Leasing program

[JasonD]

I'm thinking of doing the leasing program at US Express. I was wondering if anyone has done this and how it works. Did you have good success at making good money?

 

[Electric Chicken]

Here we go with extremes again, lol.

Profiting, if you count my salary in it, was well over $1.00 last year. It’s close this year.

For me, though, it goes far beyond money.

I could do decent with a local job, but may as well be OTR for the way it restricts my life. I could be maki good money with Wal-Mart right now and home for my 34 every week, blah blah blah.

Neither works for me because if I want to take a week off for something family related, I do it. 3 days after that, if something else is going on that I want another 2-3 days off for, I do it. That said, it requires me to work hard when I am actually working. I just never want to answer to anyone else again outside of my family, those I have to pay bills to, and the IRS.

I totally hear you. Those are reasons I do want to do it. Along with getting away from this slipseater nonsense.

But considering money alone at this point it's a tough sell. If that makes sense.

I'm not trying to be extreme. Lol.

I'll be more inclined to give it a shot once some of these toys are paid off. If all I have left is my mortgage debt-wise then I'll have a lot more leeway for stuff to go wrong/bad/slow/kablooey.

I'm not a company man. I wasn't wired that way. So I'm very likely destined to do it, but it needs to be at a better time.

IOW I shouldn't have bought all this stuff.

 

[Mike]

I'll be more inclined to give it a shot once some of these toys are paid off. If all I have left is my mortgage debt-wise then I'll have a lot more leeway for stuff to go wrong/bad/slow/kablooey.

That’s a smart approach.

Taking on debt once your business is established is fine, providing it is done wisely.

Jumping off into this with a lot of debt is very high risk.

 

[Electric Chicken]

That’s a smart approach.

Taking on debt once your business is established is fine, providing it is done wisely.

Jumping off into this with a lot of debt is very high risk.

Yeah like once this Jeep and truck are off my books I could get an old 9200i, sort it out, and work like 3 days a week at the rail. Hustle 5 days once or twice when I need tires. Or work 5 days a week most of the year and take a few months off at a time.


My mortgage, property tax, and insurance is all under $1100/mo.

Yes that's oversimplified but the point is I don't need a fancy new truck and my long term debt is relatively low.

 

[krelithous]

Works great for some folks.

There are people at Schneider who do nothing but lease trucks. Every three years, they trade their current truck for a new truck.

And, they make money doing it.

Can they make near equal money driving a Schneider company truck? Yes. In some cases, there are folks who may make more on the company side.

They do it because they want to work more on their terms, choose their own loads, take off when they want to take off.

Different strokes for different folks.

i have to agree there. but not being able to mod a truck would be a deal breaker for me. atleast schneider gives you the apu. last i knew us express didn't give that and you wern't allowed to put one on

 

[BrandonCDLtrucker]

Here we go with extremes again, lol.

Profiting, if you count my salary in it, was well over $1.00 last year. It’s close this year.

For me, though, it goes far beyond money.

I could do decent with a local job, but may as well be OTR for the way it restricts my life. I could be maki good money with Wal-Mart right now and home for my 34 every week, blah blah blah.

Neither works for me because if I want to take a week off for something family related, I do it. 3 days after that, if something else is going on that I want another 2-3 days off for, I do it. That said, it requires me to work hard when I am actually working. I just never want to answer to anyone else again outside of my family, those I have to pay bills to, and the IRS.

FWIW, an owner operator with my company told me don't become an OO for the money, do it for the freedom.

 

[Electric Chicken]

FWIW, an owner operator with my company told me don't become an OO for the money, do it for the freedom.

True freedom is an illusion.

You're not making any money when you take time off.

 

[Johnson]

True freedom is an illusion.

You're not making any money when you take time off.

True to a degree. Generally I go home when the freight and check book says I can.
But I'm free to make a command decision and go when ever I want to, financial consequences and all. Roflmao!!

 

[Electric Chicken]

True to a degree. Generally I go home when the freight and check book says I can.
But I'm free to make a command decision and go when ever I want to, financial consequences and all. Roflmao!!

Haha true enough.

I'm a little fortunate in that the folks here at Schneider trust my judgement for the most part.

My biggest problems are with slipseating really. And when I sit down and think about it, they're not really THAT big of problems to have, all things considered.

The day I ultimately get fed up and have the money is the day I buy a truck, but I'll also want to start coasting more than hustling. It'll have to be when I don't care if I can pay myself 40k or 90k.

I don't want to do it out of desperation.

 

[braylean]

I'm on a used truck lot every time I go in the shop for service, I've looked on other used and New truck lots around Join And Springfield Missouri as well as the usual truck papers and every place I have been, the 386 nearly or more than doubles the resale value of the cascadia's of the same mileage and basic setup. So how is that funny? And I also know approximately how much the payoff on the Schneider choice program is for as close as you can get, similarly equipped truck because I nearly went there. Theirs was $160'000, mine will be $112'000 and it's better equipped by far, How is that funny? I suppose if you had your choice of land plots the same size and one had a mobile home on it for $200'000 and the other, exactly the same except for having a large frame farm house for $120'000, you would take the mobile home? I hate to say it, but I'm not the stupid one here.
Yes even with the value of the truck, they make more than me, for the term of the lease, but that's it for them. I come out with far less invested, a higher value and my engine is still under warranty. All it looked right now is rings, bearings and a head on a rebuild. It has new seals, injectors, front cover, input shaft, clutch and pressure plate and starter right now, with just a bit over a year to go. If you don't count the value of your equipment into your income, your an idiot, because the government dang sure does, and if I'm going to get taxed on it, I'm dang sure going to account for it.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Most expensive 386 on Truckpaper right now is 90k other than a fancy RV style sleeper one for 144k.

