New to the Industry, had questions about Prime Trucking

It depends on what you make of it. Many of the folks who have gone through training there think its a great way to start. I came through with a CDL, and no experience (C-seat) - the folks who went through PSD seemed to be much further along at that point simply because of the extra seat time you get going through PSD instruction. Once you get your CDL, the training pay is better than most of the rest of the industry. After a year driving your own truck, the tuition is forgiven. You probably should look through the "Report a Bad Company" folder and see what's in there on Prime. Also, most of us who post here put our threads in this folder...

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/prime/

Good luck with your career!

 

Have to agree with Ironpony ,it really boils down to the individual and what they make of it and what their work ethics are. Prime is a mega-carrier and you will most likely be treated more as a number than a human but it is also a good place to get your foot in the door for no money upfront. Its a good way to learn the trade and how to drive safely. Stick it out for a year, most likely that is the length of the contract you will have to sign. After that, decide for yourself if they are a good fit or if you need to move on. They aren't there to rip anyone off. They are a legit company and are pretty upfront and forward about everything. When talking with the recruiter (or any recruiter) just take what they have to say with a grain of salt. They will all tell you the same average for miles and the same days for home time. What it boils down to is the more you work or drive and the longer you stay out the more miles they will give you and the more money you will make. Home time is a big pain in the butt to a dispatcher so they tend to favor the drivers who are willing to work hard and stay out there. Thus utilizing the guys who need to go home all the time for doing the grunt work of the other drivers. They also tend to keep you closer to home resulting in low miles.

Nothing wrong with Prime. They are a typical mega-carrier. Just be prepared and realize exactly what over the road driving entails and you shouldn't have any surprises.

On a side note, as far as choosing a carrier, where they are located has absolutely nothing to do with hiring you or getting you home etc... Just because they are close by to the house means absolutely nothing. So don't let the "close to home" factor be the decision maker. Find a company that best interests you and fits your personal needs. There is no advantage or disadvantage in living near a terminal unless you plan on working in the office. Do yourself a favor and pretend Prime is nowhere near you, would you still choose them?

Good luck man...

 

No one has ever called me Mr. 65884. My FM (dispatcher) and primary maintenance guy know me by my first name. There is no bullet-proof glass anywhere at Prime's terminals, and no cyberlocks. If you need to speak to someone, you're there in-person in front of them. Yup, we do have security folks, but there are no armed guards. You must be thinking of some other outfit Chompi...

Not so much... they put your request date in the computer, and the load planning software does it's thing. I've only been late once - no freight that day going my direction. It helps to give a couple of weeks notice, and a range of days rather than a specific gotta be there by this day.

Everybody get's a local once in awhile.

Not necessarily. You aren't rollin' when you are sittin' on the couch with momma. Wheels aren't turning, you're not earning. Three weeks between hometime requests leaves quite a bit of country to be running across.

And you know this because you worked here how many years??? Swift, Schneider, etc are your typical megacarriers.

You give good advice Chompi... it would be nice if you'd leave the generalized assumptions out of it.

 

If prime isn't a mega-carrier how is it I always get stuck behind one of their trailers moving at 59mph? Just because you're not having a bad time there doesn't mean they aren't a mega carrier; they're one of the largest refrigerated lines in the country.

 

No one's having a bad day. Its called making a profit at $4.00/gallon, and 75,000lbs GVW.

 

Youll get better results looking at the Prime threads. Several of us have posted our experiences with Prime. I was in your same position a little over a year ago... Its worked out well for me so far.

 

i run 75-78k gcw, 62-65 mph, and net 46-52 cpm.

not sure what you're referring to with "no one's having a bad day", but I sure am when I'm stuck behind you guys with a wall of supertruckers on my left and I'm down to 11 minutes on my clock. Not saying you dont have a right to run like that, even I bump it down to 60 when I have extra time on a load. My point was about the prevalence of your trailers on the road and its relation to your claim of not being a mega-carrier.

 

Id rather drive for a big company than a small mom n pop outfit.

 

I don't work for a small company (although, we're not prime big) and I like where I am. They have enough loads to keep me busy, but I know just who to call if I'm not getting good loads. My only problem with prime is the lease program. I talked to a prime l/o and still can't wrap my head around how you guys take home any money.