RECOMMEND Lease purchase!!!

Have your license for 8 more years before you even consider this. I will always say dont buy a truck until you have been in the business for at least 10 years.

My father was a driver long before I was born. I started driving farm trucks when I was tall enough to reach the clutch (about 8 I think, 1965ish). I had experience through the army as well. Owned my own business for 9 years (a printing company with 28 employees, but I knew the business world). College educated (math major). And I was a company driver for over 25 years before I bought my first truck. Got my CDL in 1984, so Ive been at this a while.

Now, I know people that just jump in with both feet and make it. But for every success there are a dozen heartbreaks. Give yourself the best chance you can. Dont be in a hurry. Every time I think I know everything that can possibly go wrong with a truck, something new pops up.

Read. Research. I could take a truck apart and put it back together blindfolded in my younger days, but with trucks the way they are now, you cant work on them because everything is run through the factory controlled computer, and they wont give you access to it. So you are going to need to find a good shop with people you know and trust. Better to find out if a shop is good with someone ELSES truck... Just an example.

You want a company that respects drivers, then you likely arent going to find it in the LP world. Good deal with trucks? A company is in business to make money for THEM not for YOU. Yes, they need you to make it FOR them, but starting out you are just another truck number. They will give you a truck. Is it a good one or a bad one? You have no control of that. YOU get what THEY give you, and starting out, you mean NOTHING to them.

Hard truth.

Wait 8 years. Save your pennies, and then dont lease a truck from someone and be their slave until you pay it off. Buy your own. Pick where YOU want to go. Do what YOU want to do.

 

if your heart is set on this and you have no other options like a local LTL carrier that will hire you, try it out. if you do a lease purchase then plan on being out 3 to 4 weeks. try getting a truck with less then 240,000 miles, bank as much income as possible. keep your cooler or fridge stocked with cheap healthy foods and water, you can be successful with a lease purchase. make sure it’s a walk away lease though. However, you are only going to be successful so long as your Driver Manager keeps you rolling and you have a good partnership and the truck has no major issues.. that’s the gamble! you’re working towards something, so the more professional your attitude and business sense the more chance you’re going too succeed.. also stay away from 2am food warehouse deliveries they will screw up your clock and cause you to loose valuable time on your weekly clock. my last month out in July 2020 I’d only banked $2800. I had been force by the DM to take 3 food warehouse deliveries to get the truck heading back towards ATL. I spent 3 days in a KS city parking lot waiting for a delivery appointment & 9 hours at at food warehouse in WI. that wouldn’t let me finish my 10 break. my DM stopped working with me so it was a bust. you’re going to have a ton of sleepless nights and a bunch of horrible experiences with people who don’t give two sh.ts about you and the lifestyle that’s presented before you. how you handle it makes the difference.

 

P&S or Blair.