Prime- only newbies sing the praises 2

Though some people who come to this site are pretty thin skinned, I have pretty much said the same thing before about people who come to the report a bad trucking company and call people misfits and losers because they like the company and did not have a bad experience.

But one must also try to keep their criticism of a company as factual as possible. Or it defeats the purpose of the thread. I have heard some statements made about company's I have worked at and did not particularly like that I knew to be a lie or exaggeration at best. So I say bash them when they deserve it but try to be real in doing so. Most can find trends in a company that make them bad after a few posts without any embellishments being added.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your experiences. It might save a drivers life some day.

 

Save a life? A little over dramatic.

Whats probabaly the number one advice given around here. Dont Lease.

Buyer beware of the risks. You've been warned.

 

We rarely get to hear peoples account of their experiences so I like to give thanks for them taking the time and coming back to report.

From the time you leave home until the time you get back your number one task is safety. Safety getting in and out of the vehicle, saftey walking across the parking lot, safety hooking up, safety behind the wheel.

For those of us who start in the business with nothing to loose a bad financial situation doesn't hurt too much. For someone who goes into trucking to SAVE their finances by taking the really extreme measure of taking a traveling job and staying away from home, going into the hole getting started, going into the hole while being away from home for weeks on end, it can really put a mental strain on them with dire consequences.

The entry level trucking companies lie either through omission, inuendo or in the case of their recruiters or agents just outright lie at times. Not a really terrible offense in itself believe it or not. It always has been and always will be buyer beware. I think that came from a Latin so its been around a while. The problem is that to properly screen a prospect for the suitability for the job, they may need to reveal all that the job entails including realistic pay.

Just to put people's minds at ease both drivers and non-drivers, a person can be a total dirt bag nut job out there on the edge and still be an excellent safe driver.

I have always said you don't need to have any problems going into this job as a trainee because what ever problems you have will be amplified for a while which usually means a single person without money troubles makes a good candidate.

Now this is where it all comes together. If the companies were not in a rate cutting death spiral they could and most likely would have a more rigorous screening process. The system will fix itself eventually but in the meantime people with an unreal income requirement don't need to be out here being a hazard to themselves and others trying catch the golden ring working for a company who not only got them to work with an illusion of great pay but who also have their hand in the pocket of the people who are doing the actual work.

 

Pump price plus .324 cpm? No wonder it didn't work out.

 

that safety thing is number one. I unloaded a backhoe off a low boy trailer when I picked up the ramps the truck rolled back slammed me into the ground and bam a broken back. those pesky knobs on the dash they don't work unless you use them !

 

NO!!

Say it ain't so!!!!

Cactusjack sold out to the DARK SIDE!!!

 

noticed he said Springfield... not neccesarily Prime would be my guyess

 

Well I just don't have much to say about Prime inc. I started with them Nov. 2nd for orientation and it's been a long and rough road. For someone completely new to trucking I feel there should be guidelines to be followed by trainer's. There aren't.

I'm getting ready to get stuck with my 4th trainer today as I've been home for a week since the 3rd trainer. I've got 30k of my 60k completed and dread having to go back out there. I really don't want to.

1st trainer pissed in the same bottle for over 2 weeks (CDL trainer) and it was getting so bad it almost made me sick each time he open'd that lid, even if we were stopped at a rest area or T/S. And most nights we did shut down at an area where there were facilities.

2nd trainer was a "peeping tom" and like to drive around T/S's durring his shift or even when we just stoped waiting for a load using his binoculars (sp) to "scope" out the other trucks.

3rd trainer had a temper and would blow up quickly sometimes throwing stuff around inside the truck even while I was driving down the road.

4th I don't know yet as he's suppose to pick me up sometime today, but I can truthfully say I'm dreading it.

There is no structure to the training... just put 2 guys in a truck and send them on their way. FM's have no clue what goes on out there unless someone (trainee/trainer) says there's a problem.

I guess if I didn't need a job so bad I wouldn't go back out... I guess I'm right where I need to be, needing a job and not being able to walk away. This has been my experience and all I can say is you do need to have a thick skin... the rules of a "normal" punch the clock job doesn't fit with trucking, especially the training phase.