I stopped leasing and brought a 12k 05 Volvo and it brought me a house, paid off 2 36k cars, and a super clean 05 Pete 389 for 40k. As soon as your stop leasing and own your equipment the money just falls into your pocket. I completed a 4 year lease and prime and did the numbers and realized I gave prime 200k in lease payment over 4 years and they got to take the truck from me and sell the truck for 70k. In all they managed to steal 270k in wealth from me not even counting then skimming off all my loads. After that I knew I had to do something else. Owning an older truck and doing maintenance scares a lot of drivers but my truck has never once cost me 50k in repairs in a year vs the 50k in yearly lease payments.
I did lease and paid off the truck. Sold truck once it hit over 700,000 miles. I enjoyed it. Now im driving for Crete and just entered my 3rd year with them as company. Always preplanned and no complaints. Good luck, Rich.
Props for warning people about leasing, but let’s be blunt-it’s a straight-up scam. Leasing is a rigged game where you’re set up to lose from day one. They sell you a dream about “owning your truck,” but the reality is you’re paying their bills while they rake in the profit. You’re stuck with ridiculous payments, covering repairs, downtime, and all the risk, while they sit back and collect. And after all that, most drivers don’t even end up owning the damn truck. It’s modern-day slavery on wheels. Go company first. Stack your cash, learn the ropes, and when you’re ready, buy your own truck outright. That’s the only way to win. I’m with KLLM, pulling $1,200 a week after taxes (W2), and on good weeks, I clear $1,500-$1,700. I get two days of PTO every week worked at $100/day, two weeks of vacation pay a year, and zero stress over truck payments or maintenance. I drive, I get paid, I go home. Simple. Leasing is a sucker’s game, designed to bleed you dry. If you’re serious about trucking, don’t let some leasing company own your ass. Do it the smart way. I appreciate your videos, but drivers need to hear it like it is-leasing ain’t a shortcut, it’s a trap, and the ones who fall for it are the ones who get played.
I paid for my own CDL school and worked for about 13 months as a company driver, but recently got laid off. I've got the cash to buy a truck and go solo, but probably don't have the experience to do it yet.
Your experience with Stevens is an example of the difference of being an employee versus being a lease operator. BLC charged you because you were a business owner and you had a contract. You have to understand the difference between W-2 and 1099.
If you make a lucky $1500 a week leasing and run 70hrs that week it equals about $22 an hour. You mean to tell me you can’t find a stay at home job that pays over $22 an hour with benefits? I’m driving over the road I see signs of jobs paying over $85k annually in rural areas.
I don’t condone violence but a year or two ago a driver walked into the fleet owners office and killed him over money . These people think there untouchable until someone says “ eff it”
Things I've learned in the trucking industry so far. 1. Never lease a truck for $2k/wk. You might as well finance a truck for that kind of money. 2. Never do lease purchase from a carrier. I did this once with one of "those" companies out of the Chicago area and walked away from it after 2 weeks once I figured the numbers and found out everything wrong with the truck that you wouldn't find on a regular pre-trip inspection. 3. There is no Ft. Dodge in Indiana. There is a Ft. Wayne though. 4. I would never deadhead that many miles unless it was in writing, text, Qualcomm message, etc or I was a company driver and they paid deadhead miles.
Hey king don’t settle for less , I’m currently leasing I’ve made from 500-3800 , get your doubles go work at fed ex ground , I know a contractor out of Portland dedicated 90 cents catch up on your 17k , an get back with prime , I’m from Cali , I Prefered to lease since I’m solo , I was going to try training at cr England but they gave me a beat up truck got me mad how they disrespect a 8 year experience trucker I really wanted to train no oh I need him or she to drive mile nah I can do that solo with some Chicago companies I know . Anyways good luck let me know if you wanna try drop an hook dedicated out of Portland .. takes two weeks to get in fed ex system
I used work for MK Trucking from Satsuma AL And was flatbed lease program. But when I was doing the numbers from my paystub I caught them stealing money from my chargebacks. Stealing money from when I fueled up And pocket the rest. I made $6800 in wk and made $45 take home So I was making videos here on UA-cam I wasn't lying in them telling the truth showing my paystub So they got a lawyer and told me take them down Because they where late true and honest.
