I Need A Good Trucking Company To Go Where They Do Not Lie To You HELP !

10 year military, me too only more whoopee. What has that got to do with the price of cheese in China? Yep I said young and you are under 30 right? I sure wish people would quit trying to use the military card, we volunteered.

Indy and Squid, Yes I came off kinda harsh (the older I get the less patience I have) but that is what it takes at times to get through to people. YOU are the one responsible for what happens and still blaming the company as that makes you feel better. But EVERY time someone gets into this situation it is the company's fault. If you had even read any of the trucking forums you would have learned that leasing is BAD. You did not do your research very well and that is on you Squid. Did you even talk to any of the lease drivers at the company before you signed? I'll bet that you folded under the pressure at orientation.

Oh well, what is done is done, now you have to give us more info on how you get out of it. Not what they told you but what is written in your lease agreement.

I am probably the biggest proponent to owning your own truck but I am with everyone else when it comes to leasing. It is a bad bad idea. I am even for buying a used truck that is older. I have seen how much maintenance an older truck requires. The truck I drove up until a couple of months ago was 21 years old and still going strong and only in the shop twice all of last year. They just moved me into a heavier truck or I would still be driving it. When I am ready financially, I will be purchasing my own truck despite what others think here.

pat, you are kinda harsh. You like to downgrade people to make yourself appear more intelligent. It's ok, I stated my military history to show you I was not young. I told you I was new to the industry, and when it comes to china, it's rice, not cheese you goof. That said, I looked on this site for information regarding places that would give me a start, which TA has, however there was no mention of leasing during any communication between myself and the people I talked to. Ultimately the fault is mine,yes. And I am looking over the contract now to see where I stand. If you are under the impression everyone knows about everything this site offers you couldn't be wrong. One last thing, since you had more WHOOPIE than I did, perhaps you could remember to keep it a little more proffessional when replying to posts. Thanks all the same, to everyone for the input.

Honestly most of the big truck companies are the same. I work for one and they keep trying to tell me that their top rate of pay is .32 a mile. Ive been suckered too. Also if you are getting close to 3000 a week that is good. With this company I'm lucky to get 2000.

Squidly66, we all make mistakes don't beat your self up over it . You will need to get creative and thing out of the box now.

Albeit it a bit late but now is the time to start gathering your knowledge about your lease:

Is it opened ended or closed ended?

What is the term?

What is the residual?

Can you jump ship and move to another company or go completely independent and book your own loads?

Do you make the payments directly to the lease company or does your company take it out of the proceeds?

What is the truck actually worth vs what you owe?

Is there any wiggle room in there to get out of the lease or sell it ?

Anything you can find out about it may open up possibilities but unless your lucky your going to have to get very creative. Your Credit will take a hit but look into having your someone in your family purchase the lease at discount I by no means know the trucking industry but I do know business and have dealt with lease companies over the years . There is a way out if you study your lease and get creative.

Please clarify,

You mentioned your getting 3k miles per week I fail to understand. Are the loads not paying enough to cover expenses? If not perhaps your traveling too far and burning your profits in fuel. If that's the case you'll need to figure a way to maximize profits per load or is it that you have decided you don't like the lifestyle?

Squidly66 we all make mistakes don't beat your self up over it . You will need to get creative and thing out of the box now Albeit it a bit late but now is the time to start gathering your knowledge about your lease. Is it opened ended or closed ended ? what is the term ? What is the residual ? Can you jump ship and move to another company or go completely independent and book your own loads ? Do you make the payments directly to the lease company or does your company take it out of the proceeds? What is the truck actually worth vs what you owe ? Is there any wiggle room in there to get out of the lease or sell it ? Anything you can find out about it may open up possibilities but unless your lucky your going to have to get very creative . your Credit will take a hit but look into having your someone in your family purchase the lease at discount I by no means know the trucking industry but I do know business and have dealt with lease companies over the years . There is a way out if you study your lease and get creative. Please clarify ,You mentioned your getting 3k miles per week I fail to understand .Are the loads not paying enough to cover expenses ? If not perhaps your traveling too far and burning your profits it fuel . If that's the case you'll need to figure a way to maximize profits per load or is it that you have decided you don't like the lifestyle

I just spent 2 hours reading the lease, I do not see these terms people are talking about. Exit clauses or anything describing how the process works if you decide you aren't happy . They pay .84 cpm plus fuel surcharges, as long as you use ther fuel plan. Is this good ? Anyway I called leasing and left a message regarding this and the possibilities of just going to be a company driver. Waiting to hear back.

Without more information on the lease terms and the questions asked earlier, it's difficult to make suggestions As for .84 per mile there are folks more qualified on this forum to tell you that. I'm just getting into the trucking industry as a second career and haven't achieved rookie statics yet Just tossing some numbers around in my head I would think if that isn't a net figure then your really upside down Unless you can get out or sell out of your lease Your going to have to rethink your position and change your frame of mine , >your a trucking company now not a driver you may have to grow yourself out of this by obtaining more trucks and even if it's a hotshot type straight truck and offsetting your liability on this lease until it runs out its a bold move but I know it can be done There is a way to turn this into a positive but it will take some doing and getting aggressive on your part Good luck to you

84 cents a mile plus fuel surcharges is pretty low, unless the fuel surcharges are a lot higher than I get, or your fixed costs are a lot lower. On a 3000 mile week, I usually generate about $3200 - $4500 in revenue, which works out to a net (before taxes!) of somewhere between $400 and $2000. The greater spread in net (before taxes!) and revenue is due to the wide variability in variable costs - mostly fuel, but also including tolls, repairs, maintenance, etc.

Our fuel surcharge varies by week, depending on the current fuel prices. It just dropped again this week, but it has only varied in a range of about 12 cents low (now) to high (last fall) during the time I've been driving. It doesn't add a huge amount to the bottom line, but it definitely counts.

And all told, the fuel surcharge doesn't pay for all your fuel costs, at least not where I am. I still end up paying a net of 5 to 25 cents per mile for fuel, depending on fuel economy and fuel prices. I'm very happy when it's under 10 cpm for the week.

The line (pay for the load itself) varies too, and pretty significantly. I'm on a cheap load now from Colorado to Florida, just under a dollar a mile (including fuel surcharge) since I'm hauling steel west to east. That would suck, but I know when I come back east to west I'll get somewhere closer to $1.50 - $2.00 per mile. My average revenue to the truck is about $1.40 per mile, last I checked. I'm guessing your average revenue to the truck is somewhere around a dollar a mile.

Reefer is the opposite - loads west to east pay a lot more than east to west, since it's food going to where the population is, instead of manufactured goods going from where there are lots of factories to where there are a lot fewer.

Fuel is your biggest controllable cost. I have no idea if the flat rate bit in your lease is common, but I don't think I'd go for that.

Bottom line is you signed the lease, and now you want out. That is governed by the papers you signed, so if it's not clear to you, it might be worth spending a couple hundred bucks on a lawyer for some help understanding what your options are. If they'll let you out of the lease to go company with little or nothing owed to them from the lease, that's great. If they fight you on that, then it might be time to pay the lawyer.

Hindsight is 20/20. I understand the venting earlier. Its normal. Just don't let the quite natural desire to blame whoever persuaded you to sign the lease become a habit of thought. I doubt anyone who works for a guy who owns an olive oil importing business held a gun to your head to get you to sign it. "Let the buyer beware" is a saying that is at least 2000 years old, and sometimes the hardest part of being a buyer is saying "No thanks" and walking away.