prime cdl school rip off!!

No if you quit before your year is up? YOU PAY for your schooling.Schneider,CRST,SWIFT, ect is all the same.You are a contract employee.
Skull

 

if i stay in for year do they have any say so in where i go or what i do with my career?

 

Been there, buddy. Never sign anything until you know EXACTLY what you're getting in to. I too had to learn the hard way though, like so many others I guess

Absolutely not. Once you've done your time they are required by contractual agreement to surrender all of your records and provide reference for the time you spent with them. You own your CDL free and clear.

The contract may be a thing of the past though. I, and thousands of others, have been able to find loopholes in the these contracts which release us entirely from our obligation and allow us to keep our CDLs free. Many training companies write contracts with illegal work stipulations burried in the back pages. Finding these illegal terms can be tricky, but once you do you're almost entirely assured your contract voided. Feel free to send me a private message or just spread the word if you or someone you know think you may have been a victim of an illegal contractual agreement...

 

Prime is 100% a training company, not so much a trucking company. I unfortunatly drove for them. They scam you, you have one week from first day to drop out or you owe them $3000+. In the first 4-5 week when you have your permit they throw you in a truck, good for hand on learning and going further in debt to Prime. While you are driving their truck, delivering their loads, you get a $200/week ADVANCE. So, by the time you are wanting to actually get you CDL you are atleast $4000 in debt. You pay your advances back as you work. After half a year you only owe half for schooling, one year none. Plus I heard they get a tax write off for each student that enrolls and owes money, not for sure but I heard around $10000. So within one month Prime can make close to $14000 off you, not to mention all the loads you delivered for them while you were going into debt. Once you get your CDL you have to go out immediatly(no home time) with a trainer. You are supposed to be with a trainer for 30000 miles or longer if your trainer says your not ready. While you are with your trainer you make 12cpm or $600, whichever is greater. . So, once again Prime is making a lot of money off you delivering their load while you get paid peanuts. Another thing messed up with Prime is there office workers can do no harm. On many occasions people in the offices/terminals messed things up or didn't do their jobs; i.e. Road Assist not making appointments, live loaded calls not changing your trailer number... Was there any consequences, NO, but if a trucker is late, there is all hell to pay. If you drive for company they want you out for roughly 6 weeks and only give you 4 days off. You have to pay for your chains and any other tools you need for your truck, and if they are in good condition they might reimburse you when you turn them in. Also like I said in the beginning "A TRAINING COMPANY" if you go solo your dispatcher will hound you about becoming a trainer in the training program. Going solo will also get you put into a Lightweight Truck. They are governed at 58-62mph and are very small, your super single bed is directly behind your seat. The kicker with the Lightwieghts is they are for hualing more weight (1000lbs), but you never get anymore weight than a regular truck.

 

I originally obtained my CDL from Prime back in 05. I thought it was great and I learned a ton! My instructor that I was out with for 4 weeks while I had my permit taught me a great deal of info and I almost aced my exam. After that I think its a great idea that they send you out with a trainer to run as a team so you get the hang of things and get it all figured out. I had fun with my trainer and we stayed out for 13 weeks straight. 90K miles buddy. I thought that the program back then was great but I dont know about it now a days since they use to have faster trucks and the qualcom was for dispatching loads only!

 

I love it when people are "Misinformed". Prime is a trucking company that just happens to train new drivers. They do not advertise as a truck driving school. Prime has over 4500 drivers and over 7000 trailers, Not sure how many you think you need before you qualify as a trucking company. I am a company driver I am also a certified CDL instructor and certified company trainer. You say some correct things and some incorrect things, You obviously were an unsuccessful driver with Prime based on your negative attitude. Prime does not rip anyone off. They start you out as one of the highest paid training programs in the entire nation, when you complete you get 36 cpm. If you get a lightweight you get another 5cpm. NO OTHER company can match that. The 600 a week is guaranteed incase the driver has a bad week, when training you get team pay and the trainer is paying you from his money. You obviously haven't a clue what you are talking about, So do your best to find another company that treats its drivers as fairly or pays them as well and go there. Quit dissuading others because you were a failure at it. NO one twisted your arm to come to prime. Oh yeah I started out as a student here also.

 

Thanks for the positive reply on this. You're a successful Prime driver, Were you "forced" to do anything. I don't remember that myself. These folks are cluless failures.

 

No, it's up to you. You don't have to stay a full year if you want to move on. If you stay for 6 months the cost of training is halved.
.

 

Prime seems to me to have the best training program of any company out there. The "throw you ina room with a book" is bs. They have you study for a few days to get a permit. And they are there helping you and answering questions. While, provide free meals and hotel stay. When going for your permit, that is about all you can do, is study.

Then you go out with and instructor. Most companys you will spend 2-4 weeks on a yard backing and standing around to learn the necessary skills to pass your cdl exam. PRIME sends you on the road with an instructor for one on one training in the actual work invironment, while gaurenteeing you pay. NOT A LOAN.

JUst because you fail at life, does make things a rip-off