The Anderson Lease thread - redux.

I completed my lease end of May 10, and kept the truck an extra week, while all the job offers I was looking for came through. I held out for the one I wanted.

I am confident that I would have done better my second year than I did my first. I know where the ATS freight is, where to position myself at the end of the week, what crap to deal with from your FM, and when to stand your ground, on and on. I was set for months to take my Class 1 test, and decided not to for three reasons: 1) I knew I wasn't staying with ATS except as a last resort and 2) I was a "Class 1" when I filled out the friggin app. They just refuse to recognize real experience except in certain cases and 3) all the Class 2 loads I pulled were a nightmare. Plus the hoops they make you jump through for a 13' 7" load are unreal.

But that much time gone on general freight is simply not necessary in real life, only in lease programs, so I left after completeing my lease +1 week. I could just never seem to get any hometime at all without having to get hammered for 2 weeks afterward. I know that trucking does not have to be that way, period.

Had I signed another lease, I'd have changed FM's and swtiched to percentage.

Ryan was great to deal with at Cloud (I would not recommend Tom), and they treated me very well the Friday I turned the truck in.

I'm back at my old company, as a company driver for the time being with the agreement to look at buying this truck later on.

In a 4 axle tractor.

We're supposed to be pretty busy this year in wind.

Here's what happens at lease completion:

Let Competitive Leaseing know 48 hours in advance you want to turn the truck in. Talk to Ryan. He's nice. Tom is not, and he has a funny shaped head. Like an alien.

Let your FM know...whenever. Chances are they cut into your accessorial pay more times than you can count anyway, so don't feel like you're losing a friend. They certainly don't.

When you show up in Cloud, clean the interior of the truck. Clean all the grime off of things, and vacuum the floor. No need to go nuts. They're looking for serviceability, not show truck.

Fix what you can yourself. I had a chip in the windshield. I bought a Bullseye Repair Kit from NAPA for 12 bucks. No chip, no charge.

Ryan himself told me not to bother washing the truck. They just don't care about that.

Upon a quick visual inspection, I had to sign another inspection form like you did at orientation, noting any damage, etc. I had front end damage from a deer strike last fall. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CLAIM NUMBER. Write the claim number next to the noted damage.

They had me drive the truck to West, then get the shuttle back to Opportunity to get my check for my completion bonus. Based on 51 weeks (I kept the truck and extra week, remember those 2 free ones?) I got 3264.xx on the spot.

Your other monies are held for up to 45 days pending claims, or whatever.

I had a claim on my LAST LOAD. At the LAST STOP on the LAST LOAD. A piece of something must have flown up and hit the windshield of the Case tractor. Great. Let's hope that claims reduction insurance works it's magic.

I'll let you know what my reserve and maintenance end up being after all is said and done. They took ZERO for deductions out of my last settlement, and I got a pretty bad vibe from that, but we'll see.