Why do most larger companies expect drivers to dish out money for newer equipment if they simply do not have the business to keep drivers busy? Certain companies want you to lease on 2008 sprinters or newer, yet they can't guarantee that you (as the driver) will be able to make the payments on a newer vehicle. I personally think that this is wrong and that companies should allow people to remain "payment free" by allowing them to lease on slightly older trucks that are (in good physical and mechanical condition). What is your take on this matter?
Why do companies require drivers to have new vehcles?
- Thread starter blizzard2014
- Start date
I've seen more newer trucks break down then older ones at times....it's a mindset some carriers get....instead of taking the issue on a individual basis....they group old with old and new with new. Goes to show some of the ignorance of thier respective recruiting departments. They relate old with breakdown. Wrong, wrong, wrong....
You are right OVM. The big red E allowed me to lease on my 2003 Chevy Express Van and I never once had a mechanical issue that affected my delivery times. But I think companies like to keep the deivers down, that way we do not have the option of taking that extra vacation. When you have a large payment on any sized vehicle, just taking a week off can cause you to fall behind. Fixed expenses do not stop compiling just because the truck is not rolling down the highway. So, in essence, when you are chained to a truck payment, you are thus chained to the truck. You never go home for extended periods of time and you are always available to run freight, because you have to make that truck payment on time.
I have an aquiantence that has a 2004 and the BIG red E wouldn't let him lease on..they wanted 3 years or newer...go figure....I think some use truck age to weed out the people they don't want....the rule seems too liquid.
you could also be correct ..if one owns the truck/van one could assume that driver won't be in service 24/7....not like some of these non thinkers that buy a new Sprinter on a 72 month buy contract..I'd say no longer then 48 months...if you have to go longer and can't afford it...then you are not ready to enter this field.
you could also be correct ..if one owns the truck/van one could assume that driver won't be in service 24/7....not like some of these non thinkers that buy a new Sprinter on a 72 month buy contract..I'd say no longer then 48 months...if you have to go longer and can't afford it...then you are not ready to enter this field.
Last edited:
New and shiny doesn't pay the bills and I've seen some new and shiny on the back of a hook as well....
I've also seen some slick 5-7 yr old trucks out there...
They should be recruited on a case by case situation...but that would be extra work for recruiters....and besides they usually know squat about trucks!!*LOL*
lol@rolling billboard. Maybe they will pay me just to drive around industrial complexes advertising with my GMC 1500 van?
If a fleet looks all new and shiny it's a great recruiting tool....It GIVES the ILLUSION that the owners are making money!!!
Well, OVM, the big E is willing to lease on my 2003 GMC Savanna light duty 2500 cargo van with a weight rating of 7300 on the door, provided I get the spring package added to the rear end. One of the main recruiters has personally inspected the van (and has found it to be in stellar condition) plus I have a pretty decent record with the E. But I don't think the van will be able to be utilized for expediting due to it's small size. So, I guess the rule is "in a sense" liquid.
Last edited by a moderator:
Must have been Dwayne...You'd be limited for sure..but depends on what money you are looking to make...depends always depends on depending....
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
In 1984 when i first tried to get on with Roberts Express,the trucj i had was a 1977 KW,it was a show truck,and the oldes moving part had 100000 as i had rebuilt that truck that year,every thing from engine to drive train.I ended up selling the truck,and purchased a newer on just to sign on.Roberts wouldnt even let me bring the truck in to show them the condition of the truck,said it was policy.I know that brand new trucks break down,but not as frequently as older trucks.In the expedite game,there is no room for trucks that break down.thats my 2 cents
Must have been Dwayne...You'd be limited for sure..but depends on what money you are looking to make...depends always depends on depending....
Sure, I can run cable boxes from AT&T in South Bend out to Detroit once a day for 250 dollars and still pull down some pretty decent coin. I did that once for Jenny when her regular "picu-up truck" driver had already left on his daily round-trip from South Bend to Detroit. You never know, anything is possible with the big red E.
EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
Companies require NEW trucks because 99% of the time new trucks come with NEW truck PAYMENTS!!!
Payments keep drivers IN SERVICE, desperate for frieght.
As for break downs, most of the horror stories I hear happen to NEW trucks.
Payments keep drivers IN SERVICE, desperate for frieght.
As for break downs, most of the horror stories I hear happen to NEW trucks.
I`ve been asking that question for years. In the early days the corporate thinking was that new trucks break down less, and most carriers will pay your towing bill if you break down under load. So that makes it a dollars and sense issue, right? Wrong! All carriers that I know of want to inspect your vehicle when you sign on, to be sure it`s roadworthy according to their standards. I don`t care if you bring in an out of the showroom all the bells and whistles wagon, or a good, solid, well maintained older truck. Any mechanic worth his salt can do an inspection, and pretty much tell the truck owner and the company what kind of shape the vehicle is in, highlighting the parts that break down the most. We as drivers, should know something about trucks, and we should know that good maintenance is the bottom line for our equipment. We also know about the parts that will break the most frequently, like clutches, and clutch cables, brakes, and hoses, airbags etc. The engine and drive train break down rarely in comparison, but it happens, and it happens on all trucks. It`s usually some peripheral, or obscure part that causes the breakdown, and it can happen on ANY age truck. In general service, a well maintained vehicle has probably an equal chance of staying in service in comparison with a new vehicle, although, a new vehicle would probably get the nod over the older vehicle, just because it is NEW.
Nobody wants to breakdown, but the owner/op that is maintenance careless will breakdown much more than the owner/op who does his maintenance. Stands to reason. The driver who takes care of business and has a good record and is on time, should be the preference of a company over he who owns the newest equipment. Look at the aviation industry. Planes stay in service for YEARS. They don`t fly without maintenance, but they are serviceable for years, and if they pass the company inspection it`s up, up and away, no matter how old they are. I for one, think that today`s trucks are built to last, but without maintenance they won`t last, and if they are taken care of, they will give the same longevity service as airplanes. So, hire the driver, don`t worry about his truck, because he`ll bring that with him. If he is a productive driver, his truck will be productive also, no matter how old it is.
Nobody wants to breakdown, but the owner/op that is maintenance careless will breakdown much more than the owner/op who does his maintenance. Stands to reason. The driver who takes care of business and has a good record and is on time, should be the preference of a company over he who owns the newest equipment. Look at the aviation industry. Planes stay in service for YEARS. They don`t fly without maintenance, but they are serviceable for years, and if they pass the company inspection it`s up, up and away, no matter how old they are. I for one, think that today`s trucks are built to last, but without maintenance they won`t last, and if they are taken care of, they will give the same longevity service as airplanes. So, hire the driver, don`t worry about his truck, because he`ll bring that with him. If he is a productive driver, his truck will be productive also, no matter how old it is.
CharlesD
Expert Expediter
Ding...we have a winner!
Around here most companies require a vehicle 5 years old or newer. Of course the main thought behind that is, it is more reliable than the 7-10 year old buggy. In fact a fella last year joined us and had bought an older van which he showed to the recruiter and showed his saftey cert etc. So they took the chance and hired him. Well it lasted a week then in the shop for two days, then it lasted almost a week and back in the shop and the same afterwards but with a major problem where he was off for a full week. SO they talked to him and basically he wasn't making anything (of course truck not on road) so he quit. Now another fella just before him had a 2 year old unit and it went in the shop every other week for one thing or another but the rear end cost him a lot of time off. He quit as well.
Yes some older units work fine. When I joined my truck was 4 years old and had around 400000 miles on it. I had two breakdowns in 6 months of which neither was under load and both fixed in a day but the owners of the company saw the mileage and said get a newer unit. I replaced it at 500000 miles. But new buggy had some breakdowns as well as been in shop like 4 times other than reg maintenance over the last 3 years. So no matter they all have breakdowns even doing preventive maint.
