"Treat it like a business, not a job" is what Johann would tell new drivers, as they get into a lease with RT&T. He said he appreciated that RT&T has an affordable program available to allow drivers to get into a lease, but it is up to the driver to work hard, know their expenses, and watch their budget.

Johann hadn't leased before and was looking for more independence in his driving career. He had started looking at lease programs when he saw RT&T's ad on Craigslist and decided to make the call. He liked the program, the choice of trucks, and what his running options were, so he made the choice to join RT&T. He started as a regional driver and was later able to get onto a dedicated lane. He likes the flexibility of having regional and dedicated opportunities.

Johann knew that watching his money was going to be key in successfully completing the lease program. He realized that fuel was his biggest expense and he learned ways to lower that cost. Proper trip planning, taking off slower, and keeping driving speed down helped a lot, as well as using his APU to reduce idling time, which in turn lowered his fuel consumption. He noted that he wasn't very mechanically inclined but knew the basics of what made the truck run and what to be looking for. With that, he also said that RT&T Repair was awesome and was able to help him in being efficient and cutting costs. The maintenance director, Andy, is very knowledgeable and can help the driver not overspend on things that don't need to be done.

By being a good money manager Johann was able to pay his truck off early and still have a sizeable dollar amount left in his maintenance escrow. He will continue weekly deposits to his escrow account, in order to take care of any surprises that come up down the road. He was really glad to have the maintenance escrow account, which gave him peace of mind in knowing that if something broke on the truck, he would be able to afford to get it fixed.

Johann appreciated the help that RT&T gave him in getting to the point of actually owning his truck. He also knew that in the long run, it was up to him to be successful. He trusted RT&T to keep him moving and would only reject a load if he couldn't legally run the load. He said that RT&T isn't perfect and there were some tough times, but that even in the tough times RT&T was there to help him out if things went awry. For the most part it has been an enjoyable experience. He mentioned that you can't get lazy and you have to keep pushing on.

RT&T would like to congratulate and thank Johann for his hard work and good attitude throughout the lease! We look forward to Johann being a member of the RT&T fleet for many years to come!