Been Debating Trying Lease Op With Western Express.

I know how everyone feels about the o/o and l/o thing n I've been thinking about it for awhile. Honestly the only thing keeping me from making the jump is that I'm too lazy to do it right and I would lose my shirt.

Something nobody ever mentions though is the satisfaction of just owning the truck. People define success in many different ways, here on the forum there was the debate about FedEx, I think it was Banks that started it, not being happy with the run and others chimed in saying they would love those runs. They define thier satisfaction in different ways. Success is the same way. Some people might be perfectly happy with just owning the truck even if they do make less than a company driver. Others might not feel the same way.

It is a fact that top tier company drivers can make the same or better than 99 percent of o/o and l/o. So if money is your straight driving force then yes by all means stay a company driver. Your chances of being successful and making money are way better. If you are a risk taker and money doesn't mean all that much, you just want to own your truck then by all means give it a shot. Just dont be shocked if you happen to make less than a company driver. Theres no shame in that.

I'm sure some are familiar with Kevin Rutherford's show on the " Road Dog" Trucking channel on SiriusXM. When he gets a caller asking about Leasing. He always responds with - (I'm paraphrasing) " Why do you want to drive for a company for free?" i.e. you would be paying the company to work for them through the lease payment. I've noticed that Rutherford has his supporters and critics. Since I drive mainly at night sometime I'll catch the reply of his show when I can't find anything else of interest to listen to. Being a Owner Operator or Lease Owner - Heck even a small trucking company- is going to become tougher in the next couple of months / years.

Something nobody ever mentions though is the satisfaction of just owning the truck

What nobody LIKES to mention is the DISSATISFACTION of not being able to afford to make the payments and repairs then having to walk away BEFORE owning the truck.

Something nobody ever mentions though is the satisfaction of just owning the truck

What nobody LIKES to mention is the DISSATISFACTION of not being able to afford to make the payments and repairs then having to walk away BEFORE owning the truck.

Yep. "I eat baloney and beans every day, haven't been off in 5 months, my credit is shot, but look at that pretty truck! I'm my own boss, too!"

Something nobody ever mentions though is the satisfaction of just owning the truck

What nobody LIKES to mention is the DISSATISFACTION of not being able to afford to make the payments and repairs then having to walk away BEFORE owning the truck.

Yep. "I eat baloney and beans every day, haven't been off in 5 months, my credit is shot, but look at that pretty truck! I'm my own boss, too!"

You joke but im sure there are people out there who that would be great for. Although I would say if the credit is shot they aren't successful. Im talking about the business owners who are in the black, but they aren't making as much as they could be if they were to work for a company. The driver that makes 30 or 45k and owns his truck could be very satisfied with that and that would be successful too. More money, while nice, doesnt always mean your satisfied.

It was not a joke.

If I'm going to be out here for the same amount of hours or miles, I'm going where I can get rewarded the most, benefits and/or money. Extra stress by worrying about everything a company takes care of for me anyway? I don't see it as satisfying.

It was not a joke.

If I'm going to be out here for the same amount of hours or miles, I'm going where I can get rewarded the most, benefits and/or money. Extra stress by worrying about everything a company takes care of for me anyway? I don't see it as satisfying.

Exactly what I mean though. You want the nice steady paychecks, the benefits of working for a company. That is higher on your priority list than owning a truck and figuring all the back office stuff out. There are people out there who don't really want or need to make a ton of money that just want to own the truck. As long as they're still in the black they might not care if they make 30k or 80k a year.

There are people out there who don't really want or need to make a ton of money that just want to own the truck. As long as they're still in the black they might not care if they make 30k or 80k a year.

I see those guys all the time. I saw one of them near Macon, Georgia on the shoulder of the interstate. He was lying on his back under his tractor. I could see his starter lying on the ground in front of the tractor. There he was in the blazing sun changing out his starter motor. I felt for him - I just didn't have time to stop and help. I saw another one down in Davie, Florida at the 595 truck stop. His oil pan, a burnt piston, and various other parts were laying beside the tractor. He was up under the tractor trying to get the new piston in place. His truck appeared to have been parked there for some time. I even saw one in Riverdale, New Jersey trying to do major repair work while parked on a customer's property!

Each of them looked very satisfied. They owned a big rig! Big deal - they own something that depreciates faster than a regular automobile. Their investment is gone and they are paying dearly jut to keep working. You claim they are satisfied with 30K, when they could be making three times that easily. That's not the way I would ever define "satisfaction." I don't know, maybe the Rolling Stones owned some big rigs. Mick Jagger used to sing, "I can't get no satisfaction!"

Right! My goals and ambitions are a wee bit higher than a C minus. Some people have reached their zenith about 6,000 feet below the peak. That ain't me.

Some people have reached their zenith about 6,000 feet below the peak.

That was classic! You definitely got a chuckle out of me!