If Your a Lease driver for ATS please read...

[Trk_driver_NC]

Hey guys just wondering how the lease program is? i have heard some good and some bad but not from any driver that is doing the program. So if you are in the lease program please give me the pro's and the con's.. Thank you in advance..

[marcel27208]

all lease purchase programs are no good!

[Jumbo]

I talked to one of their recruiters on the phone recently. Their numbers do not add up for me. But, You can lease a USED truck. So you can lease a truck that some other driver already let go back.

[Orangetxguy]

You can buy a good used truck far cheaper than you can lease a decent used truck.

You can work where you want too.

[Windwalker]

Many, if not most, of the lease-purchase programs that the companies have is a way of PREYING on drivers that do not have enough credit to buy their own from a dealer. Buy your own truck from a dealer with your own financing, and you are not under contract. That does not mean they may not try to starve you out of your truck, but if the settlements don't match expenses (including your pay), you are free to move on.

For the drivers that are not able to get the financing to buy their own, the companies let them keep on dreaming about ownership. But, when you look at the numbers, in order to make the payments and escrows, you can not afford any home time. You are MARRIED to the truck. So, if you have no wife or family, and nowhere that it's important for you to be, it could work out. But, in order to make the payments and meet the commitments, you have to run and run hard. If not, you go deeper into a hole.

Back when Burlington was in business, they were selling their old tractors on a lease/purchase plan. No money down. Frightliner cab-overs, with Detroits that only ran 72 mph, with no engine brake were being "sold" for $35,000. Most of them had over 500K on the odometer. Make the payments over a two year period, and have a $9,000 buy-out at the end. But, guess what... If you got your own financing anc bought one of them on your own, the price tag was only $13,000.

For the most part, lease/purchase is a gimmick to make you run all the harder. You have a dream, and they make you work all the harder to try to achieve that dream. Where as a company driver, you would be happy to run 2,500 to 3,000 a week, as a lease operator, you are more likely to run 3,500 to 3,800 miles a week. Same logic as the "TEAM-TRAINING". More miles, more freight, and more momey for the company. And, in many cases, it really does not matter to them what happens to you.

That's not saying all companies will do this, but to one degree or another, most do. Does ATF do this? I really don't know, but look at their numbers from this aspect. Look beyond simply owning the truck. What are you going to have to do in order to get a decent paycheck.

[GMAN]

If you find a good company to drive for and save your money you can buy your own truck and pay much less than if you get into one of those fleece purchase programs. If you only save $100 out of every paycheck you will have a nice piece of cash toward a good down payment on a truck in a year or two. If you are thrifty and have little debt then you may be able to save $200-300 per week or more. If this is something you really want then you should be willing to apply yourself and sacrifice what you must to achieve your goal. If you lease a truck you don't own it. You merely make the payments. If you go through a leasing company then you could eventually own it or turn it back in to the leasing company. Buying is much better than leasing. You eventually build some equity when you buy. With leasing you don't build any equity. The only way to have equity with them is to pay the lease out. Some leases you will never be able to pay out. You simply turn the equipment back in to the leasing company.

[mdgardner963]

99.95% of the time he is right its fleecing of your cash.. WEL has a true purchase program its one of the few honest ones you can get a truck with 50 to 125k miles and take 58 months to purchase no balloon at the end final payment its yours. then at the end you can go or stay choice is yours.

But here is the problem i have with a lease purchase.. lets say you purchase at 100k and drive it for 6 years and lets say you average 125k a year ( most of the time its 150k yr) at 6 years 750k miles + 100k = 850k now you have to think about dumping it and buying another truck its a cycle.

Now plan 2 save 250. per week as a company driver 13500 a year for 5 years thats 65k you can purchase a nice truck with 100k to 200 k in miles and take care of it you can make it last until it dies. put 100 in the bank each week and you will be able to purchase again after that one dies. its all about taking care of you money.. i have seen some trucks go to 1.3 and then do a inframe. cost vs age vs repairs. research it plenty of drivers who own there truck will talk to you but only a few will be honest like the person who posted this quote.

Many, if not most, of the lease-purchase programs that the companies have is a way of PREYING on drivers that do not have enough credit to buy their own from a dealer. Buy your own truck from a dealer with your own financing, and you are not under contract. That does not mean they may not try to starve you out of your truck, but if the settlements don't match expenses (including your pay), you are free to move on.

For the drivers that are not able to get the financing to buy their own, the companies let them keep on dreaming about ownership. But, when you look at the numbers, in order to make the payments and escrows, you can not afford any home time. You are MARRIED to the truck. So, if you have no wife or family, and nowhere that it's important for you to be, it could work out. But, in order to make the payments and meet the commitments, you have to run and run hard. If not, you go deeper into a hole.

Back when Burlington was in business, they were selling their old tractors on a lease/purchase plan. No money down. Frightliner cab-overs, with Detroits that only ran 72 mph, with no engine brake were being "sold" for $35,000. Most of them had over 500K on the odometer. Make the payments over a two year period, and have a $9,000 buy-out at the end. But, guess what... If you got your own financing anc bought one of them on your own, the price tag was only $13,000.

For the most part, lease/purchase is a gimmick to make you run all the harder. You have a dream, and they make you work all the harder to try to achieve that dream. Where as a company driver, you would be happy to run 2,500 to 3,000 a week, as a lease operator, you are more likely to run 3,500 to 3,800 miles a week. Same logic as the "TEAM-TRAINING". More miles, more freight, and more momey for the company. And, in many cases, it really does not matter to them what happens to you.

That's not saying all companies will do this, but to one degree or another, most do. Does ATF do this? I really don't know, but look at their numbers from this aspect. Look beyond simply owning the truck. What are you going to have to do in order to get a decent paycheck.