So it goes. I suppose the best idea is to get a few years old unit so lower payments and hopefully a decently reliable unit. Compromise between new and old low cost.
Rob
Yes some older units work fine. When I joined my truck was 4 years old and had around 400000 miles on it. I had two breakdowns in 6 months of which neither was under load and both fixed in a day but the owners of the company saw the mileage and said get a newer unit. I replaced it at 500000 miles. But new buggy had some breakdowns as well as been in shop like 4 times other than reg maintenance over the last 3 years. So no matter they all have breakdowns even doing preventive maint.
So it goes. I suppose the best idea is to get a few years old unit so lower payments and hopefully a decently reliable unit. Compromise between new and old low cost.
Rob
I beleive because of stagnant rates, you have seen many carriers relax those restrictions on vehicle age over the last several years.
I also believe that will continue due to the current economic issues. With available credit tightening, it will become difficult for even the credit worthy to obtain financing for new equipment. I don't believe we are totally there, but all the gloom and doom from the media makes it sound like it could be more difficult in the coming months if not already.
I also believe that will continue due to the current economic issues. With available credit tightening, it will become difficult for even the credit worthy to obtain financing for new equipment. I don't believe we are totally there, but all the gloom and doom from the media makes it sound like it could be more difficult in the coming months if not already.
Your right Dave.
Thats why other carriers lost some good owners over the years. Husband and wife teams that worked hard to pay off their truck just to be told you need to replace your truck. The sad thing is there is other carriers waiting in the wings saying you can put your truck on with us because the truck still looked and ran good. Who does it hurt in the long run? The other owners of the fleet. What I mean by that is. If that carrier lost 200 trucks because the carrier thought those trucks was to old. Now a customer calls in on a Friday and has a nice load that needs covered. The company is down 200 trucks and 1/3 of the fleet is out of service at any given time. The company now has to tell the customer we are out of trucks can you call back tomorrow. So the customer calls another carrier that just took on that TRAINED husband and wife team and ask them if that can do the load. That Trained husband and wife team goes and picks the load up and thanks the customer for their business.
So who do you think that customer is going to call the next time 1st to see if they can get their load covered? Not the 1st company. So now they lost a customer and other owners lose in the long run.
Just my thoughts
Thats why other carriers lost some good owners over the years. Husband and wife teams that worked hard to pay off their truck just to be told you need to replace your truck. The sad thing is there is other carriers waiting in the wings saying you can put your truck on with us because the truck still looked and ran good. Who does it hurt in the long run? The other owners of the fleet. What I mean by that is. If that carrier lost 200 trucks because the carrier thought those trucks was to old. Now a customer calls in on a Friday and has a nice load that needs covered. The company is down 200 trucks and 1/3 of the fleet is out of service at any given time. The company now has to tell the customer we are out of trucks can you call back tomorrow. So the customer calls another carrier that just took on that TRAINED husband and wife team and ask them if that can do the load. That Trained husband and wife team goes and picks the load up and thanks the customer for their business.
So who do you think that customer is going to call the next time 1st to see if they can get their load covered? Not the 1st company. So now they lost a customer and other owners lose in the long run.
Just my thoughts
Last edited:
Simply put. It's time for a driver revolt!
Most of the recruiters I've worked with (none in the expedite world) looked at it this way,
A new or nearly new truck usually meant the guy had the business sense to afford it. It was an indication, this guy is likely smart enough to make money. Making money means, among other things, being in service regularly and therefore more useful to the fleet.
That has not always been the best indicator in the last couple of years as just about anyone could get way more credit than they could afford. Then the interview process took over and you had to figure out if the smarts came with the chrome.
A new or nearly new truck usually meant the guy had the business sense to afford it. It was an indication, this guy is likely smart enough to make money. Making money means, among other things, being in service regularly and therefore more useful to the fleet.
That has not always been the best indicator in the last couple of years as just about anyone could get way more credit than they could afford. Then the interview process took over and you had to figure out if the smarts came with the chrome.