Really torn on what to do

What are you looking for? Regional, OTR?

I am on the 21 day out national fleet. I avg 10000 miles a month.

 

Sounds like you like the bigroad, driver. Can't says I blame you...I started out local but instantly preferred the bigroad. I'm an owner op now, with an old truck that's been paid for for years. I do what I want to do, go where I want to go, pull what I want to pull. Seems like I stay out 2-3 months at a time (depends on the money) and I go home when the money slows and ride the motorcycle for a month.

To be honest with you, I've never leased a truck. The numbers don't sound good to me. I did get my truck from one of those Buy-Here-Pay-Here places ($1200/month, ZERO balloons). Owner OP spec'd. No Beancounter ECM tune, no mega fleet stupidity. She's mine. Strong as hell and does whatever I need her to do. No discussion about tires, no weekly payments that snowball when you go to the house, the only thing we should be discussing is my next load. Not a bad route to go, but it definitely helps to be mechanically inclined AND to have a good shop close to the house. I don't take my truck to the house, I leave it at my mechanic's shop. I leave a list of things I want done and he calls me when it's ready. So I'm not turning wrenches when I'm at the house.

Now the thing is, you can't just decide to walk away like you can with the mega company lease purchase deals. But I was 100% sure this is what I wanted to do, and wouldn't even consider walking away. Now the main reason why I did what I did was because I did like the company I drove for but absolutely hate Beancounter spec'd company trucks. I hated when it's time to get a PM service or breaking down, and having to wait for some desk jockey who works bankers hours to make a decision. My time is extremely important to me. So my dispatcher knew I was looking to buy and had me look into their lease purchase. When I found out that the lease guys still have to do the whole desk jockey circus thing like company drivers, AND PAY FOR IT(<<-------does that even make sense???), I walked out. "You want me to pay for tires, yet I get no say as to what tires I put on the truck? How stupid do you think I am?"

So, what about you? You like the bigroad, but what is it about the job that you don't like? For me, owning the truck took 99% of the stupid out of all the stupid conversations. So figure out what you don't like about your current gig, and we can go from there.

 

$.61 cents is darn good pay. and very nice to come home too. but don't meany anything if your working more then driving. how much is THAT pay?

 

Check Dutch Maid; they're based in Ohio. One driver posted he makes over a thousand a week.
Lots of good tanker jobs in Ohio.
A&R Logistics is good; make $62K to $72K there. Due to type of freight, plastic pellets, don't even need tanker or hazmat endorsement.

 

Ive never done a company lease but seen a few of the contracts. For those of you who have and like it I am so happy for you. But I stand firm in saying no way in hell would I ever do it. To me your way better off saving your pennies for a down payment and buying elsewere

 

I live in Dayton, Ohio as well. Try Continental Carbonic in Greenville. Cheeseman in Fort Recovery, Ohio. Both are close to home. And both pay better than most mega carriers.

 

If you have a tanker endorsement you could check out those food grade companies over at the Cargill plant on needmore. Carry, Foodliner, ect. Again close to home and better pay.