I’m not trying to be an asshole here, but there’s a couple types of people. Some people go to a restaurant order a steak and when it comes out cooked wrong, they asked for a new one or go to another restaurant if nothing can be done. Then there’s the second type of person they go to the restaurant order a steak. It comes out cooked wrong, but they eat it anyway, then when the bill comes, that’s when they want to complain. That’s not the proper time to complain, the proper time to complain is before you eat the steak or in this case signed the contract. Sure $2000 is a lot of money for a truck per week especially for a truck that’s in horrible condition. but you signed the contract and even chuckled and said “a guy‘s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do“ i’m just unclear on what your personal circumstances before you sign the contract have to deal with anything? all of leasing is a scam because it only works as advertised in extremely high freight markets and doesn’t make sense when there are company positions that pay 100 K plus
You live NC. Why haven’t you looked at the carrier for which I drive? Culture, Home Time, Equipment, Compensation, and Knowledge. We get paid for everything we do; miles, stops, handling, 34 hour resets, vacation, holidays. I’ve shown every pay statement for years on my UA-cam. $3k sign on paid out over 9 months.
You said you were a lease purchase driver. If you bought a truck from the dealer would you expect them to put band new tires on it? If yes ... why would you take the lease truck in bad condition? That seems like your responsibility not the company. Protect yourself at all times brother good luck to you.
Not hating at all, but I have dispensed this advice to others before, but you have had quite a few companies that you have ended on a negative note with, and to your admission won't rehiire you. I would be humble and do some self-reflection as to why that is happening. 1 or 2 companies in 11 years of being in the industry would make sense. In my opinion the amount you're experiencing, some of it may fall on you. That being said, do you speak to recruiters on the phone? If so, what kind of questions do you ask? Not knowing who's paying for what (car, hotel, etc.) to orientation isn't indicative of anyone who's been in the business for over a decade. You did indite yourself on the trucks tires by saying "you didn't pay attention", that indicates you took a truck without a proper pre-trip, let alone a pre-lease truck inspection. Lastly, regardless of how grimey it was of BLC to prenailize you for missing a weigh station, there was absolutely no reason to miss it in the first place regardless of the complexity of the weigh station layout. Instead of saying you "messed up and missed it" you were blaming the poorly lit sign (in the dead of night), Nebraska DOT doing bad things, etc. You missing weigh station signs at your experience level is simply inexcusable. Look, I don't know you beyond your vlogs, but you definitely look worn out and have issues that are causing you stress that is starting to show up in your videos. I don't say that for any other reason than to take care of yourself first, and foremost. Be it trucking or whatever man, focus on you. Trucking will always be here. You've suggested that you're calling quits for a while - I think that is a great start to getting your physical health right, but more importantly your mental health. I wish you all the best and I hope 2025 is better for you. Merry Christmas
I see minimum 5-8 of their trucks at the terminal at any given time I stop there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one on the road. I’m curious who’s ordering their trucks but none of them haul anything
Ok they’re not going to do anything where the driver makes out better than them. It’s never a good idea to lease a truck from the same company that controls your revenue. No need to buy a truck unless you have your own suthority. Every one else is going scre you over. You can lease on to someone if you want but you’ll never know what the load really pays because you’ll never see a confirmation sheet. Same with driving a company truck. You’re going to sit around for free a lot and your going get shorted about 10 to 30 percent of the actual miles you drive. With your own authority you have more negotiations on what your pay will be before you take a load.
I've been looking at coming back to trucking. I've been looking at Ashley furniture and hirshbock. Have you or anyone you know heard anything about Ashley?
Cool vid.I know 1 thing a month ago every truck sales lot up & down Hwy 99 North & Southbound from Livingston to Bakersfield was packed mirror to mirror with truck.I know this because I run a dedicated run from Livingston to SoCal everyday And now all of a sudden as of a week ago those lots only have about 7-10 trucks left on those lots & those lots had atleast 30-40 trucks on them for about a year & 1/2.Something is going on & people are running their mouths on UA-cam & til tok saying the rates are going back up??
Hey Rich ! Hit me up Brother , I was with BLC in Alaska , they kicked me out of truck in Fairbanks , Ak in the cold no pay, no nothing! Told me “ Call it what it is “ ! Feel for ya! Been there 6 mos ! Made them Gross $135 k for 6 mos Brent td me to “ Shut my my mother Truckin mouth and accept what they give me?
Man…. I know you said you were comfortable running prime freight but to look a 2000 a week lease in the face and sign up for that is insane. You been leasing longer than I’ve had a drivers license at this point Rich. I wish you would stop, a lease isn’t setup for you to ever win. Who do you know has won at leasing ?
I stopped leasing and brought a 12k 05 Volvo and it brought me a house, paid off 2 36k cars, and a super clean 05 Pete 389 for 40k. As soon as your stop leasing and own your equipment the money just falls into your pocket. I completed a 4 year lease and prime and did the numbers and realized I gave prime 200k in lease payment over 4 years and they got to take the truck from me and sell the truck for 70k. In all they managed to steal 270k in wealth from me not even counting then skimming off all my loads. After that I knew I had to do something else. Owning an older truck and doing maintenance scares a lot of drivers but my truck has never once cost me 50k in repairs in a year vs the 50k in yearly lease payments.
