(New) Prime Inc. Springfield Mo.

Thank you for the information Itsup2me, I am still a bit leary about truck payments going to the same place my loads are dispatched from. For 700 a week you can have two trucks, hire a driver and make even more money. I am aware of Walcrawler, and he does do well, but he also runs the NE.

My plan (atm) is to get some time under my belt and buy an old truck cash and lease on to landstar.

 

you have the right idea. just make sure if you get an OLD truck it is road worhty and you have some money stashed back for repairs. because they will break down and they tend to do that at the worst possable time. Under that hot high paying load that will make your month or on the way home. So just have your maint money put back and make sure what ever you buy will last a while and allways figure on makeing a truck payment whether you are or not put the truck payment in the bacnk and save it for replacement time. Then you trade up and pay cash again. and so it rolls on that you have good equipment paid for and don't have to work near as hard to make a living at it.

 

When I started with Prime (Aug 05) I leased a truck for 16 months to see if Prime was what I wanted. I liked the Company, just didn't like the deal with the trucks. If I put all that money in a truck, I want something for it. The 'lease' is just a way for Prime to let you do all the maintence, make the truck payment for 3 or 4 years (until it has been paid for), then they sell it back to Frieghtliner. Pretty good deal for Prime, pretty good deal for you if you can't afford to buy a new truck. Anyone can buy junk or drive junk, but Prime's "independent contractors" are required by their lease contract to maintain the equipment. They money they hold back from your pay and then give to you at the end of the lease in the form of a 'bonus' is what keeps the trucks in good condition on a 'walk-a-way' lease. They have a good freight base and good training, but $750 a week for 3 or 4 years hanging over your head will keep you running.... I am still with Prime, I went to OKC Freightliner and bought my own truck. (2007 Columbia) I think this is the best way for me. My payments are $1500 a month, $250 a month for insurance and Prime's frieght and trailers and getting 72% of gross. Last year I averaged 1.26 a mile all miles (including deadhead) and am doing about $1.40 a mile this year (so far). I get high 6 for mpg and all the miles I can handle (last year was 161,000). Other companies will give you 72% but you have to pay a 'trailer rental' of $180 a week. I get all the benefits of Prime, without the 'lease operator' $750 a week hanging over my head. They don't advertise as an Owner/Operator company, they want you to lease their trucks. That is a big money maker for them. You can be an O/O with them and bring your truck on, but they do have restrictions on weight, wheelbase, and year. I have looked around quite a bit at other companies, only one I have seen will give me more of what I want, but they are small (100 trucks) and their freight base is therefore small and questionable in tough times. There is no perfect company, you just have to find what is right for you.

 

If you are single or married with no bills,you can make it on a lease purchase,if your married and have children and have a car payment and house payment and truck payments and tax and social security to pay at the years end you will be really lucky to keep it all. You can't take time off alot to be home with family,if something happens and the truck is put in shop,warranteed good,but the payment is still due,along with all those other bills I have mentioned,sooner or later,you are behind,owing taxes IRS etc. It all starts out okay but you can never stop or it will bite you in the butt.Think and be sure on paper that this type of deal will work for you and your family,it requires unold sacrifices,especially in your childs younger and teen years with school events sports and all.You can all do it later when your family is older and your marriage stable. IT's harder on her than you,and most end up divorced until they find another that accepts a one partner life or no children involved in the relationship as they are grown up alot..then.

 

Yep, that is true with just about any trucking job. You had better know what you are getting into; look before you leap !

 

You can be an O/O with them and bring your truck on, but they do have restrictions on weight, wheelbase, and year Hey slick, just what are the year weight and wheelbase restriction with prime?

 

I worked for Prime in 2001. Did the lease deal pullin tank. I left cause of no home time. I still had that company driver mentality of being home every weekend and that doesnt work being a o/o. The only complaints I had was the absorbent lease payment and that they had to many fingers in the pie with all their charges. Performance bond of $1000.00, security deposit of $850.00 for tanker hoses & fittings, and they paid for tank washes but payroll readout would show charges against my revenue and then being reimbursed? I did make good revenue with them and they treated me fairly otherwise. Never really had to run my butt off, was always given plenty of time to make my pickup or delivery. I'm really considering going back again but lease on my own truck this time. I've been in contact with them and they require 2005 or newer truck, 244" or less wheelbase, 18,200 lb. light weight or less with 1/4 tank of fuel and your gear. You have to run under their authority and use their trucking related insurance coverage.
Right now I'm workin on finding a wet line set-up, a hydrapak & in-transit heat lines that are required for tanker. They quoted me $5000.00 for all parts and labor, I believe I can do better than that. Does anyone know where they dump their lease trucks, maybe I can buy a used set-up? This time I'm gonna have all my ducks in a row before I sign on, last time I just jumped in and was over my head from the get-go. (lease payment)
Any info. from other Prime lease or o/o tanker drivers would be appreciated.

 

Does Prime have any dedicated lanes? Refrigerated division? I live in the northwest, I heard they have dedicated flower contracts up and down I-5..?? They told me they have western regional for lease operators.

 

I'm headed out on May 4th for CDL training. Yea, not to bash the company but $750 a week for a payment? Screw that. I'll stick to being a compnay driver thank ya. I wouldn't even go in as an O/O with the price of fuel these day's. It'll eat you alive.

 

AuthorAr, what kind of truck is that in your avitar? The dash look's like an FLD 120 dash but I don't reconize the steering wheel and shifter. Either way, that is one bad ### looking dash board for a Freighliner. The only one's I've seen are the "wood grain" and black color.