Prime: Orientation and Training?

navyvet1994 · Jan 2, 2011

ironpony said: ↑

Ya know what. You're wrong. I drive. So does U2. We're dispatched by the same FM.
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I definitely want U2's and IP's FM when I get my license and solo. Hopefully I'll even get the priviledge of being trained by either one of these two drivers... oh yeah and Trucker Mike too

navyvet1994 · Jan 2, 2011

ironpony said: ↑

Hey Boogdaddy!

As far as I know, there isn't any bias against going company - in fact my recommendation is that after training you go company long enough to figure out how this all works. My FM runs a company-only board, and usually talks to new drivers every week or so. That being said, it really doesn't matter whether a driver is lease or company - the truck assignments are dealt with in the same manner at the corporate level... and so are the loads. In fact I believe that Prime makes more money off of any load when assigned to a company driver than when assigned to a lease driver - so why would there be any bias against company drivers? Also, you can remain with your trainer after the official training period to do team ops - if you can strike a good enough bargan with him on how you'll be paid.

Part of the reason why I suggest that a new driver goes company initially is that you must really have great fuel economy to be successful as a lease op - better than 7 mpg. Thats relatively easier in a newer truck, but you have to work at it in one of the Centuries. Another part of that is that it is much easier to go lease (just for the asking) than it is to come back to the company side. You need to develop a business plan, see how the costs work and do the fianancials before you commit to a lease. You need to assure yourself that you can make the lease deal work before inking the contract. That being said, I do not recommend that anyone should do a solo lease deal right now - the freight rates just won't support the costs that you will run into. You need to team or train so that the truck will generate enough revenue to support itself.

How much freedom you have concerning your trips all depends on your FM. In my case I have the complete trust of my FM - been with him for a good year and a half now. He trusts me because he knows that I will get any loads assigned to where they need to go on time, or he's going to know about it far enough in advance that we can come up with a reasonable plan to make it happen. I generally follow the fuel routing, but have pre-authorization from him to deviate under certain circumstances without advance permission - and I will always notify him of anything big in the way of out-of-route stuff so he's in the loop. I've never had a problem with that. Also, as far as choosing where to fuel, you can within limits - mostly though you have to work with the canned computer stuff - but you can get the thing to change it's decision. Other than that, trip timing is up to you. So yeah, you need your brain.

Don't know about the numbers going to orientation, but I do know how "pipeline" personnel supply works via my time in the military. You have to start out with enough candidates to push through the initial vetting process, training, testing and those who drop out due to this not being their bag to end up with the required average replacement flow to keep enough drivers in the seat to meet your requirements. A lot of candidates don't make it through the medical and background checks. Out of the group you start with, 50% may not survive the orientation process to get into training! So don't worry about what you "hear" about a lot of people coming to orientation. Prime is a large company, and there are always fellas who leave due to tickets, accidents, personnel problems like not being able to get to destinations on time, family problems, medical problems, grass is greener somewhere else problems, etc...

So, at this time, I'd say what you've "heard" is rumor - I haven't run across any of this myself. As long as I've driven company, I'd suspect that they'd be trying to use dynamite by now to get me out of this truck and into a lease if any of that was true!
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IP, Ihave thoroughly enjoyed reading you and U2...is there anyway else I can keep contact??? Prime looks like a great choice

TruckerMike · Jan 2, 2011

navyvet1994 said: ↑

I definitely want U2's and IP's FM when I get my license and solo. Hopefully I'll even get the priviledge of being trained by either one of these two drivers... oh yeah and Trucker Mike too
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U2, IP, and I all have different fleet managers. U2 and IP used to have the same one, but IP switched to lease and got a lease specific FM. While every company has a bad fleet manager here and there, in my experience the vast majority of Prime FM's are decent hard working people, trying to make a living just like us. Sometimes they do us favors, and sometimes we do them favors. It's a give and take relationship. They have an extremely busy, tough, and stressful job. In my personal experience, as long as you do what you're supposed to do and build trust with your FM, you will have nothing to worry about, no matter who your FM is.

As for training, I enjoy my solitude too much, so I can't help ya there!

navyvet1994 · Jan 3, 2011

Croosbronx Expressway said: ↑

U2, I'm a Union member. I get a decent hourly pay $21.50 per hour, get cola increases, sick leave, annual leave, FMLA, SLDC, etc.. etc..

Okay first things first.. I started around $16.71 and hour. Around 6 months later that increased to $18.00 per hour. My sick leave is based on 2 hours for every 20 hours worked. Sick leave is accumulative so the more hours i work the more I get. I never lose sick hours. I know employees with 3,000 plus hours of sick leave. Annual leave is based on 2 hours for every 20 hours for a total of 440 hours. Meaning, anything over that I start to lose. 440 hours is 11 weeks of paid vacation. Thats right. If i want, I can take 11 straight weeks and get paid for it. Now, SLDC, is sick leave dependent care allowed up to 80 hours to care of a sick relative or spouse. It can be used in conjuction with sick or annual leave which ever one prefers. I have a pension package consisting of dollar amount taken out of my paycheck or percentage up to 15%. Company matches dollar for dollar. All this thanks to my UNION.

