swift and the lease purchase

Hey ya'll, I'm new here. I recently read all the threads from pg.1 - pg. 23. I found it to be extreemly interesting, and some what intertaining. I'd like to say right out the starting gate that I have a great deal to learn from this .com site. As a matter of fact I dought I can offer any assistance at the present time. I am here at present to learn as much as I can about L/O in hopes to become well informed with that future possibility. From what I have read it will be an uphill battle ( lots to take in and retain ). I plan on continuing my venture with the words of wisdom you kind folks have to offer and share. So without further adue I would like to say thank you in advance for any and all input.
I would like to offer just one small piece of advise to Scotties... There has been a great deal of negitivity concerning a partnership. Before you jump in, give it the ol smell test. I myself as well as many I have heard chime in appear to be in agreement. It's time to walk away. Open your sniffer and smell the smell. It STINKS.. So it must be S%$T..

 

That's exactly what I did. When we returned from our 3 week tour for hometime, I took all my stuff off his truck and went in and asked for the keys to a company truck. They said 2 week wait for trucks. Ended up signing a lease on a repoed truck. Over the months I have seen the guy in a couple of the terminals looking poor, depressed and disheveled as ever. I think that's just how he is though naturally.

I never took over his truck afterall. I signed my own lease for my own truck. When my financial windfall came through I executed my plan to purchase the truck outright. I'm doing OK for now but the next evolution for my business plan is to hire a team mate after the holidays here. I would like to use this guy's ideas for my business excepting that I do it all myself, not with partners. I would like to buy more trucks and have my own fleet leased on to Swift. Having enough trucks and good drivers, to where I can sit in my million dollar mansion's pool in one of those floating lounge chairs and drop anchor while sipping my ####tails with umbrellas and diamonds in the glass.

 

I wish u the best at getting good drivers and keeping them, that's one of the hardest thing you will encounter. You will find good drivers but after a while they start thinking y drive for you when they can get a truck and run for themselves, then you have they drivers that nobody wants because of their driving record, background etc, it will work out for you but that's just some of what you will have to deal with

 

Im glad i seen this page cause i start my orientation the first week of Jan and i was thinking about the lease program.

 

Why? Especially if you have no previous experience as a driver.

 

Just the kind of people the flease people at CRE and Swift can make all starry eyed and sign on the dotted line.

 

Anyone with aspirations toward leasing needs to read my blog.

I encourage everyone to get some time in the industry before signing a lease. One year at the bare minimum and only if you have previous experience running a business. Two years without previous business experience. Run your company truck like it's yours. Track fuel cost, find out what fixed payments would be, learn how IFTA works and add it all up against L/O pay. Doing this, you will find whether you can afford to lease and you will learn how the freight cycles will affect your business. You will be able to develop strategies to handle them.


There is a lot more to it than signing a piece of paper and driving a truck.

 

Best advice yet, young lady. I plan on tracking the numbers you mention above plus applying the info in your blog and running a simulation of a L/O operation from day one in the company truck when I go solo. At this moment the only reason I would consider lease is that for the first time in my life I am without a hound dog. I am well aware that is an entirely emotional factor that should be ignored in any business situation. (Yes, I have had my own business; unfortunately it was in residential construction specifically custom building and remodeling.) However, in addition to running my L/O simulation I will also be looking at the suitability of having a dog with me and especially whether it would be a good experience for both of us.
Frank

 

You shouldn't even be thinking about L/O focus on getting your experience, and know the ins and out of running the truck and the business,

 

I talk to a company driver yesterday that's planning to go L/O soon, and he said something that don't make no sense (but that's just what I thought). His plan is to lease for 4 yrs at the end instead of paying the baloon payment. He will just turn the truck in and lease another one for another 4yrs. What sense does that make all u doing is throwing your money away.

Know the ins and outs b4 u get into it...