ask your questions about prime inc here

You don't get it. When you sign a contract to move freight for a company such as Prime (or any of them), you are acting as an independent agent. Prime isn't "offering a leasing program." You can avail yourself of a lease on a tractor through a third-party (independent of Prime Inc.) to move that freight - aka "the leasing program," but the deal is on you to move the freight and make money. You'll note that Prime doesn't require that you lease a tractor from them to move their freight - there is a "Logistics Program" that you can lease a tractor that you own onto Prime and use their authority and trailers to pull their freight. As long as the transportation company upholds their part of the contract, it's not "a black mark" against the transportation company (in this case, Prime.)

The so-called "bad business practices" are those of the independent contractor. The transportation company acts as a broker for freight at a given price, whether it be on a percentage basis (ala Prime) or on a per-mile basis. As long as the transportation company upholds the federal regulations on this (and there ain't many) and doesn't violate their contract with the independent contractor, there isn't really much that can be done outside of hiring an attorney to sue.

As long as you have a valid complaint, a good attorney and a deep bank account, you can.

In my opinion, its the latter.

 

its true Prime doesn't have any BBB complaints... either for Prime itself or its Leasing company (Success Leasing)

I looked at England and there are some spread around its various entities and locations.

This is not an endorsement for leasing, by no means. Just alot of keyboard tough guys and whiners that complain everywhere BUT to one of the most reputable Business watchdog organizations in the country.

 

You smacked that nail on the head.

Prime, as inaccurately pointed out by the previous post, does not lease trucks. Therefore; they haven't made any gross errors in the basic treatment of the fellow guy. However; Success Leasing, wholly owned by them, bears the atrocities. Since the name on the truck says Prime we affectionally blame the devastation on them.

Either way, same thing, spent two years in that hell hole. Escaped January this year. We ran as a team and made inconsistent money. Yet talking to solo after solo the story was always the same. Couldn't make enough to cover the costs on even an infrequent basis.

Now as to trainers, since PRIME has become primarily a school/leasing company would it make sense for them to starve the trainers? A hungry trainer may not be very appreciative of his/her owner.

Just something to think about.

 

I've been leasing for almost 3 years, started with a short one, and am on my 2nd truck now, and I've done fine in all respects team and solo. As long as you got a good head on your shoulders and can do the math to figure out if you're going to make a profit or not, it can be a good deal.

 

Devastation? No one put a gun to your head to sign that lease. There are good choices and bad choices - and such a thing as "due diligence." It's up to you to sift through them and determine whether a choice such as leasing a truck to move freight is a good one or a bad one.

Prime Inc. and Success Leasing Inc. offer an opportunity for an individual to be an economic success in this industry. That opportunity also confers the opposite - the ability to fail. That's part of our capatalist economic system. I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but being a successful businessman or woman isn't a given for everyone. Maybe its just that you made a bad choice (especially thanks to the multitude of bad choices made in Washington DC earlier in the decade,) and didn't do what was necessary to take that opportunity and succeed. You stated something about "inconsistant money." I think that's where a lot of these problems start... if one wants "consistant money" aka a paycheck, one shouldn't be leasing - a paycheck is what a company driver gets.

 

Sazook, you infer that the only reason someone can't make it at Prime is because they can't manage a business or do simple math....That is not correct. First my husband and I have owned our own business(ES) for over 20 years. I concurrently run my own real estate brokerage while we drive. We both have degrees mine in Biology and Business and his in Economics. I think the simple math is not an issue.

Can you please explain how you can make a profit on a 43,000 lb load of Tropicana from Bradenton, FL to Carson, CA, paying $0.69 per mile INCLUDING FUEL SURCHARGE? Of course you given 5 days to make it and will sit in Florida for 2 days if you turn it down?

Please don't say it doesn't happen, it happens everyday. PRIME has murdered the freight rates because it doesn't give a fig if the load has profitability or not. They get their 28% plus your truck payment no matter what.

So if you are consistently making the money with them, you are on someone's buddy list or you are a trainer. We had no incidents, no accidents, no lates, no time off for 2 years.

Please attempt to be fair.

 

He said "...it can be a good deal." Key word CAN.

 

A. 43,000#'s of OJ from Bradenton, FL to Carson, CA at 69CPM. There is no way to profit on that load, and I would refuse it, as I know there are better rates to be had down there. My last load of OJ paid 1.15/mi, and that was over a year ago. I don't generally go to FL, because of the rates coming back out. If you're afraid of sitting ot getting a crap rate out of an area, don't go into it.


B. What does Prime make more money on, 28% of 3.00/mi, or 28% of 1.00/mi? Prime is not "murdering" the freight rates because they don't care. Sometimes, in order to get a lane from a customer paying $2.50/mi, they have to take a lane paying $1.00/mi.

C. I met both of you 2 or 3 times, usually in Colton or Carson. Each time I met you, your complaints about your dispatcher were unending. I know a few other drivers that complain about their dispatchers all the time, and they all have a similar theme, they aren't making money, and it couldn't possibly be their fault. I knew one driver that wanted to be home in Dallas for 3 days every 2 weeks, and yet it was their dispatchers fault they kept falling farther and farther in the hole. I'm not saying that you didn't take any responsibility for what was happening, but it seems to be a common theme.

D. Your truck didn't have an APU, while it isn;'t effective in reducing costs on a team truck as it is on a solo truck, there is a difference. I have to imagine you had multiple opportunities to get one installed but didn't.

E. I am a trainer, I don't train all the time, and I'm on nobody's "buddy list." I pick up my loads, I deliver my loads, I don't complain, and if I refuse a load I spell out very clearly and very professionally why I'm not taking the load, and why I think I can be more profitable with something else.

I wish both of you the best in whatever you end up doing. You both seemed like decent people in the times I got to speak with you.

 

We did complain about our dispatcher Chance Dukawitz, and we did ask for a different one not allowed. You missed the part about us not taking time off. I should also say that our fuel mileage was average 6.5 including our idling. Didn't do it. An APU was irrelevant we actually drove the truck. Of course it would have taken another $65.00 minimum out of our pocket.

We are at JCT and happy as two ticks on a dog's back. There were weeks we made more money from my real estate brokerage which I am not even at than driving their truck.

We bought our own truck and considered signing it on with PRIME but then they were kind enough to let us deadhead 1375 to turn their truck back in.

Just curious are the trainer that your student wrecked your truck in Wyoming on I-80?

With the same miles with JCT we have doubled yes that's doubled our income. Please be honest with new drivers, this is "their due diligence". Lying or stretching the truth is not fair to those drivers.

 

Okay I'm not going to lie I haven't read all the threads on here but I have a few questions. I just recently got my CDL and was looking at going to Swift but after their recuiter acted like I was bothering her it kinda put a bad taste in my mouth about them. Now the Prime recuiter I've been talking to has been real nice and professional which I was just wondering will this be the case even after I'm with the company? I mean does this company actually treat their drivers with respect? Also I've read somethings about e log under the Prime link on here, is that everybody now or is it still in it's testing phase? Are all their trucks still manual trans. or are they moving over to auto's trans like most big companies? I've read a lot of flak about Prime being real slow on the road what are their company trucks governed at? Since this would be my first company do you all think it would be a good place to start. I'm not much on teaming but if it's what will pay my bills then I'll do it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and answering my questions.