That’s amazing bro congratulations frfr 💯
I was a company driver for about a year and now I'm looking at purchasing my own truck. Have the cash to do it sitting in the bank right now
Thanks for the great information rich that’s crazy how that company is
I did lease and paid off the truck. Sold truck once it hit over 700,000 miles. I enjoyed it. Now im driving for Crete and just entered my 3rd year with them as company. Always preplanned and no complaints. Good luck, Rich.
This reminds me how much easier life is as a company man.
💯
PS:U Should file a case against BLC!
Props for warning people about leasing, but let’s be blunt-it’s a straight-up scam. Leasing is a rigged game where you’re set up to lose from day one. They sell you a dream about “owning your truck,” but the reality is you’re paying their bills while they rake in the profit. You’re stuck with ridiculous payments, covering repairs, downtime, and all the risk, while they sit back and collect. And after all that, most drivers don’t even end up owning the damn truck. It’s modern-day slavery on wheels.
Go company first. Stack your cash, learn the ropes, and when you’re ready, buy your own truck outright. That’s the only way to win. I’m with KLLM, pulling $1,200 a week after taxes (W2), and on good weeks, I clear $1,500-$1,700. I get two days of PTO every week worked at $100/day, two weeks of vacation pay a year, and zero stress over truck payments or maintenance. I drive, I get paid, I go home. Simple.
Leasing is a sucker’s game, designed to bleed you dry. If you’re serious about trucking, don’t let some leasing company own your ass. Do it the smart way. I appreciate your videos, but drivers need to hear it like it is-leasing ain’t a shortcut, it’s a trap, and the ones who fall for it are the ones who get played.
I paid for my own CDL school and worked for about 13 months as a company driver, but recently got laid off. I've got the cash to buy a truck and go solo, but probably don't have the experience to do it yet.
Your experience with Stevens is an example of the difference of being an employee versus being a lease operator.
BLC charged you because you were a business owner and you had a contract.
You have to understand the difference between W-2 and 1099.
If you make a lucky $1500 a week leasing and run 70hrs that week it equals about $22 an hour. You mean to tell me you can’t find a stay at home job that pays over $22 an hour with benefits? I’m driving over the road I see signs of jobs paying over $85k annually in rural areas.
I don’t condone violence but a year or two ago a driver walked into the fleet owners office and killed him over money . These people think there untouchable until someone says “ eff it”
Things I've learned in the trucking industry so far.
1. Never lease a truck for $2k/wk. You might as well finance a truck for that kind of money.
2. Never do lease purchase from a carrier. I did this once with one of "those" companies out of the Chicago area and walked away from it after 2 weeks once I figured the numbers and found out everything wrong with the truck that you wouldn't find on a regular pre-trip inspection.
3. There is no Ft. Dodge in Indiana. There is a Ft. Wayne though.
4. I would never deadhead that many miles unless it was in writing, text, Qualcomm message, etc or I was a company driver and they paid deadhead miles.
I meant fort dodge Kansas
Hey king don’t settle for less , I’m currently leasing I’ve made from 500-3800 , get your doubles go work at fed ex ground , I know a contractor out of Portland dedicated 90 cents catch up on your 17k , an get back with prime , I’m from Cali , I Prefered to lease since I’m solo , I was going to try training at cr England but they gave me a beat up truck got me mad how they disrespect a 8 year experience trucker I really wanted to train no oh I need him or she to drive mile nah I can do that solo with some Chicago companies I know . Anyways good luck let me know if you wanna try drop an hook dedicated out of Portland .. takes two weeks to get in fed ex system
I used work for MK Trucking from Satsuma AL
And was flatbed lease program. But when I was doing the numbers from my paystub
I caught them stealing money from my chargebacks. Stealing money from when I fueled up
And pocket the rest. I made $6800 in wk and made $45 take home
So I was making videos here on UA-cam
I wasn't lying in them telling the truth showing my paystub
So they got a lawyer and told me take them down
Because they where late true and honest.
I’m not trying to be an asshole here, but there’s a couple types of people. Some people go to a restaurant order a steak and when it comes out cooked wrong, they asked for a new one or go to another restaurant if nothing can be done. Then there’s the second type of person they go to the restaurant order a steak. It comes out cooked wrong, but they eat it anyway, then when the bill comes, that’s when they want to complain. That’s not the proper time to complain, the proper time to complain is before you eat the steak or in this case signed the contract. Sure $2000 is a lot of money for a truck per week especially for a truck that’s in horrible condition. but you signed the contract and even chuckled and said “a guy‘s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do“ i’m just unclear on what your personal circumstances before you sign the contract have to deal with anything? all of leasing is a scam because it only works as advertised in extremely high freight markets and doesn’t make sense when there are company positions that pay 100 K plus
You live NC. Why haven’t you looked at the carrier for which I drive? Culture, Home Time, Equipment, Compensation, and Knowledge. We get paid for everything we do; miles, stops, handling, 34 hour resets, vacation, holidays.
