Question:
I am in a bit of a unique situation, and without getting into things to much, I am thinking about driving, but I have no desire to be a company driver so I have some options to work out. Now the one thing I will say is that I have an illness that may one day leave me disabled (hopefully not but you never know) which is why there are three options rather than just the 1.
Option 1: Lease through a company
I like the idea of a lease, but I feel this is my worst option. The only benefit I see to this is that if I were to become disabled most of the companies forgive the lease as a clause in the contract and you only have to take a little bit of a hit from you reserve fund. The only other possible benefit is if the car has a mechanical failure, most companies will let you have another vehicle to drive during the repair. But I guess the question is whether these two benefits are worth all the shortcomings of leasing through a company - and while normally a no brainer, I really have to consider it, as painful as it is.
Option 2: Lease through an outside company
No ties to a caring company this way for them to screw you, but I am missing out on the second benefit. I have found that alot of these companies do have a disability clause though so that is good.
Option 3: Buy the car
Normally I would say the best option by far, but no security in the disability side of things. But I am thinking if it did come to that, I could always hire a driver to run for me but that would pretty much get rid of my profits for awhile.
------------------
My preference is for option 2 or 3 so my second question is...is it better to buy a trailor and get your own freight, or better to contract with a company as an O/O. With the pay difference being .15-.20 per mile (roughly) is it worth signing onto a company to avoid the trailor payment and the headaches with collection and fuel surcharges?
I have spoken with a friend at length about these issues, but I am very interested in hearing what you all have to say.
Thanks.
and if anyone is heading to NJ and needs directions to anywhere their not sure about (in central NJ) feel free to email me and hopefully I can help.

Answer:



Answer:


Thinking of driving? Do you have any experience in this industry? If not I would suggest you either reconsider being a company driver or look in a different field. Leasing or buying a car when you have a potential disability in your future is one thing, but getting involved in an industry on this level with no experience would be foolish, especially the caring industry.
I have no experience with being a lease operator so I usually refrain from commenting on this aspect. However, before getting involved in anything like this I would make certain I understood every aspect of the lease before signing. You may think you are getting involved in something that looks good but the language may negate any protections you may think you have.

Answer:

I would take a company job. Insurance and if you get to sick to drive. It dosn't cost you. Mabe the insurance will even pay a huge cost to help you get well.
No way would I try it with our a few years of company driving.
You can try it. It will cost you. Few will take a driver with less then 1 year and as a Owner op leased on. They will still want at least a year.
Now, if you have more money then you know what to do with. Loseing the money would not bother you. I would buy a car and live it up. See were it takes you next.
GOOD LUCK.

Answer:

Sorry, I guess I phrased it wrong. I've been out of driving for the last 4 months (since the snow started) so I could ponder what I wanted to do with life. But yes, I do have experience - both as a driver as well as on the business end. I just assumed a rook wouldn't post in here, but lord knows I'm sure there are a more than a few who thing they can start off their career as an O/O. I should have specified, again I appologize.
I have the finances and the experience to do any of the options, although buying would cost me a bunch cause I got my heart set on a new T2000.
I do have insurance, so that isn't an issue. I just don't want to hang it up yet. I need to do something with my life. Since I've been driving off and on for many years I figured my best bet might be to do it full time, I just want to make sure I get some peoples opinions on a direction to go.

Answer:

Company job!

Answer:

Hi neighbor! I live in Central NJ too!
If I understand you correctly, you have experience, I mean not just a few months, you have your finances straight, and set your mind, on being an o/o!
I’d definitely would recommend you an option #3, and lease to a carrier, or at least for starters!
Though you might like it, I do!
May be I’m just lazy, but I’m making good money, home on weekends, and a lot less worries, than with your own #.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy money, but it never is!
Just don’t sell yourself cheap!
PM me, if you have any questions, not that I always will know the answer, but I do my best!
Good luck!

Answer:

Explain, exactly, why you do not wish to be a company drivers anymore.
Regarding option #2, Ryder offers a short-term lease of 6 months-----with no penalty for early turn-in! I know this because i have an account with Ryder----(self -edited).

Answer:

I was a company driver with England years ago when I started. Now before anyone says anything, I actually had a pretty good experience with them and I was able to haul a ton of freight out of hershy and be home every other weekend on a dedicated route out to salt lake. Problem was one weekend when I was home, a weekend DM asked me to take a load of fish into NYC and so I did ( had no choice). Next day - Sunday he tells me I need to take another load in on Monday morning. Again, no choice so I tell him if I do I can't pick up my dedicated load in PA early mon afternoon. He said his problem right now was getting the load into NYC and he would work out the other load later. Well, needless to say I don't show in PA, and my regular DM Qualcoms me to ask where I am and then confirms I am in the system on a load in NYC and nobody covered the dedicated load - because that wasn't the other guy's problem. Well, eventually they get someone to take the load out of hershey and I wind up stuck in NJ. I am informed I am the other DMs local driver for the next two weeks as they have a ton of stuff to get into NYC. I told him at that point I was out of hours and he assigns me a load anyways and types me a speach about refusing loads. I message my regular DM and tell him I one foot out of here and apparently words were exchanged between my guy and the new guy. The new guy messages me that I will now be his local driver till further notice, and I replied that I refuse the load to NYC and that I'll be locking up the car in their yard in NJ and turning in the keys cause I quit. And I also thanked him for messaging me that I needed to violate DOT hours of work rules and deliver this load for him to NYC or lose my job. I sent my regular DM a message thanking him for everything and told everything that happened and that I was outta here. Apparently the words between the two DM got so heated Dan England had to step in. They pulled the Qualcom transcripts and Dan (he was in charge of compliance back then) actually called me himself and appologized, and asked me to reconsider but I was so fed up that day I moved on.
So...why don't I want to be a company driver? Because all it take is one DM to be in a bad mood and you wind up making nothing and driving noplace. I was getting .37 for the dedicated route and because the new idiot felt like it he changed me to jobs where I was only getting .23 a mile. I don't think so!!!
That is where my dislike for company jobs comes from.

Answer:

In that case, how much money you got?
I don't have time to get into it now but either buy (or lease/rent a car thru ryder/penske etc) your own car and lease it and yourself to Landstar and run your tail off. Or get your own authority and haul for landstar and run your tail off. And make good $$$ either way.
Or get into carhauling and make primo $$$.
Forget about the whole lease/purchase bullcrap.
Alternatively, i don't think you've been around the block enough times like me; There are companies out there where your not at the mercy of some insane DM or dispatcher.
But more later, don't have much time or mental capacity right now. More later, i promise.

Answer:



Answer:

Regardless of my personal opinion on Landstar, it's not a good choice, for just starting out o/o!
Not to mention, your own #!

Answer:

There are lots of good company jobs in Jersey, where you can be home and make decent money.
Stay with a small company, these big companies think your just a number.

Answer:



Answer:


That is the most intelligent thing I think I have ever heard you say.