Prime’d And Ready To Go

Sounds like things are going well, congrats so far.

Really happy for you that you like your trainer makes things go so much smoother. These last few days we'll probably seem much longer with your anticipation of going solo. If I don't call my trainer every 3 or 4 days or at least text him he's calling to find out if everything's okay. I really feel bad for those that had a tough time personally or professionally with their trainer. Keep trucking, I'm waiting to get loaded and it's nap time...

Well, it’s official. I ended my training finally with around 34k miles and have gone thru the upgrade process. That said, looking back at those miles is just a blur really. I had a great trainer that let me show him what I already knew, and then taught me what I didn’t. Safety and patience are paramount! Never let yourself get rushed cause that is another opportunity for an accident or injury. For those wondering, I did take a bigger leap after training, I decided to put a lot of prior experience and my college to use and i went Lease Operator..... I went to the dark side cause they had cookies AND milk!!!

For those wondering, I did take a bigger leap after training, I decided to put a lot of prior experience and my college to use and i went Lease Operator..... I went to the dark side cause they had cookies AND milk!!!

OMG, let me take a big guess at why you would make such a leap...

You let your trainer influence your decision.

Can you deny it?

Surely your statement about "prior experience and college" can't be your true reasons. Those are the very reasons that allow me to see the folly of leasing.

Honestly, I hope you do real well, but you just remind me of the one thing that always surprises me about the work we do here at Trucking Truth. It's the strangest thing... everybody loves our advice, and soak it in like they're a sponge - they think we are sooo smart and helpful. But, when it comes to our advice against leasing or owning a truck, they think we have lost our marbles.

Seriously, we hope the best for you, but I have to tell you, I think it's a boneheaded move for a rookie driver to take. Actually I don't think it's a very smart move for any driver to take.

Yeah, we're all terribly disappointed to hear you got suckered into leasing. Whomever talked you into it just got a big, fat paycheck as a referral bonus! Good for them! Of course they basically stole it from you because you're almost certainly going to make a whole lot less and have a lot more stress than you would have as a company driver, but I guess that's what learning is all about sometimes.

I totally agree with Old School, of course. If you had learned anything in college you would know to stay away from a commodity business as an owner. You would also know that when you're brand new to something that is very complex and dangerous you don't instantly dive into the deep end. You move in slowly and methodically, learning as you go before taking bigger chances.

There are two lessons people always learn from leasing:

1) They should have listened to us, because......

2) Revenues and profits are not the same thing

I'll give you one tip......for a short time, maybe the first two or three months, you're going to think you're making a killing. I suggest you don't say much to anyone about it because the reality is going to set in over the next few months. People get real excited in the beginning and start saying things like, "I'm swimming in a river of money!!!" Then a few months later they begin to learn the difference between the money you make and the money you keep.

We do wish you the very best of luck though. We just hate seeing people come straight out of school and getting suckered into things before they can understand how the industry really works.

I decided to put a lot of prior experience and my college to use and i went Lease Operator.....

That’s total hillarious. You have no experience as an OTR trucker. Spotting trailers in the confines of a yard does not qualify as previous experience running your own truck.

My 32 years in business have taught me NOT to attempt the direct opposite of the advice offered by professionals far more experienced and wiser than me.

College? I was taught to build a business plan and understand operating expenses and the amount of revenue needed to turn a profit before making any commitment or signing any contract. That’s how you justify and support a prudent business decision, void of emotion and the hope of good times.

Apparently I went to a different school than you.

Good luck.

Well, if anything, we definitely see the standards coming out here now. I didn’t just get out of high school here gentlemen, and no, my trainer had very little to do with my decision. I understand revenue, profit n loss, expenses, let alone that by rights, starting a business, can take Years To truly profit, not weeks or even months. One of the other factors here that give me a kind of fail safe, this is a contract that I can back out of whenever with no penalty. Putting my money in places other than they suggest, sees that I wouldn’t lose much if any large amount of cash in the event I walk away. IF there would of been further losses should I choose to walk away, I would likely not have gone Lease immediately. That said, this all probably should be in a different thread at this point, but thank you to EVERYONE who helped me out, the forums, and the High Road System which worked out great. Everyone remember to be patient, and stay safe!

The standards are simple and easy to understand, L/O for an entry level driver is a huge, misguided mistake.

When is the Right Time to Become a Lease Operator

This link is more for those who believe you made the right decision...for you, it’s obvious that you know better.

I already wished you luck...

Everyone remember to be patient..

....says the guy who immediately went from being a student to being a business owner, against the strong recommendations of a fleet of highly experienced professionals in the field.

Is that what you call patience?

Well, if anything, we definitely see the standards coming out here now

Actually that has been our standard from day one. I'm not sure why you're now just seeing it, or choosing to ignore it.

One of the other factors here that give me a kind of fail safe, this is a contract that I can back out of whenever with no penalty

No "penalty" doesn't mean you can't lose a mountain of cash in the process. As a company driver you could have expected to make $50k your first year with that company. Say you make $30k in profit by leasing your first year. You've lost $20k that you'll never get back.

You mentioned you might go years without turning a profit. I'll say this - you definitely have the exact mindset of someone they're hoping will lease a truck from them. Why pay a company driver $50k their first year and then $55k - $65k for the next two? What if, instead, you can talk someone into leasing a truck from you, making all the payments for you with interest, taking all the risk for you, and guaranteeing you some easy, risk free profits?

Why do you think they offer to lease people a truck in the first place? If you were going to make more money by leasing the truck from them than you would being a company driver then they wouldn't have offered you that opportunity in the first place.

Oh well. It's not the end of the world. It's just going to be an expensive lesson in business. It'll be like paying for your education instead of getting paid for it. That's what most people do anyhow.

I have been following your Journey Squirelly and I congratulate you on getting thru the training. GOOD LUCK with LEASING and in your continuing journey.