I’ve shown every pay statement for years on my UA-cam. $3k sign on paid out over 9 months.
Who’s the carrier?
Is trucking lease operator your first and only business with 1099?
You said you were a lease purchase driver. If you bought a truck from the dealer would you expect them to put band new tires on it? If yes ... why would you take the lease truck in bad condition? That seems like your responsibility not the company. Protect yourself at all times brother good luck to you.
Not hating at all, but I have dispensed this advice to others before, but you have had quite a few companies that you have ended on a negative note with, and to your admission won't rehiire you. I would be humble and do some self-reflection as to why that is happening. 1 or 2 companies in 11 years of being in the industry would make sense. In my opinion the amount you're experiencing, some of it may fall on you.
That being said, do you speak to recruiters on the phone? If so, what kind of questions do you ask? Not knowing who's paying for what (car, hotel, etc.) to orientation isn't indicative of anyone who's been in the business for over a decade.
You did indite yourself on the trucks tires by saying "you didn't pay attention", that indicates you took a truck without a proper pre-trip, let alone a pre-lease truck inspection. Lastly, regardless of how grimey it was of BLC to prenailize you for missing a weigh station, there was absolutely no reason to miss it in the first place regardless of the complexity of the weigh station layout. Instead of saying you "messed up and missed it" you were blaming the poorly lit sign (in the dead of night), Nebraska DOT doing bad things, etc. You missing weigh station signs at your experience level is simply inexcusable.
Look, I don't know you beyond your vlogs, but you definitely look worn out and have issues that are causing you stress that is starting to show up in your videos. I don't say that for any other reason than to take care of yourself first, and foremost. Be it trucking or whatever man, focus on you. Trucking will always be here. You've suggested that you're calling quits for a while - I think that is a great start to getting your physical health right, but more importantly your mental health.
I wish you all the best and I hope 2025 is better for you.
Merry Christmas
Are u the one that teamed up to Alaska , they were telling us stories about u and ur co driver ?
No, what happen?
I see minimum 5-8 of their trucks at the terminal at any given time I stop there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one on the road. I’m curious who’s ordering their trucks but none of them haul anything
I avg 1.27 and 99 cent fuel. OTR bring home 15-1900 week usually sometimes more
Are you with them? Now?
@@truckerrichierich3088yes for the last 2 years
Ok they’re not going to do anything where the driver makes out better than them. It’s never a good idea to lease a truck from the same company that controls your revenue. No need to buy a truck unless you have your own suthority. Every one else is going scre you over. You can lease on to someone if you want but you’ll never know what the load really pays because you’ll never see a confirmation sheet. Same with driving a company truck. You’re going to sit around for free a lot and your going get shorted about 10 to 30 percent of the actual miles you drive. With your own authority you have more negotiations on what your pay will be before you take a load.
I've been looking at coming back to trucking. I've been looking at Ashley furniture and hirshbock. Have you or anyone you know heard anything about Ashley?
Why u leave Wilson
I was paying $1995 a wk total everything in
Couldn’t you just file a claim when that rookie caused all that damage?
You know I thought insurance would cover the payment too, but 🤷🏽♂️ it didn’t
Cool vid.I know 1 thing a month ago every truck sales lot up & down Hwy 99 North & Southbound from Livingston to Bakersfield was packed mirror to mirror with truck.I know this because I run a dedicated run from Livingston to SoCal everyday And now all of a sudden as of a week ago those lots only have about 7-10 trucks left on those lots & those lots had atleast 30-40 trucks on them for about a year & 1/2.Something is going on & people are running their mouths on UA-cam & til tok saying the rates are going back up??
Hey Rich ! Hit me up Brother , I was with BLC in Alaska , they kicked me out of truck in Fairbanks , Ak in the cold no pay, no nothing! Told me “ Call it what it is “ ! Feel for ya! Been there 6 mos ! Made them Gross $135 k for 6 mos Brent td me to “ Shut my my mother Truckin mouth and accept what they give me?
@@joelclark6788 wow! 🤯
I thought you quit trucking ritchie rich
@@pliantsmith8760 come on, he been said he was seeking opportunities outside of trucking not that he quit
Man…. I know you said you were comfortable running prime freight but to look a 2000 a week lease in the face and sign up for that is insane. You been leasing longer than I’ve had a drivers license at this point Rich. I wish you would stop, a lease isn’t setup for you to ever win. Who do you know has won at leasing ?
You should try Hirschbach , message me and I can give you the info
Not Hirschbach a dollar a mile 😂