Managed truck ownership with LFS
You buy and own the truck. It runs with a trucking company in the LFS network, under that company's authority, and we manage it under a written agreement. Every week you see the loads, the expenses and the results.
What managed truck ownership is
People often come to us asking how to invest in trucking. Our answer is ownership, not a fund. You buy a semi truck, and it is titled in your name or your company's name. The truck is placed with a trucking company LFS has built or is building in the LFS network. It runs under that company's own operating authority, and Logistical Forwarding Solutions manages it for you under a written management agreement.
We are a trucking management company. We are not an investment adviser and we are not a fund. We do not take, hold or pool anyone's investment money, and we do not sell securities. LFS holds no ownership in your truck. We never ask you to hand us money in exchange for a return.
What we provide is the work it takes to keep a truck running and paid: driver recruiting and hiring, dispatch, DOT compliance, maintenance coordination, back office, and a weekly report. It is the same trucking company management we provide to the companies in our network, applied to a truck you own.
What LFS handles for your truck
Each of these is spelled out in the management agreement, so you know who does what before the truck turns a wheel.
Driver recruiting and hiring
We recruit, screen and hire the CDL-A driver for the network trucking company your truck runs with, and keep the driver qualification file current.
Dispatch and freight
We research lanes, dispatch 53-foot dry van, reefer or power only freight, and review brokers and rates before the truck moves.
DOT compliance
Driver files, hours of service, inspections and the records an auditor asks for, kept current.
Maintenance coordination
We schedule preventive maintenance, line up repairs and keep the records. You pay for the work and decide on major repairs.
Back office
Billing, collections, paperwork and fuel-tax records, handled week to week.
Weekly reporting
A weekly report shows the loads run, the revenue, the expenses and the result, good weeks and bad ones alike.
Why a carrier-first company manages trucks
We are a carrier-first company. Everything we do exists to keep the small trucking company alive: solvent, compliant, earning, and not alone. A truck is a small carrier's whole business, and keeping one loaded, legal and running is what LFS was built to do.
As we put it: "One truck is a straight line. A business built right turns in circles." The right load leads to dispatch, then billing, collection, cash in the bank, compliance kept current, and better freight research next time. When your truck runs with a company in the LFS network and we manage it, that circle is the work.
Any income your truck earns is the result of a truck that stays on the road and gets paid. It is not a promise we make.
- You own the truck and hold the title
- It runs under a network company's own authority
- We manage it under a written agreement
- You see loads, expenses and results each week
- No promised returns or income
Your equipment has education behind it
Trucks placed in the LFS network run with companies we have built or are building, and those companies have education behind them. Your equipment is monitored, worked and improved by a team of students, interns and academics from Freight University, managed by LFS.
With education behind it, your investment is more secure. How we work.
- Equipment monitored by a team
- Freight research behind the truck's work
- Compliance and maintenance records kept current
- An investment with education behind it
What it still asks of you
We call this hands-off ownership because you are not driving, dispatching or chasing paperwork. It is not hands-off in every sense, and we would rather say so now.
- Capital. You pay for the truck and its upkeep. Repairs can be large and come without warning, so you need money set aside.
- Attention. Read the weekly report, ask questions, and make the owner's decisions, such as approving a major repair or replacing equipment.
- Risk. Results depend on freight rates, truck uptime, driver retention, fuel, repairs, insurance and market conditions. You can lose money.
Before you go further, read the risks of owning a truck, in plain words. If the list gives you pause, that is a sensible reaction, and we would rather you pause now than later.
How to start the conversation
There is no rush in this process, and nothing is decided on a web form.
Read the risks and the FAQ
Start with the risks and common questions so the first conversation is a real one.
Send an inquiry
Tell us whether you already own a truck or plan to buy one, and what you want to know.
Talk with LFS
We talk with people who are serious about this before anything else happens. You can learn more about our founder, Michael Thomas.
Decide with the full picture
Read how managed ownership works and the management agreement, and have your own attorney and accountant review it before you sign or buy anything.
Plain answers before any commitment
If you have a question the pages here don't answer, ask it. We would rather explain something twice than have you buy a truck on a guess.
Related
How managed truck ownership works
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Risks of owning a truck, in plain words
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Managed truck ownership: questions and answers
Straight answers to the questions people ask most about owning a truck that LFS manages.
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Michael Thomas
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How we work: backed by education
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Talk with us about managed truck ownership
Tell us a little about where you are and what you want to know. Someone from LFS will reply to set up a call.
Prefer the phone? Call 901-205-9679.
Nobody will ask you for money on a web form. This form only asks for a conversation.