Truck Driving Jobs

jacob · #11 07-21-2007, 02:26 PM

Uturn I think he is a driver. I've read the pumpkindriver.com forums and I believe he posts on there. Oh wait here's his website http://doctor-zebra.blogspot.com/

drzebra · #12 07-21-2007, 02:41 PM

No, 3 years is the duration of the lease for a solo operator. A team can run through a lease in about 1.5 years by getting the truck up to 400k-500k miles.

Keep in mind that is for brand new trucks, and these are generally not available to first time lease operators. What generally happens is that a new lease op gets a choice of previously leased trucks that are available and they then finish the lease. In my case, I picked this truck out in May and the lease will end in February. So I'm not leasing this truck for even a year.

Now, if you opt to buy the truck that you're leasing, well, I'm not even going to defend that choice. Prime sells very, very few trucks that way and they only mention it because it's an option set forth in the lease. You will have to find your own financing to make such a purchase. I think that's a bad idea.

As far as Prime's "major history" of keeping drivers' maintenance funds (they don't have maintenance funds beyond the tire fund, by the way), I'm sure that this is documented somewhere and you can point it out to me? I know that it's documented in CR England's case by virtue of a lawsuit by OOIDA that they actually won for a change. A similar suit by OOIDA vs. Prime was unsuccessful.

It is highly recommended that you be present for the lease turn-in inspection for this very reason, by the way. And it's also crucial that you accurately fill out the prelease condition report. But given the sheer numbers of repeat lease operators at the Prime terminal in Springfield and the sheer lack of griping that I've heard on the subject from them speaks volumes to me as truckers by and large are a whiny bunch.

In any case, any profit made on the truck leases themselves by Success Leasing wouldn't come close to paying Prime's bills. So screwing drivers still doesn't represent a viable business model because the main source of revenue would be adversely impacted by drivers performing poorly. Prime's main business is hauling freight. All that leasing a truck does is shift a good deal of the responsibility to drivers willing do accept it and quite probably get a larger share of the pie by running a business effectively. But we all know that not every business succeeds, and that most failures of business can be traced to the mistakes of the business owner.

century451 · #13 07-21-2007, 05:16 PM

Drzebra your wasting your time.....all your gonna do is get the girls in the glee clubs panties in a twist.

Mackman · #14 07-21-2007, 05:29 PM

I know i will get people all worked up when i say this. leasing is a JOKE all it is for people that dont have a bank roll to be real O/O. Stay away from all leasing if you want your own truck save your money and BUY it.

jacob · #15 07-21-2007, 05:39 PM

I agree with Mackman. Plus why would anyone want to lease a truck? All you are doing is paying the company to drive their truck. So basically you are a company driver with truck payments. Real smart. :roll:

drzebra · #16 07-21-2007, 05:54 PM

Yes, jacob, I'm the same one who posts on pumpkindriver.com.

Now, as to why lease? Because I enjoy the freedom and flexibility that it allows me over being a company driver. I'm home when I want to be and for how long I want to be. I also don't have to go anywhere that I don't want to go. I also have the potential to make more than a Prime company driver.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone should lease a truck. I'm not like that. I'm just trying to dispel the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that all the naysayers spread like wildfire about the subject, especially when so few of them have not actually tried it.

See, I get paid 72% of my load's revenue. After getting paid percentage, I'm not ever going back to getting paid mileage.

If you don't agree with me, that's fine. But there's no need to insult me or insult the company that I'm leased to, especially when the facts aren't straight. I'm not slamming company drivers or true owner operators, am I? So why not show me the same respect?

drzebra · #17 07-21-2007, 06:01 PM

whoops. previous post should say that "so few of them have actually tried it" instead of "not actually tried it". That's what I get for skipping the proofreading. :shock:

JohnnyT · #18 07-21-2007, 06:33 PM

drzebra, you said you lease from Prime but did you drive as a company driver first or stright lease from the get go? is the company division a fair and I stress fair becasue no place is perfect. Can you decide a region to operate from (I would prefer to stay on the east coast if at all possible) ( if it were a perfect world I would like to stay in the southeast region) Where do you run? how long have you been in the lease program? Would you suggest to give Prime a try to start off my career? Please let me know I would greatly appreciate it.

Now for everybody who is going to answer this question please try and remember I did not ask you and I cannot PM anyone for 50 posts so, if you are not a Prime company driver or lease operater than the question is not for you.

Thanks

Double R · #19 07-21-2007, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Now for everybody who is going to answer this question please try and remember I did not ask you and I cannot PM anyone for 50 posts so, if you are not a Prime company driver or lease operater than the question is not for you.

This is a open fourm and a free country. Anyone CAN answer the question. Even if YOU don't like the answer

drzebra · #20 07-21-2007, 07:43 PM

JohnnyT, I recommended against leasing from the get go. Especially if you're starting at this time because it'll be close to winter by the time you're done with training. I suggest building up a nice cash reserve first, and then if you want to lease, do so in the spring once freight starts picking back up. This will also give you a good idea as to how Prime operates.

As far as staying in a particular region goes, I don't have any experience with that. I'm 48 state and that's the way I like it. You're better off talking to a recruiter or better yet, another Prime driver. I think Prime may be a good option for you, but like everything else, you're best off shopping around a bit and seeing what your choices are.

If you want more opinions on Prime, go over to pumpkindriver.com and seek out the following users: Walcrawler, JDSpeed, IZOD, Ozzy. Walcrawler is a trainer for Prime and can answer those types of questions more indepth than I ever could.

Also, do what I did and what Walcrawler recommends: go to a truckstop and seek out Prime drivers. Talk to at least 10 of them. That'll give you a better feeling of the company (this works for ANY company, by the way) than a message board ever could.