ode to sheepdancer

[Sheepdancer]

let me add something before I get the "recruiters are paid to much" messages.
Our top driver made more than me last year...and I would bet our bottom recruiter made less than our bottom driver last year.
Also want to say again, that drivers are also paid a higher commission than me to recruit.

[Mezagog]

So sheep, whats your policy on training, and running west? Do you take total newbs, all the family is in the west. Do you do Regional stuff? I want to be an O/O someday, but not with a lease purchase, with all of the research I have done I have found that only 8% of leased O/O's with their carrier actually make it. Some blame dispatchers, some blame the industry. All be it that is actually walking around the Truck stops talking to people. In the area of full disclosure I did not find one O/O lease purchase from JB. Been researching this for the last two years and my wife and I have had open dialog about this subject. So I have family support on this transition.

Ok, my hijacking the thread is over, sorry if this offended anyone

[Sheepdancer]

So sheep, whats your policy on training, and running west? Do you take total newbs, all the family is in the west. Do you do Regional stuff? I want to be an O/O someday, but not with a lease purchase, with all of the research I have done I have found that only 8% of leased O/O's with their carrier actually make it. Some blame dispatchers, some blame the industry. All be it that is actually walking around the Truck stops talking to people. In the area of full disclosure I did not find one O/O lease purchase from JB. Been researching this for the last two years and my wife and I have had open dialog about this subject. So I have family support on this transition.

Ok, my hijacking the thread is over, sorry if this offended anyone

I would agree with you, if you have the ability to buy your own truck and you have good credit, its much better to lease on your truck than lease purchase. Our % pay plan for Owner Ops is working out very well for drivers.

Yes a lot of people dont make it in lease purchase. It isnt for everyone. But keep in mind. About just as many dont make it owning their own truck. Again, it isnt for everyone. One advantage of our lease purchase that I think makes it better than most, Is that you have an option of walking away every 3 months. If you fianance a truck through a dealer and then find out that owning is not for you, unless you can find someone to take over those payments, you are stuck. I have been here long enough to have seen quite a few drivers who made it through lease purchase. In fact one of my very first hires is now about half way though his second lease truck. He has a buddy driving his one that is paid for. The secret to making lease purhcase work and I have got this from drivers who have succeeded on it. Stay out on the road, run very very hard, even though its no force dispatch, never turn down a load. Even though its flexible hometime and you can stay or go home anytime you want...dont. And the most important tip for making lease purchase work. After you have been on it for a few months and your fleet manager sees that you are a good driver. He will ask you if you want to be put on the performance board. SAY YES! You will get a lot more per mile, A lot more miles. You will no longer be no forced dispatch (you shouldnt turn down loads anyway) and isntead of being out 2 weeks at a time, you will most likely be out 3 to 4 weeks at a time. Not every driver gets asked to be on that board. You have to prove yourself to the fleet manager. You have to show him that you care more about making money than going home. And you have to show the FM that you can handle maximum miles without having service failures. Those are the guys who do very well at lease purchase. I usually ask the drivers that call me and are interested in LP this question. " Say you have been out on the road 16 days, you are 50 miles from home. Your FM sends you a choice. Take your hometime or take this hot load to the other side of the country...Which do you do?" If the driver says, "Take the load"...I know he has a good chance of making LP work.

West coast is pretty tough. We do run 48 states, but most of our freight is east of 1-35. We do have loads going to the west coast but honestly...I have drivers in LA that run 48 states and those loads will always go to them first to get them home. Im not saying that you would never get to run the west, but its not like you would be able to go there anytime you want. Also, you might get over there and be there for a while running I-5 until they can find something else going back east. In other words volenteering to run the west coast is great for getting the miles. Its bad if you are a driver that likes to get home. Volenteer to run west and you might get stuck over there for a couple of weeks.
No we dont hire people fresh out of school, 3 months minimum. Or 6 weeks with a major carrier and I can put you with a trainer.

[Mezagog]

Thank you for the information

[davemaes]

Hey Sheepdancer, Does JB have dedicated runs for someone living in northern lower Mi.

[Sheepdancer]

Yes, but they dont open up for hire too often. Its probably been about 6 months since Ive seen a dedicated job open up there. However, you really never know....one could open up today.