Yet another lease question for OO's

Heres a real example of working less and making more since only a few guys on this thread know what that really is. I have been enjoying several days off at home right now before I go make another round making this kind of money.

I grossed 12,290 in 13 days driving 4801 loaded miles. My deadhead miles (driving empty) were approx 390.

My loaded mile revenue was 2.56 per mile and for all miles driven (5191) was about 2.37 per mile. These were all legal loads.

"I dont always drive 2500 miles a week but when I do, I am always profitable. Stay driving my friends"

 

The first poster in this thread said lease operators would be better off being company drivers.
I am paying off a truck and making money doing it. Could I be making more? Yes I could and I will once the title is in my hand. I added up all my little pay settlements so far this year and they totaled about $98,300 so far since the first of the year. While I am not on forced dispatch I am pretty much expected to take what is given to me but I say no every so often and I have always gotten something better when I have done that. I have yet to be punished for it or starved for miles when I have done it. Been in this program 21 months so far with 25 to go before the lease is finished. While I probably don't take off as much as you do I do take a lot more than company drivers are able to. I took off 2 weeks in July, 2 weeks in September and 2 weeks in November and normally take off about 4 or 5 days every month besides the ones I mentioned above.

 

I am getting paid $1.00 a mile plus fuel surcharge on loaded miles and .90 a mile plus fuel surcharge on empty miles. This week fuel surcharge was .45 per mile. I did have $113.75 for detention pay this week which brought my revenue up a bit where it averaged $1.49 like you mentioned. I started using Rutherford's fuel gauges about 103,000 miles ago and I have averaged $.49 per mile as a fuel cost.

 

This is called "The Business Model". Well done, sir.

Sadly, too many see "Pie In The Sky" images and scramble just to meet the lease payment.

 

I have a couple questions. When drivers lease the truck do they have the option to find good paying loads or do they have dispatchers tell them what loads they have to take? If they are told what loads they need to take, how is this different from a company driver? Can they run their log book anyway they want or are they required to have a computer in the truck? Is there a large benefit in lease purchasing a tractor over saving money to straight up buy or finance a truck? It just seems like too sweet of a deal for trucking companies. The largest battle in running a trucking company is the actual costs of running the trucks, fuel, maintance,tolls, unforeseen problems,etc. with leasing the trucks don't the companies clean their hands of these problems? Or do the companies still pay this and just collect payments from the drivers?

 

Look, I'm not beating anyone up for doing lease purchase. Just trying to inspire you to think out of the box. Hats off to you guys who somehow pull it off thru grits, determination, and business sense. I leased my truck to a company paying 95 cpm plus surcharge and it broke my ###. If I had been smart when I bought this truck 3 years ago I would have leased at a company paying fair rates like Landstar, and maybe broke even or better those first couple of years. Hindsight is always 20/20. I made excuses for the old company on here too when deep down I knew the awful truth that 95 cents plus surcharge was to highway to stress and the poorhouse. I was inspired by others here getting spot rates. The tipping point was when, I think it was cowmobile pointed out how stupid it was that I as the owner paying all the big expenses had to ask the company I was leased to and give 2 weeks notice if I wanted to take more time off than the usual weekends. Really, that is ridiculous.. now when i burn out I go home and answer to no-one.. I figure there are several o/o and LP drivers in here at deadend buck a mile leases that could do so much better for themselves than that. Cell phones,laptops, and some business sense there are so many tools available that give an owner working spot a leg up.. it is just crazy to allow these companies to keep $1, $1.50 or more above the chicken scratch they are paying you and they certainly don't operate their trucks at rates like that. The fuel discounts,free plates and whatnot are only a few pennies on the mile, certainly not worth the buck they make off you...again,not bashing, just trying to inspire others the same way I was. All it takes is some nerve...

 

I also work for a mega company and I'm thinking about leasing a truck with them at $140 a week and pick my own loads from there load board. They pay a % of the gross revenue. I can run where and when I want by picking what I want on my laptop. So you see I control my pay check not them. If I take that other l/p plan they have I wouldn't be able to pick my own loads,they will be handle them to me. That's like being a company driver by telling you where to go and when for 87cpm. I don't like that plan at all, so that why I'm going for the load board % plan. Let me control me and my money.

 

I don't like to see the guys/gals actually doing the work to risk so much with overhead while the companies keep the guaranteed money. I'm sure some programs are decent although I've been searching around, haven't found anything that really resembles o/o rates or privileges.

 

CRST Malone lease purchase doesn't seem so bad apart from the expense of leasing the truck and trailer. Those guys can negotiate loads and pick spot off loadboards but unless the loadboard stuff is really good Malone's percentage is too high for that. They are the only LP I have seen that MIGHT get some rates.

 

Are there restrictions on what you can do to the truck? Do they lease all kinds of trucks? (pete,kw,western star) Logs done on your own or do they require computers?