and still get bent over w/o lube in the process

No chance- He's in the witless protection program

Then why am I upside down times 3 when in March of 06 I had over 50% equity in each property?

I can't tell anybody to buy a home in this economy. You might as well buy a truck, you can live in it too.

While not being a new concept in the trucking industry, I believe it's the first time I've heard of it being applied to a driver/lease operator.

When M S Carriers bought out ITC of A, the owners had to sign a "non-competition clause. One of the guys that had a 1/3 interest in the company gave the money to his wife, She started the new company, her name was on everything as the owner, and he simply answered the phones. M S Carriers found out about it, and the guy had to repay M S Carriers a few million dollars. By answering the phones, he was working for a competing company. Even though his wife owns it.

I don't know if it can be enforced or not. Obviously, it's an attempt to make the drivers stay with Swift. But, to sign something like that would be cutting your own throat when you go to leave them. Better win the POWER-BALL JACKPOT before you quit. If the exec from ITC is a barometer of what they can or can not do, you'll need it. If they can enforce it, violation of that clause could cost you a couple of years worth of hard earned money. Say what ever else you want to about them, if they were anything even close to a good company, they would not have to resort to that kind of coercion to retain drivers. It about tells you everything you need to know in regards to what kind of company they are.

And, after you're all done crunching the numbers, add in another 25% profit margin. Once you start paying all the expenses on the truck, you'll be amazed just haw quickly, and how many places the profits find to disappear into. Keep a tight leash on your profits or they'll be gone faster than letting a "lot-lizard" go through your wallet. There can be some very real unexpected expenses, not just tires and brakes, but you could come up with an oil leak, replace the turbo, or the air-compressor. (The last one would run about $1500 alone, including towing.) Screw up just one time, while locking in the differentials, and you're looking at about $3000+. If you don't run into that, great. You've even got frosting on your cake.

timing is everything! It is a great time to buy

I respectfully disagree.

We may never, at least not in our lifetimes, see the levels of appreciation that real estate has enjoyed since the 1980's. The current market is nowhere near the bottom.

Why should you invest in an asset that will likely be worth less than you paid for it in 3 years?

Right now, cash is king.

Not after hyperinflation.

I'm afraid the Rev is right. There's another round of foreclosures coming. When it's all over, real estate isn't going to be worth very much at all. Even those with all the money tied up in the fancy homes around the lake up in McCall, ID will find that their investment of several million will only be worth a few hundred thousand. I'm afraid we're a little way from the bottom yet.

I would hardly ever run close to 70....65 maybe. But i will know when to put fuel in my truck so i dont run it out of gas.