Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/147844
news and notes news and notes Thompson Completes 12-month Lease with E.W. Wylie Larry Thompson spent 18 years driving a fuel tanker. He eventually grew tired of maneuvering in and out of cramped gas stations and navigating busy highways carrying dangerous cargo. Thompson knew he needed a change, but he wanted to continue working as a professional driver. He decided to look into owner operator opportunities with flatbed trucking companies and discovered the lease purchase program at E.W. Wylie Corporation. "I didn't want to drive a box down the road and the freight you haul on a flatbed gives you more options for vision when you're turning around and backing up because you can see around what you're carrying," says Thompson, who just finished paying off his lease in February. "I chose E.W. Wylie because they accept drivers without OTR flatbed experience and had a lease program I could see myself participating in. E.W. Wylie's lease purchase program offers drivers an instant business opportunity with the best owner-operator settlement package in the industry, no money down, weekly settlements and fuel card. The company also provides assistance to owner-operators to help them maximize their income and get the most out of being an independent contractor. Thompson liked that E.W. Wylie seemed to offer him the best value for his money and that the company gave him everything he needed to start running successfully and safely from the very start. It only took Thompson 12 months to finish paying off his lease. "I didn't know if I would like this job or not, so I figured I'd pick Wylie's shortest lease option because if I didn't like it, I could do something else afterwards," Thompson explains. "It was tough, but a good experience and they were there helping and supporting me the whole time. I feel such a sense of accomplishment now because I completed what I set out to do." Now that Thompson has paid off his truck lease, he his wife plan to move to Texas with their children while he continues working with E.W. Wylie as an owner operator. His advice for other drivers interested in becoming successful lease purchase operators is to make the sacrifices needed to run their truck as hard and as long as they can to get the lease paid off as quickly as possible. Established in 1938, E.W. Wylie Corporation employs more than 240 drivers with a full portfolio of truckload services including flatbed trucking, specialized transportation and wind energy transportation and trucking logistics. For more information on E.W. Wylie Corporation careers, visit www.wylietrucking. com or call 800-437-4132. OO / Owner operator/ August 2013 / / 50 OO 0813 edit.indd 50 7/8/13 11:54 AM