Got my pre-hire letter for Prime today!

The 80k mark is the old standard at which you could lease a truck. In the past a trainer could upgrade at 60k and go solo company for the last 20k before leasing the truck.

They have since lowered the lease limit to 60k.

80k now just happens to be where the first big pay raise is or was. When I started company drivers going solo at 60k got .30/mile and then a raise to .34 at the 80k mark. This was back in 08 an I can't say for certain this applys

Trainees have alway had the option to stay with the trainer, if they wanted to, and knock out that 20k under team conditions.

Team conditions, estimating at a low 5k team miles would take 4 weeks

Vs. Solo, estimating at a low 2500 miles would take 8

My trainee and I have been doing well high 5k and have had a few 6k weeks... Can't say what solos are doing as I haven't had a full week solo since early May... That will change next week.

He had home time plans for next weekend and although he wrapped up his 60k a few weeks back... He'll upgrade after home time with less than 4k miles to complete to get that first raise.

 

When the economy is good, leasing is good money - but... you have to have the basics down. Operating the truck economically, a good knowledge of the road net, needs and preferences of our shippers, etc. You can get that experience doing a lease, but at what cost? Its easier and less risky to run company until you have some experience... leasing is operating a business, and IMO, you really need to know what you're doing before you put your private parts out on the choppin' block!

 

Pre-hire letters are a joke, they have not done any basic background on you yet.

Mark

 

Trash it. You'll be glad you did.

 

Neither. As far as training companies are concerned you can do much, much worse. Prime's been good for me.