Very true Big Wheels....although my antenna is not very sensitive to that side of things, my old girlfriend's was...some of the experiences she described left me wishing I could tune in. It did strengthen my faith and confidence that there truly is something beyond what is in front of our noses!

Get her and Clint in the same room and watch out...you could microwave a hotdog on all that energy..... :D

Zzzzzzzzzzzzap! :twisted:

I had a lot to say, but I gotta get running. Deadhead to Pittsburgh from Riverhead. For what, I don't know yet.... The run down Long Island through Brooklyn and over the Verrazano was magnifique'. Even in all the traffic, I was a smilin' ex-New Yorker.

More later.

Riverhead to Pittsburgh..DH???? What are they thinking :shock: I hope your next load is something special.
Still following your adventures with interest.

:? Si'. We do this every now and again. My longest DH to date was almost 600 miles to go load at John Deere in Otumwa, IA. But ours is not to question why.... We just do.... @ 81CPM, thank you :roll:

Two coils; that was the big news. Very fancy galvanized babies, all wrapped up in very pretty plastic. These things look spendy. We are heading off to North Carolina together. A quick little 400-ish mile jog for me and BB. That's fine.

When the energy catches up with me, I wanted to outline what one could reasonably expect at the beginning of a lease deal. They were not all too clear as to how it begins, and, if a new lessor is not prepared, it could be a bit scary. So, the next rant will be on the practicalities of starting your own business and how to be prepared.

This is by no means a complaint. But it might explain why leasing is such a challenge to many. In short, you have the fire behind you and the carrot in front of you. In the middle, lies one's destiny, fate and the reality of his or her own creation. The Abyss, as Aleister Crowley once coined it.

Truthfully....we had to give up the sailboat because my wife had to have a titanium plate put in her neck with 6 screws..essentially fusing 3 vertebrae. It had gotten rather difficult for her to get around on the boat, and her upper arm strength just isn't what it used to be. So now I have to buy a trawler with a big windlass on it. Says she won't drag anymore anchors up off the bottom... :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

And she said we were outgrowing the boat and needed more room. And I think that living in the tube that sailboats are...gets alittle confining after awhile. I started feeling that way too.

We also noticed that we took the sailboat out to play less than we used to when we had our big power boat. When we had it we were never at the dock when I had off time.

I do miss the "Meri-Mac", she was a fine boat. I rebuilt that boat and shed blood in her bilges...but when I sold her, she was truly "Bristol"!!

Looking at something like a 42' Present or a 43' Marine Trader with twin diesels..... alittle more comfortable and spacious. Big aftdecks for enjoying a couple of "sundowners" :D :D

Now back to our previous topic.... :D :D

Clint it was great talking to you again!! Stay in touch!!

Ditto and likewise. Indeed I shall... :lol:

Without question, the trawler affords some very nice benefits over a sail boat. The catamaran idea Geo mentioned a while back is a very nice compromise between the two. Very fast under sail to boot and tons of space.

This has been an epic week for me and BB. I'm about 100 miles from my drop in northern Indiana as I write this. I didn't know that I could cover so much ground. But, I did. And, in usual Swift fashion, I am pre-planned to Nogales to keep moving over the weekend. (Gee, thanks.)

I'm keeping this one breif on account of Zzz's, but I will fill in some previously mentioned blanks within the next few days. I am just smoked... :oops:

So what of this lease purchase business anyway? Why does it get such a bad rap? Why do so many people fail at it? What makes it so difficult to get up and running? Why does it seem so unthinkable that a trucking company would want to put a great truck within reach of those who wish to become independent contractors? How did the people who failed run their businesses? Were they prepared for the challenges associated with self-employment? One has to wonder as to the credibility of the masses of great disappointment. Am I getting fleeced? Don’t think so.

However, one must fully appreciate what one is getting in to when they start signing paperwork.

Just like changing jobs, there is down time between incomes. It was three weeks from the receipt of my last company driver paycheck to my first O/O settlement, and the first O/O settlement was a negative balance. Hmm. Why? Because, Swift pays one week in arrears, but the truck/additional costs begin immediately upon signing contracts. Oh!? Yes. Oh. OK.

Just like starting any small business, there are start up costs and a period of no income. If you have money in savings to cover the “no money” period, then great. If you don’t, bummer. Should’a waited… I had the money to cover my first payment, my first batch of tie-down equipment, the headache rack, and to keep myself fed/pay bills. It can be a real bitch if you don’t have these things covered when you make the change.

