The $1 a mile or whatever thing may not be all that bad. It all depends on what it being picked up by the carrier and other compensation like detention. Discounts on fuel and such also makes a major difference depending on what that is. No goofy hidden charges and fees, etc. While I am not doing a lease purchase thing, I do own the truck, ordered it and bought it new, and still have a few payments of $1500 a month left. But every year I have had this one, my income for the year after all expenses has been in the $80K range. That is with being home every weekend and holiday and usually taking 3-4 weeks off a year.
What I get paid is Between $1.04 and $1.19 a mile (depending on length of haul) and currently $.23 a mile fuel surcharge. I pay myself a salary of $750 a week ($39K per year). The net for January so far after 4 weekly salary payments (including filing of monthly payroll taxes) and all operating costs, is about 34 cents a mile or $3509. that is AFTER the tuck payment, expenses, insurance, etc and paying myself $750 a week along with employer portion of SSI taxes. (I am an LLC with a S Corp tax structure) Home every weekend just like I am right now. And I will still pull off another run or two before end of month. There are many factors that go into it. Just looking at the rate per mile doesn't cut it. Having a truck on with a carrier is a package deal. You have to view it as such. The only negative month I have had in over 8 years with a truck on with my present carrier (on my second truck here now) was a year ago when the truck was down for 3 weeks after a drug dealer in KC came in sideways and took the nose off my truck.
With a reputable lease purchase and carrier doing it with, there is no reason a person couldn't make it work well if they put forth the effort and crunch numbers.