The Hunt for an Ok Lease Program

The 2003 engine is a single turbo C-15, pre-emission, that will give better service and get better fuel mileage.

The 2005 will be an Acert twin turbo, that is prone to some problems, especially around the exhaust and turbo areas, or at least that is what I have been reading from the owners of these engines.

It seems the consensus is that of the Acert twin turbos, the BSX serial number engines are the better. This may be true, for as I have posted in other threads, I just came off a 5200 mile trip where I averaged 6.4 MPG in all kinds of weather, pulling heavy and medium loads, in desert, and big mountains, and a good bit of idling.

This truck has over 1.1 million miles on the supposedly original drivetrain, and did not use any oil. This was a 2005, C-15, 475.

 

Thanks Stranger,

I thought I was right about the 2003 part.

IROC,

how big is the sleeper and what are the spec's? Also, do you plan on going Landstar or leasing on?

KH

 

Specs? Like which specs?

The one I like is the 04 its an 18 spd 475 c-15 3.36 with 70" ultra sleeper

 

I failed to notice you asked about whom I am leasing on to. Short answer is while my goal is to be on landstar I need to get expierence as an owner op before I move to that stage. My short list of companies I am considering leasing on to is Panther, schneider, Heartland, landspan, ATS, parkland, pacesetter, or interstate. I am currently researching panther as I believe I would like the expedited life style but that's not looking likely to pan out. They seem to have serious freight volume issues.

 

I did a stint with panther and all in all not bad gotta have a nationwide pager or cell and your right there friegt is alot of automotive stuff and things that are time related to production. Alot of manf. that miss a reg ship and have late parts use them to get there late parts there quickly. so with alot of manf. down there frieght will be. But you can use brokers with them if you get in a bad area for them to get out. Or you could when i was there. I wound up using brokers more then there frieght because i didnt like to sit. They used 1st in 1st out and alot of times there might be 25 or 30 people in the same area in differant size trucks. and you better be ready to go when you have the hours cause once you get a dispatch they are watching where you are and the time it will take you to get there and if they think you cant make it they will pull you off it enroute to it. I know it happened to me. It was an ok place to work. I would have liked it more from a straight truck or van rather then a tractor. but it could be diff now that was like 8 years ago. Good Luck to you.

 

IROC,

See my pm on heartland. Other than that good luck.

Hunter

 

Why can't you just get your plates and use them all?

 

Let me save you a headache. Panther is veeery slow right now. I talked to one of their drivers in Georgia last week who was asking me about coming here. Anyway.... the guy said he'd been sitting with no load at all for nearly three weeks.

 

I'm not comfortable taking the entire plunge just yet Pharm. The plan is to lease on for a year then decide if I am ready to go to land star. I have as of an hour ago scratched Panther. I am now waiting on Schneider to deny me, before looking at Crete.

The ultimate goal is to start my own co, with a fleet of trucks and drive Werner out of business lol... but baby steps for now!

 

Run Werner out of biz! LOL that would be great.

You know, I worry that there is something really major I am missing with the attraction to these lease-on deals (when you bring your own truck or financing). I've looked at a bunch and they all seem to be around 90 cpm. The brokers even with the bad paying loads are still at least $1.50 or so, which a lot complain about. But I just don't see how the plate and discounts make up for 60+ cents for EVERY mile you drive. I mean the point of going with your own authority is to make more, not less of course. So even if it was about the same in the end, no big deal right? At least you have options and can expand and use other companies to supplement. You're not at anyone's mercy.

The broker I'm going with for instance, will even do a form of dedicated lanes if I "volunteer" to enter a form of reasonable forced dispatch to keep it. I promise to run it all and they promise to keep me busy.

Anyway I'll know a lot more in a couple months I'm sure!