Following the FMCSA’s push to eliminate lease-purchase trucking programs, a new underground market has emerged in an unlikely place – the dark web. While officials expected the crackdown to bring reform to lease-to-own deals, they may not have anticipated truckers turning to less conventional sources to find their next rig.
According to reports, anonymous marketplaces have begun listing trucks under suspiciously vague descriptions, offering deals that sound too good to be true. One ad promised “one hundred percent ownership after a few easy payments… and a legally questionable contract.” Another assured potential buyer that “no credit check is required, just your unwavering loyalty and possibly your firstborn child.”
A few listings have raised even more eyebrows, with one truck allegedly coming with “a GPS pre-programmed to avoid weigh stations, DOT checkpoints, and any address that might belong to a collections agency.” Another suspiciously advertised that the truck had “mysteriously low miles” and a fuel tank that “never seems to run empty.”
FMCSA officials have warned drivers against taking these offers seriously, reminding them that the same predatory contracts they’ve worked to eliminate may now be hiding in even more obscure places. But some truckers, burned by years of lease agreements that never led to actual ownership, aren’t convinced.
“Honestly, it’s still better than the last company I leased with,” said one driver. “At least this time, I know I’m signing a shady deal instead of finding out the hard way.”
Meanwhile, enforcement agencies have begun tracking these websites, though many are proving difficult to trace. Some are even hidden behind password-protected pages that require applicants to answer “How many times has a dispatcher lied to you?” before gaining access.
Whether or not these deals are real remains unclear, but one thing is certain – truckers are tired of feeling trapped in endless lease agreements. If FMCSA truly wants to eliminate predatory programs, they may have to move faster than the internet.
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