunch of Dicks)
Be safe

PS. I got paid this morning for last week.. just magically appeared in my checking account..
Just over $2000
Last Friday? Just over $3000
The week before?... Negative $129. Oops!

 

A year?
I would estimate 145k

 

Not looking for anyone to come work here. Or get into a whose dic..(oops) whose check is bigger contest. Only pointing out that the are more options than straight lease or bank finance.

 

If you were thinking that this was referring to money you should read the posts before you reply