Possible to successfully lease with CRE without having to train?

I've been driving with England as a company driver, since about the end of March. It's been going alright, but lately I've been starting to give some thought to their lease program. Of course, I've heard all the bad that some people have to say about England and their lease program, and I've heard all the good about it too. There's so much to both sides of that, that it's enough to make your head spin, so the conclusion that I've come to is it's best for me not to put too much weight into either side of what I've heard, and I ought to be doing my own research (which I've been doing a little bit), and draw up my own conclusions.
The funny thing that I've noticed is that it seems the overwhelming majority of CRE lease operators I've met are trainers, I'm talking like at least 9 out 10 here, if not better. Either a "real trainer" trainer or as England likes to call them - Phase 1 trainers, or Phase 2 trainers who are just guys that basically have a student team drive with them, with the goal being the student to observe how they "run their business". The one thought that I keep having is I can't help but wonder why I never seem to meet a lease operator that runs solo. And before you ask me, yeah I have asked a couple guys, but I'm really not sure if I'm getting straight answers...like if the answer is really simply a matter of they can't afford to run solo, because they can't stay on top of their payments and expenses, etc., but obviously don't want to admit that to a stranger...then I don't know whether that's really the case or not.
So I'm just wondering whether it's even possible or not to lease with England, without having to take on a student, just to meet the bottom line every week?

 

Well I'm not talking about any sort of expectations. I was just asking if it would be possible to run solo in a way that I wouldn't be constantly in the hole...basically. But yeah, what you said seems to ring true for the most part. Although I don't think miles would be a problem for me. Before I decided to go company, they give me their whole bs sales pitch about how I might not get the mileage I'm hoping for since lease operators get priority dispatch over company drivers...blah, blah, blah. But I've been averaging at least about 2700 miles per week, as a company driver, so getting "priority dispatch" as a lease-operator, I'm not too worried about racking up enough miles.
Thanks for pitching in!

 

How long ago was that?
Yeah that could definitely be easily done these days. That's one of many reasons why I'm considering making the switch. I just got home from being kept out 7 weeks in a row, and that was the second time since I've been driving for them since March that I've been kept out over a month, the first time I was out for 5 weeks. Reason that I didn't explain being it would be nice to be able to take some home time when I want to, rather than just whenever my dm feels like giving me some home time. And no of course that's not the only reason I'm considering it, but it is one of many things I've long since started to get sick of - about being a company driver with them.

 

Rick...Yeah that is another big reason why I'm considering it. To be able to have the freedom to say no to a load that they're trying to cram down my throat if it's not exactly what I'm looking for.

Dave...A dedicated run would definitely be nice to get, but most of the ones I've seen require you to have been with the company already for at least 6 months, so I've still got at least a couple more to go.