A boat load of 'em are 50-60k.

 

[ironpony]

Really, how so? I'm on a used truck lot every time I go in the shop for service, I've looked on other used and New truck lots around Join And Springfield Missouri as well as the usual truck papers and every place I have been, the 386 nearly or more than doubles the resale value of the cascadia's of the same mileage and basic setup. So how is that funny? And I also know approximately how much the payoff on the Schneider choice program is for as close as you can get, similarly equipped truck because I nearly went there. Theirs was $160'000, mine will be $112'000 and it's better equipped by far, How is that funny? I suppose if you had your choice of land plots the same size and one had a mobile home on it for $200'000 and the other, exactly the same except for having a large frame farm house for $120'000, you would take the mobile home? I hate to say it, but I'm not the stupid one here.
Yes even with the value of the truck, they make more than me, for the term of the lease, but that's it for them. I come out with far less invested, a higher value and my engine is still under warranty. All it looked right now is rings, bearings and a head on a rebuild. It has new seals, injectors, front cover, input shaft, clutch and pressure plate and starter right now, with just a bit over a year to go. If you don't count the value of your equipment into your income, your an idiot, because the government dang sure does, and if I'm going to get taxed on it, I'm dang sure going to account for it.

Outside of hoods and pre-2000 model year trucks (which are insanely priced for the ego stroke of a hood or the no ELD idjits,) trucks are priced based on miles driven. 386s ain't a hood, and Truck Paper is only representative of asking prices.

Appreciating used truck prices? BS. You still have to make a truck road worthy, and that's above and beyond what you pay for it. There's nothing special about Paccar products over any other brand when it comes to wear and tear of basic components. You're talking about paying for the brand name, and that really doesn't mean squat.

 

[krelithous]

True freedom is an illusion.

You're not making any money when you take time off.

Lol your burning money when the wheels ain't turning

 

[Electric Chicken]

Lol your burning money when the wheels ain't turning

Sortof. If I pulled off my stickers and turned in my plate I could park it at a cost of $0 a day though.

 

[krelithous]

Sortof. If I pulled off my stickers and turned in my plate I could park it at a cost of $0 a day though.

your prob better off parking the truck in this economy with brokers still going under. i don't think the holidays are going to be any better!!! i don't think it will get better till we have someone in office that don't have shit for brains!!!

 

[Electric Chicken]

your prob better off parking the truck in this economy with brokers still going under. i don't think the holidays are going to be any better!!! i don't think it will get better till we have someone in office that don't have shit for brains!!!

Doing okay still here.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Also keep in mind that US Xpress/Variant are a unit of Knight/Swift now.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Yeah like once this Jeep and truck are off my books I could get an old 9200i, sort it out, and work like 3 days a week at the rail. Hustle 5 days once or twice when I need tires. Or work 5 days a week most of the year and take a few months off at a time.


My mortgage, property tax, and insurance is all under $1100/mo.

Yes that's oversimplified but the point is I don't need a fancy new truck and my long term debt is relatively low.

I like how none of this happened.

 

[krelithous]

I like how none of this happened.

I like how none of this happened.

id'e prob go for a decent used castacrap with a DD15 or 16 with manual. maybe just maybe something with an ISX. problem is all trucks have there quirks. though it would be easier to pay it off and move on!!! vs having an overhaul done depending on how bad the engine is and whats wrong with it!!! wouldn't want to over value the truck...

 

[Electric Chicken]

id'e prob go for a decent used castacrap with a DD15 or 16 with manual. maybe just maybe something with an ISX. problem is all trucks have there quirks. though it would be easier to pay it off and move on!!! vs having an overhaul done depending on how bad the engine is and whats wrong with it!!! wouldn't want to over value the truck...

I agree probably maybe. I still have PTSD from Schneider and their Cascadias but objectively they were decent trucks.

But now that I've been through fire and brimstone with Mack, I'm all in. I'll get another one.

I've already decided I won't overhaul my truck. Being a day cab it has limited value and I could never recoup that. I'd be better off pulling common parts off it for a newer sleeper and scrapping the hull assuming I don't trade or sell it before that happens.

 

[389 Hood]

There is the difference in the operating markets. Down here, a day cab will bring much better money than a sleeper. This is a day cab type of state as far as work is concerned. We have huge Hispanic and Caribbean populations here. They buy the sleeper trucks, pull the bunks off and rivet a new back wall on. The exact same trucks, both day cab and sleeper and the sleeper would be 10k cheaper.

What the market carries now, I'm not sure. It's been a long time since I was browsing the Truck Paper for fun. A lot has changed since the 'hoax flu' was cast upon us.