questions about alliance

You're not complete right Truckerjosh.
They will write a lease purchase if you ask for it up front.
They did for me.
Now one more thing and I've said it before...
Leases aren't necessarily bad. It depends on what you want in life.
A lease is a tool to make money. Just like a hammer or screwdriver.
It is an avenue to making MORE money. Not necessarily capitalization.
Many companies employ leases in all kinds of situations.
Walgreens doesn't own any of their retail buildings. They build them, then sell them to a real estate trust and lease them back.
It's called preservation of capital. The idea being you can make more money with that freed up capital than having it sit in a depreciating asset.
So let's look at trucks.
We all know they depreciate. The difference between a true lease and purchase is around 15-17%.
First of all, can you get a better truck (more fuel efficient, lighter weight to haul heavier and more profitable loads, etc) by leasing?
Will that bring you more money?
In some cases.
A newer truck usually has fewer breakdowns, so your up front out of pocket costs are less for maintenance.
Some people just love newer trucks...just like so many of us like newer cars.
It's a choice for the individuals.
I have no room to citicize you if you own a chevy and I own a cadillac.
One thing a company lease does do for sure is give an opportunity for an individual to 'taste' the world of self employment.
Its not for everyone and if you purchase a truck you're in for the whole tamale.
Stevens doesn't penalize you if you decide to turn the truck in early.
It's true that many people lease and fail.
but many people open their own business and fail. Statistically, 90% of people that open their own business will close within the first 12 months. The lease program at Stevens isn't anywhere near that rate.
The real question for an individual is this: Am I willing to put forward the efforts and sacrifices of being self employed in order to increase my income?
If the answer is yes, then lease. You can purchase from Stevens at the end if you wish, or pick a different truck and purchase it. Stevens will finance an O/O truck purchase if you have a lease to show you can be successfu. Many drivers do it and more and more are purchasing their trucks.
Is it easy?
No.
But what in life that is worth the effort is?

 

Hey Emulsified,

I must disagree with one statement there.
*A newer truck usually has fewer breakdowns, so your up front out of pocket costs are less for maintenance.*

This is factually not true. You would think that it would be but it isnt. Statistics show that with class 8 trucks, every year since 2005 the "failure rate" has gone up as well as the number of days of downtime for trucks in their first year of service.

Its getting worse and worse all the time. Most of this is caused by over regulation of emissions and the EPA.
Did you know that is 2012, 83% of "downtime" days in the first year of service were emissions related issues? Its insane.

But otherwise, I completely agree with the entirety of your statement above

 

The last brand new truck I bought as a 2003 W-900.
Ah so simple.
I don't have the breakdown numbers like you do, but I don't disagree. I know that almost all the breakdowns I see are emissions related.
Since 2011 models these things have been problem children, however we're seeing better numbers for the 2013's over the 2011's by far.
Goes to prove...the government puts the F in FUBAR.