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Depends on your trainer, and what you can arrange with him/her. If your trainer is a reasonable type, he may drop you off, and then arrange a load to pick you back up. Might be a Greyhound involved too. I've also heard of less reasonable types who have dropped said trainee off, only to find he was dropped by the trainer, and needed to Greyhound it back to SPRIMO to arrange another trainer.

My guy was always taking home time, and since I lived 10 miles away I was home alot too. That extended my training by a month over some of the folks I went to orientation with.

If you want to get your training done quickly - don't be taking home time.

 

I am about to join prime inc trucking as a student driver. What I want to know are facts and opinions (more facts plz) about the school? They say they average 2500 miles a week and pay 82 cents a mile refrigerated and 81 cents a mile flatbed that's via their FAQ's section on their company page. Is there any truth to that also, what can I expect to average pay wise during training and beyond. I am willing to put in the hours and drive hard but only if the pay is there. Thanks everyone in advance.

 

Training pay is quite different from what you read in the FAQ's. I'm quite sure that the rate you read about is for A seat/experienced drivers. Since you're about to join Prime, your recruiter can fill you in on the pay for trainees.

EDIT: To get the lowdown on training pay, go to Prime's site, click on Drivers, then click on Apprenticeship Training. The info you are looking for is on that page.

 

Being gone 4 months without coming home could be a deal breaker for me and Prime. My wife can just not be that long by herself.
I would need to know for sure that I could come back at least in the middle of it.

 

That's something you could arrange with your FM and trainer. Shouldn't be a problem, but you may want to reconsider the whole deal at this point.

OTR trucking isn't just a job - it's a lifestyle, and one that is very different from what folks consider to be "normal." You will be gone for long stretches - while the company pushes a three week minimum, how often can you forgo a paycheck? You take 4 days off (company driver maximum at one stretch) and you have just killed a paycheck.

Dealing with family life on the road is different too. Your wife will have to become self-sufficient in many areas, because you will not be there to deal with things. Nor can you just "take off" and go home to take care of stuff. Plus there is the stress of separation, trying to deal with keeping the relationship going long-distance, missing out on the things that the family is doing.

Now is the time to really think this through - before you get involved in this and on the financial hook for some truck driving school tuition.

 

Most of us think that Prime has some of the best training going considering the competition. (Editorial comment for those looking in - yeah, I know, it's not how things "used to be done" back in the "olden days!") Practically no one puts in as much time with a trainer as Prime drivers do - and that's a good thing. Any one who things they're a truck driver after three weeks with a trainer is a fool.

The average is about right. I'd consider 2500 to be a below-par week, with anything less than that to be followed by a really good week simply because I probably couldn't get a load turned in by the payroll cutoff on Tuesday.

The cent-per-mile rates you quoted are for Lease Operators and are guaranteed minimums (which are higher now). Basically, Prime guarantees a LO that he will average those numbers as a minumum for gross revenue over any 100,000-mile period. Most of the LOs I know do considerably better than that. That being said... a company driver does not make that kind of money. If you look in U2's "Year in Review" thread (link posted below) there are a number of posts detailing those numbers.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/prime/75406-prime-inc-a-year-in-review.html

 

The guarantees are now up to 90cpm for reefer division solo and team, and your fuel surcharge does not count towards the 90.

 

4 to 5 weeks is not a problem, but we are talking about 16 weeks. That is a major difference.
As far as the schooling, I was able to get it free, so I am not out anything.
I am going into this business for sure.
Almost every other company out there offers the opportunity to go home after 4 weeks with your trainer. I would be willing to go home in the middle of Prime;s which would be 8 weeks.
I would think that they would be a bit more sensitive to that when someone is starting out especially since they understand the strain that it puts on the family.
I will give them a call and talk to them.

Thanks for the info!

Jim

 

You will get to go home during the 4 month period.

Prime is a "family oriented" company, but you have to remember...they also run a business. When you aren't behind the wheel, they have to find someone else to take up the slack. My thoughts are that you accepted the job so you should know what's involved and what to expect. I don't believe in sugar coating it for the newbies.

My dh is a newbie and the lifestyle is something that should be considered before filling out the application.

 

I understand what you are saying. Having said that, I have not accepted any position with any company. That is why I am asking these questions up front before I commit and end up being on of these people bad mouthing the company after the fact.
I have been studying this every day since the middle of september.

I know what the life style entails and I know that there are options out there.

Thanks!

Jim