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Post by BookemDanno on Dec 5, 2003 0:02:12 GMT -5
I am interested in the C. R. England student lease program. Does anyone know someone that has done it and / or any info on it? It sounds like a decent deal but would like to talk with people in the know before I commit. I dont have any experience but from the timeline for me it would be 1 month of school, 1 month OTR minimum, then 1-2 months OTR owner operator minimum. So it looks like 3-5 months of training then you are cut loose. They say there is an extensive training program to teach the ins and outs of being an O/O. Any feedback appreciated???
Dan
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dhagood
425 Detroit
eschews obfuscation
Posts: 57
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Post by dhagood on Dec 5, 2003 0:29:29 GMT -5
rachelle has some strong feelings on this subject, which to me make a lot of sense. you might want to cruise the main site and see what she has to say.
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Post by BookemDanno on Dec 5, 2003 0:51:02 GMT -5
I wanted to clarify a little. I have read almost everything on this site trying to educate myself on trucking as much as possible. I understand that it is probably crazy to jump into O/O so soon but I really do not want to be at the total mercy of the dispatcher which seems to be the main complaint on this site. I have and currently am running my own business so I understand what is involved from that aspect ( Not trucking mind you, but taxes, expenses, budgeting, etc.). I know that you cant just refuse loads all the time but you do have some say so when you are a O/O regarding how much time you can afford to be home for. I know it is very scary starting a business and that more than 50% fail within the first 6 months and over 80% fail within the first year. Thus said I also know from experience that nothing ventured is nothing gained. I am unwilling to spend 3-4 weeks away from home at a time consistently and the only option I see is going O/O ASAP. I am not knocking the advice from this site at all. It has opened my eyes an incredible amount and educated me on how hard the road will be that I am choosing but I feel I must try this or I will forever regret not taking the risk. I probably should drive for a company for 2-3 years before I try this but I have done a lot of long term time away from home while I was military for over 10 years and dont want to relive that. I dont mind being out for 10-15 days at a time but the over 20 day stories I have read here scare me into looking at this option. If I am being totally out to lunch here please tell me. It wont hurt my feeling to get some strong opinionated replies and will more than likely help me in making a decision. Thanks for all your advice good and bad since that is how the best decisions are come to! In the end I succeed or fail on my own but talking to people who have the T-Shirt gives me a great heads up on what I am up against. Dan
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Post by GLAngst on Dec 5, 2003 17:07:47 GMT -5
The biggest part of any job or business is the paperwork.Good records means positive cash flow.You have to know where your money is going to be able to tell wheather your making any after expenses.Poor records have killed a lot of businesses.
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Post by skullitor on Dec 5, 2003 21:18:43 GMT -5
Hey Bookem, RUN, Don't Walk, RUN!!! Keep away from Englands lease. YOU WILL BE BROKE! READ The FINE PRINT! YOU WILL NEVER OWN THE TRUCK. You pay for everything. theres NO WAY you can win here.Go as a company driver first. Say a couple of years. THEN maybe O-Op. NOT FIRST.There a REEFER Outfit! Produce? Meat? Ice Cream? ect. Big $$$ Loads, If you loose a load? Say reefer goes down, OR someone readjusts your dial, or turns it off so they can sleep. IT comes OUT OF YOU!!! YOU Pay $$$ Thousands of dollars. Cause "YOU ARE A CONTRACTOR" NOT AN EMPLOYEE. BEWARE BOKEM. I know what I'm talking about. Skull
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Post by skullitor on Dec 5, 2003 21:28:33 GMT -5
When I ran reefer I got home maybe once a month. England is a FORCED Dispatch. If you refuse `a load? You'll sit for day's as punishment.I want you to know, I'm NOT A DISGRUNTLED Former Employee OR Lease Contractor.I got along fine with them. BUT most lease contractors GO BROKE. Read the contract VERY CLOSELY, You'll start shaking, THEN LAUGH As You THROW IT IN THE TRASH!!! ;D Skull
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Post by flyboy2610 on Dec 6, 2003 14:30:42 GMT -5
NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER lease your tractor from the company you are employed by!!! This is one of the biggest scams in trucking. You pay the payments until you have about 6-12 months left then your miles begin to disappear. You still have to make that lease payment. Eventually you can't make the payment, the company repo's the truck, keeps all the money you paid in, then presents you with a big bill for cleaning and repairing the truck to get it ready for the next sucker..err: driver. You are now broke, unemployed, and have a bill you can't pay. Doesn't that sound fun? If you want to go O/O, then purchase your truck from an independent dealer, putting enough money down to keep the financed amount around $30-35,000. You won't be able to buy a new truck right away, you need to build up to it like you do with a house. And don't buy a Freightliner! The market is flooded with them, and resale value is poor. Go with a Kenny or a Pete. Good luck!
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Post by Phantom56 on Dec 6, 2003 16:58:21 GMT -5
When it comes to buying a truck and becomiong an O/O, look into some of the government programs covered in that $50 book by the Lasko guy who does the annoying TV commercials about "free government money".
If you do something like listing your wife as the owner of your trucking company, you could qualify for up to $100 grand as a free grant for her starting a woman-owned business. Couple that with the $100 grand tax deduction for buying business vehicles and "Tah-dah!", free or almost free truck and a huge tax break that might turn into another check coming your way.
You just need to do some digging into government programs via the internet and maybe shell out a few bucks for things like that book to get the info and then do all the right paperwork.
But I do recommend that you really, really research the situation and get some professional advice about starting your own O/O operation, even if you have to put out a couple hundred bucks for that. Same with a good truckers' tax professional to help you. It costs money to make money and those two will be money well spent.
But be sure you don't jump into lease programs that the companies offer, bad deal and then some. You'll be able to do far better than using a program the companies designed to make themselves money.
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Post by skullitor on Dec 6, 2003 17:59:31 GMT -5
Remember Bookem, There's a HUGE Difference from a "LEASE Operator" And An "OWNER OPERATOR". There NOT the same. Skull
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Post by skullitor on Jan 24, 2004 12:30:23 GMT -5
Hey bookem, How bout an update? Did you go to England? Company Or lease driver? Skull
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Post by skullitor on Mar 10, 2004 22:37:22 GMT -5
I Wonder if he went to work for C.R.England? Anyone here from him? Skull
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Post by truckertom on Mar 14, 2004 10:49:16 GMT -5
I think you may have scared him off!
Lease to own = squeezing limonade from a trunip.
It just ins't going to happen.
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Post by skullitor on Mar 14, 2004 12:43:47 GMT -5
I think you may have scared him off! Lease to own = squeezing limonade from a trunip. It just ins't going to happen. Hey Tom; Have you read the Lease terms? I did and wondered HOW CAN YOU EARN $$$? You the contractor PAY FOR EVERYTHING! I Laughed as I threw it in the trash can. Skull
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Post by truckertom on Mar 14, 2004 20:46:04 GMT -5
Reading a lease agreement is like reading a recording contract, you need an attourney. Not so much to tell you what the contract says, but to defend you when you find out how one sided it is and threaten to kill someone over it.
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Post by skullitor on Mar 14, 2004 22:01:27 GMT -5
;D How true. Englands lease is written in pretty much simple easy to read terms. BUT ALL ONE SIDED! England! LMAO all the "LEASE OPERATOR" is doing is paying for Englands truck payments PLUS a huge profit for England. Tom maybe we can get people to make our car payments for us? ;D Skull
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