Now I'm not bragging or boasting about this or my job. It has it's problem as well. But I don't go through half what some of the new young drivers go or went through. All I did was fill out application took test. passed test. Went to academy, got paid to attend academy trained at academy, went to work out of academy and have been working ever since. I didn't have to pay for nothing or take any risk on my part. All this thanks to our UNION.

Now, a lot of things our UNION does I may not agree with it but for the most part they protect us and give us decent wages. I know for a fact my job would love to use cheap labor and get rid of us union members if they could. I understand business. But Thanks to my UNION behind us members we still have decent wages and most importantly a job that no one can take advantage of us. Like they do in the OTR business.

That's all I'm saying.. I can go on and on, but it would seem like I'm boasting and I don't want anyone feeling out of place. Sorry if the words seem hard, that is not my intentions. As a fellow human being I want all my brothers and sisters out there to earn decent wages and make a decent living. That's all....
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They have unions, they are called Teamsters and being retired military, I would rather be broke and homeless than be part of ANY UNION. Why suck my money for political policies I do not believe in or trust.

dtsc · Jan 3, 2011

Hello All,

Just got the approval word from safety department at Prime. I'll be going to MO next week.

I have CDL Permit already. Looking forward to geting orientation started and a new career.

I've been searching the boards and learning the best tips I can find to do well through this process. 44 yr old man starting over with new career. Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Tommy

ironpony · Jan 3, 2011

Don't forget to pack some shower clogs!

BigDadd · Jan 4, 2011

I've been dealing with a recruiter from Prime. The communication is REALLY bad. I left him 2 messages last week, and never got a call back. I finally got in touch with him, and he was like "Ohh.....thats right, I remember you calling...Sorry." I sent him an E-mail Sunday, and have not heard back yet. I called, and it went to voicemail, he never answers. I am wondering if this is what the communiction is going to be like if I come aboard. Any input would be helpful.

ironpony · Jan 4, 2011

Its just the call volume they get. Best way to get in touch with a specific recruiter is to get on hold and be patient. Something to keep you occupied while you wait helps.

navyvet1994 · Jan 4, 2011

U2Exit said: ↑

What exactly is the percentage of company drivers to the fleet?

How reliable is this new service we are offering to our customers... Two problems... availability of light weight trucks and light weight trailers... individually or connected.

Are we all (company drivers) going to be dedicated? What if a customer has a "heavy" load, and there are none of these company trucks are in the area? Maybe there is, but the truck isnt connected to a light weight trailer...

Ive been in a few situations where Prime drivers (lease and company) show up "en masse" and deliver "en masse"... are these the situations mgmnt is thinking about... and what sort of logistics will it take to get these light weight trucks hooked to light weight trailers for these situations... and be in the area for that matter.

Sobee drinks from Indy to the caves in Springfield come to my mind, as an example. I loaded with about a dozen other trucks. At the 90 I parked next to 20 other Prime trucks. Told security I had a 1100 appt. He told me that he had 30 Prime trucks with 1100 appts all from Indy... first come first serve. Fortunantly they were really fast unloading.

Potato runs from NC to Frito Lay in CT is another. Company drivers from Pittston handled the bulk of that with lease and other company guys filling in here and there. The guys I talked to had been doing it for a week... and DH back to NC empty to do it all over again.

Poland Springs in Maine... did that over Christmas... Told it was a new lane for that location... Only truck in a door with a reefer on the trailer. I was almost 80k gross loaded. (30+miles to scale, but thats a different complaint) Watched a dry van driver get told "Tough Luck" when he complained it was too much weight just by looking at his bills... Poland said his company agreed in contract to haul X amount and they loaded him with X amount. Comeback with a scale ticket if he was overweight and then they would discuss it.
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Must have been Yarmouth Lumber, they have serious issues

revslev · Jan 4, 2011

BigDadd said: ↑

I've been dealing with a recruiter from Prime. The communication is REALLY bad. I left him 2 messages last week, and never got a call back. I finally got in touch with him, and he was like "Ohh.....thats right, I remember you calling...Sorry." I sent him an E-mail Sunday, and have not heard back yet. I called, and it went to voicemail, he never answers. I am wondering if this is what the communiction is going to be like if I come aboard. Any input would be helpful.
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I have had very good communication with my recruiter. received an email last night that I am set for 8 Feb orientation. I need to call one week prior to let him know that nothing has changed on my side. He has always called me back, or answered my email within a day or two at the latest. Just posting my experiences, and up to this point they have been positive.

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