Truck lease-purchase programs: what NC drivers should know before signing

The short version

In a carrier lease-purchase, you lease a truck from the carrier or a company tied to it, and sign a separate deal to drive for that same carrier. The idea is that you pay off the truck and own it at the end. [2][5][8]

A federal task force reported in January 2025 that fewer than 1 in 100 drivers in these programs end up owning the truck, according to trade press reports of its findings. It asked Congress to ban deals where the carrier controls a driver's work, pay and debts. [2][3][13]

As of October 9, 2026, no federal law or rule bans them. Two House bills would, but neither has passed the House. [7][10]

Federal lease rules still apply. The lease must spell out the terms of any truck purchase or rental the carrier takes out of your pay, list every chargeback, and set escrow rules. [1]

Our tip: read the whole contract before you sign, ideally with a lawyer, and get every number in writing. [3][12]

How a lease-purchase differs from leasing on your own truck

The Congressional Research Service describes lease-purchase as a rent-to-own setup. A driver working for a truck-owning firm works toward owning the truck they drive, usually under a separate contractor agreement with the carrier. [2]

That is different from an owner-operator who already owns a truck and leases it on to a carrier. FreightWaves also describes a plain lease operator, who rents a truck and gives it back with no plan to own it. [27]

The task force focused on deals where the carrier or an affiliated company supplies the financing. It didn't cover drivers who borrow from an outside bank or dealer. [3][5]

The key feature is that the same company is your lender or landlord for the truck and your source of loads and pay. That is why the task force looked at carrier control of work, pay and debt together. [2][3][5]

If you already own your truck and are weighing a carrier, our lease-on guide covers the full federal lease checklist. This post is about deals where the carrier supplies the truck. [1]

What the federal task force found

Congress set up the Truck Leasing Task Force in the 2021 infrastructure law, run by the Transportation and Labor departments. Its report went to Congress in January 2025. [2][4]

FleetOwner reported that the task force found carriers set the pay rates, truck payments, insurance, fuel buying and maintenance. Many drivers couldn't negotiate the terms or take the contract home to review. [3]

The report said drivers are almost always classed as independent contractors even though the carrier has near-total control, and that payments often build no equity in the truck. FleetOwner quoted it calling the deals tools of fraud and driver oppression. [3]

On pay, the report cited a court case where lease-purchase drivers earned under one-third of the industry's average pay. FreightWaves reported some drivers in the cases it reviewed kept as little as 11.3 percent of the revenue they hauled. [3][13]

The task force estimated at least 200,000 interstate drivers have been affected, based on court records. It said lawsuits are the only path to relief and haven't reformed the programs. [2][3][5]

Not everyone agreed. The American Trucking Associations said carriers' views were underrepresented, and the Truckload Carriers Association said many programs succeed. OOIDA backed the report. [2][3][5]

Where the money goes, and what happens if you quit

In these deals, the truck payment, insurance, fuel and repairs usually come out of your settlement. FleetOwner reported testimony in class actions about drivers getting negative paychecks after deductions. [3]

A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau staff report to the task force said drivers may never be told the annual percentage rate or finance charge. It also flagged confusing earnings projections. [12]

The same report said default terms can be triggered for reasons beyond missed payments, sometimes for no stated reason. The damages a driver owes after default may be large sums unrelated to the carrier's actual losses. [12]

It also flagged big escrow accounts and personal guarantees, which can let the lender collect even after you hand back the truck. Some drivers give up the truck rather than wait for repossession. [12]

The CFPB report said the financial squeeze can push drivers to run long hours, keep driving unsafe equipment and put off repairs. That puts your safety record and CDL at risk, not just your money. [12]

We found no reliable source for typical weekly truck payments, balloon payments or maintenance reserves, so we don't print numbers. Ask for yours in writing. [1][12]

What federal lease rules require, and what they don't

Under 49 CFR 376.12(i), the carrier can't make you buy or rent equipment or services from it as a condition of the lease. If a purchase or rental contract lets the carrier take payments out of your pay, the lease must spell out its terms. [1]

Section 376.12(h) says the lease must list every chargeback and how it's figured, and the carrier must give you copies of the documents behind each one. [1]

Escrow rules are in 376.12(k). The lease must state the amount, what it can be used for, and how you get an accounting. The carrier pays interest at least every quarter, at no less than the 13-week Treasury bill rate. [1]

When the lease ends, the carrier must return the escrow within 45 days, minus deductions the lease allowed, with a final accounting. [1]

Pay terms must be in writing before your first trip, and pay is due within 15 days after you turn in delivery papers. The lease's control terms don't by themselves make you an employee or a contractor. [1]

Our read of the text: Part 376 has no rule on how big a truck payment can be, on balloon payments, or on what happens to your equity if the deal ends early. Those turn on your contract. [1]

Bills in Congress as of October 2026

H.R. 5423, the Predatory Truck Leasing Prevention Act, was filed Sept. 17, 2025. It would have DOT write rules banning predatory lease-purchase programs within a year. Congress.gov shows no action since it went to a subcommittee the next day. [7][8]

H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, is a broader highway bill. Section 5101 would have DOT ban predatory lease-purchase programs within two years and create a disclosure form for drivers. [2]

The House Transportation Committee ordered H.R. 8870 reported 62-2 on May 22, 2026. Congress.gov lists no later action as of Oct. 9, 2026, so it is not law. [7]

OOIDA backs the lease-purchase ban in the bill. A Federal Register search found no FMCSA or Labor Department rule on lease-purchase since mid-2024. [9][10]

North Carolina options if a deal goes bad

Under G.S. 97-19.1, a carrier that contracts with a driver who hasn't bought their own workers' comp can be liable as the employer, unless the driver runs only under their own USDOT authority. Our read: a lease-purchase driver usually hauls under the carrier's authority, so ask who covers you. [14][3]

If you think you were misclassified as a contractor, the NC Industrial Commission's Employee Classification Section takes reports. As of October 2026, its numbers are 919-716-1701 and 888-891-4895. [15][16]

North Carolina bans unfair or deceptive acts in business, and G.S. 75-16 allows triple damages to people or businesses hurt by them. Whether a given lease-purchase deal qualifies is a question for a lawyer. [21][22]

You can file a complaint with the NC Department of Justice at (919) 716-6000, or 1-877-5-NO-SCAM in NC. The office says it usually sends complaints to the business and may refer them to another agency. It can't act as your lawyer. [23][24]

Lawsuits have won relief. In 2019, C.R. England settled a lease-purchase class action for $37.8 million, including canceling about $48 million in disputed driver debts, without admitting fault. That case was brought under Utah law. [11]

We found no NC Attorney General action on truck lease-purchase deals. OOIDA said in 2019 it wondered why state attorneys general hadn't looked harder at them. [11]

Questions to ask before you sign

Can I take the contract home and have a lawyer read it? The task force found many drivers weren't given that chance. Our tip: walk away from a deal that must be signed on the spot. [3]

Who holds title to the truck, and is the leasing company tied to the carrier? What is the total of all payments, is there a final balloon payment, and what is the finance charge? [3][12]

What puts me in default, and what do I owe if I quit or get let go? Is there a personal guarantee? The CFPB report flagged both as common problems. [12]

Get the escrow amount, its uses and interest terms, every chargeback and how it's figured, and the written purchase or rental terms the carrier will deduct from pay. Federal rules say the lease must state these. [1]

Ask for the program's completion rate and average driver take-home pay. No law requires a carrier to share them, but OOIDA has pushed for that disclosure. Our tip: be wary of a carrier that won't answer. [4]