swift and the lease purchase

i was just thinking then maybe a person could afford to run hard then not have to worry about losing money to penalty--and help with money that is coming out for payments while you have time off

 

yeppers.....i've said that before. even before being a L/O. Talking to my buddy in edwardsville, swifts "new" computer software (they've been testing/using it for months if not a year or two) tracks each truck, and then does the best load matching to get each driver 2500....regardless what color truck, etc.

What happens, is that computer software tracks each driver. if you turn down enough 250 mile loads, the computer will remember that, and then you wont hardly ever see anything under 250. If all you accept are 500 mi runs....then eventually that is going to be most of what you will get sent in the way of a preplan.......and guess how many solo 500+ mi runs there are? So you want to wait for 500+ mi runs? fine. you MIGHT get 3 loads a week. Then that driver will be the one sitting in a terminal saying how bad the company sucks, cause he cant make ends meet running 1000-1800 mi weeks

 

if you KNOW you arent going to exercise your option to buyout the truck...then yeah...you're going to 'lose' that money. but if you DO go with the buyout, you're not losing anything.....you're actually paying yourself back, kind of like when you get a tax return....

 

Correct...the funds banked (better handle this just like a checkbook register and balance your books every month...things have been known to get lost in the IEL shuffle)...into your excess miles account will be used as a down payment, or an initial payment on total cost...it would be interesting to see what they do now since they aren't financing themselves. Do they cut you a check or direct the funds to the financing agent you have acquired?

 

I think that one important factor is being overlooked for the failing L/O & O/O. Of course everybody is looking at the money aspect of L/O. Of the people that are failing, how many are married? How many have other expenditures that are not related to operating their truck? I am looking at SWIFT as a way to get into the industry. I do want to eventually become an O/O. BUT, I am single with no bills other than my cell phone. I am also not in a huge hurry to buy a truck. It sounds like there are a lot of people that are complaining about their L/O contract, went into the contract with out considering their monthly expenses that were not related to trucking.

Of course I am not a driver yet and I am only speaking from my experiences in other industries. I have done a fair amount of research on the L/O programs offered by several companies. They all seem aimed at the new driver. Doing the math, they seem like a decent deal for a NEW truck. Unfortunately you are not always offered a new truck. But if you don't have the credit and the down payment to buy a truck it is an option. I personally would prefer to buy a truck and go O/O after I get the experience and a firm grasp on the business.

 

THERE WOULD BE NO TRUCK DRIVERS IF IT WASN'T FOR US TRUCKS !!
No double clutchin
Gear jammin
Coffee drinkin NUTS !!!
They drive their way to glory
And they have all the luck
But ther'd be no truck drivers if it wasn't for us trucks.



Talked to another O/O tonight in yard as I was leaving. He's been here 12 years. He L/P truck after truck, keeps truck when paid off and puts team in trucks. He's signing papers for another one tomorrow.

 

Ratchet jaw with still another L/P today at yard. He said he didn't do that well running as a solo. Let me point out this guy struck me as being a really good dude. Further into the conversation though, he said if you don't mind staying out all the time and getting home when you get there you can do fine as a solo. He now is a mentor and said he makes excellent money. When he has a strong student he said the money is really deep.

 

Have no idea why he couldn't make it solo unless he was home for 3 days every other week and didn't put anything by for lean times. Not saying the guy's not a good dude. Just saying when you're leasing a truck, it's a business. A lot...in fact, I would say most lease operators continue on as if they are still company drivers. Now, here he is, feeling like he needs to mentor to make ends meet. As long as he has a "strong student" tells me his students are another log book. Too bad, really. I see a lot of decent people fall into this mess. It's unfortunate for the students, too.

 

Easy Injun. No need to go hunting the Tro errr flaming lurkers, (ya thats it). Keep your composure, count to 10. Ah, to heck with it. Light the fuse girlee and let em have it

 

No worries, Chief. I don't pay any attention to trolls anyway.