Then, you have to allow for the pay deductions for the balance of the $2500.00 down payment and the deductions for the $1500.00 performance bond. The down payment installations are clipped at $100.00/week and the performance bond is clipped at $50.00/week until both are paid in full. In a few months, these deposits will be paid, but $150.00/week is being taken, and needs to be anticipated. Another deduction that will occur is the “excessive mileage” fee. This is calculated at 11CPM when the tractor exceeds 11,000 miles per month. As would be expected, I will see a good bit of activity here. Also, the maintenance account is currently being funded at a chosen rate of .06¢ per mile.

The cool thing about the excessive mileage deduction is that any money accumulated during the lease period will be applied to the balloon, should one intend to buy the tractor after the end of the leasing period. Effectually, Swift will help me to buy BB with this money. How nice! Right?

I could not make an educated guess as to how many people went for the L/P actually had the benefit of proper education before jumping in. Equally, I cannot guess as to how many people who have had their own businesses before signing up.

Having started and run several small enterprises in the past, I have some previous experience with new small businesses. I know what it takes to get things up and running. I understood what to expect, in terms of operating costs (almost). I revere independence more than anything hence; I had no fear going into the lease. Plus, I knew how I/we could run. This further served to reduce the anxiety and the wondering as to how well I would do. My struggles with Swift do not come from money; they come from managing fatigue and my HOS.

I trusted Swift with my success and my sanity when I assumed the financial liability for BB. And equally, I trusted my CPA. Without these two trust issues fully accommodated, one cannot expect to win at this game. By the time next week’s settlement hits, I will have punched a clean hole right through $10,000.00 in gross revenue to the company that holds the note on BB. $10k+, folks.

What really helped me was the fact that I knew that I didn’t know anything, or much anyway, about what I was doing. I went with my gut instincts and little else. So often is the case in where “real truckers” swear they know everything, when in fact, their words are mere recitations of bs heard ‘round the campfire. I hate to condemn the larger body of truckers whom I have met, but they are indeed a sorry lot of know-it-all/know-nothings who thrive on misery and complaint. I politely dismiss my self when I feel the “sky is falling” mentality as it begins to rear its ugly head.

It is imperative that you love driving in order to be successful. Ownership (lease ship) necessitates motion in perpetuity. If you can’t keep the truck rolling at least 500 miles/day, don’t do it. If you can’t run your logbook wisely, don’t do it. If you need days off during the month to be with your family, then you’ll need to go over your monthly “nut” to see how much time you can reasonably expect to get off without falling precariously behind in revenue. All of these things are critical to success and should not be foolishly overlooked.

I am an ideal candidate for success in this program. I no longer have a home. I am very reclusive in my existential philosophy and living patterns. I don’t settle down well at all. My overhead has been all but eliminated, save for the wireless bill, car and insurance payments.

Out of all my small business ventures, this is the lowest start-up cost venture to date. With my initial down payment, coupled to some period of no revenue, it is still peanuts compare to my photography/videography endeavor, which, all told, cost nearly $100k to start. And as long as I keep Ms. BB rolling, my income is highly predictable, which was not the case in several past business scenarios. If I move freight, the (my) company makes money; guaranteed.

Next Up: The Art of Fueling. :shock:

Clint, keep up the good posting. It's very insightful and I glad to see that the Swift move worked so well for you.

Keep us updated on the lease. It's nice to read a positive experience when it comes to leasing.

If my guessamatation system is working, on a +/- system,im gonna guess your take home pay,after all the stuff to the truck,taxes and weekly prostitute visit....should net you around 800 for the first couple of months till your downpayment is taken care off.

Well iv'e been running around like a chicken with its head cut-off,i did not know how busy we would get,i do now...lol.
i'm loving it,last week i did 3500mi,this week would of been the same,but someone wanted to change dlv date to the following day,so im gonna get a 34hr restart,and run like no tomorrow for the following week,i need to save as much as i can.

I thought my dog was gonna be MIA,she decided she wanted to go sight seeing without me,it was pitch black,i was searching for 20min,looking for her.I had that dreaded gut feeling,thought i was gonna cry,when i couldnt find her. 25 min later she comes strolling back to the truck,she had that look on her face,like "oh shit,he's gonna beat my ass", any other time she would of got a beat down,but i was just happy to have her back.So now,she grounded,cant go outside without a leash,and has to lick clean my dirty smelly socks.

Keep us updated,always nice to know,what to expect from these lease deals from people actually doing it.

OMG. My first restart since acquiring BB. And boy, did I need it. Running off the recap is fine for a while, but all things must end, if only for a little while. I slept for 14 hours.

I spent some time on the phone with my accountant today. We went over the income to date. While good, my technique needs some fine-tuning with regards to fueling practices and payroll ending dates. I’ll have a good post up this evening with all that we have learned.

Sorry for the lapse in posting, but I’ve been working my tail (or what’s left of it) off.

More news at 10:00.

Hasta…