Prime Inc driver thread

Well just a quick update. I have everything approved and will be leaving for training in Springfield on July 10th. I have requested flatbed training and hope that I will luck up and get an instructor who is in the flatbed division. Does anyone have any advice on driving flatbeds? I know I will be out in all kinds of weather but the starting pay is pretty good plus tarping pay ($75 from what recruiter said but if someone else knows different please share) and I am trying to make as much as I can to get back on track. Does anyone know how many miles flatbedders average a week at Prime? I'm like Carson and don't want to be sitting for hours and waiting to be unloaded when I can be moving on to the next load getting more miles in.

 

ROTFLMAO!

You don't want to be sittin' around waiting? Then you don't want to be a flatbedder!

 

Hi gang,
Just a question for you guys that been at prime for more than a couple years. I have been trucking for almost 14 years now been with 4 companies in that time. my question to you is simply, is 1,000 a week net something that can be done there consistantly? I have lurked around here for awhile and have read the good and the bad and to me honestly, i can put up with quite a bit as long as my bills get paid. Thanks is advance

Terry

 

You could AVERAGE that on the lease side with a good FM - but you know if you've been in trucking that long, there are ups and downs. The only way to make that consistantly work for you is to have enough in the bank to smooth it out.

 

There is lots of sitting / waiting pulling flatbed , it's not all drop hook and make miles.

 

IronPony and Flatbed:
Reefer, flatbed, or tanker? Which would be the best division taking into consideration best opportunity for miles each week? I see from your comments that there appears to be no way around having to sit and wait on loads sometimes. But I need some steady miles to get myself back on track financially.

 

You have to take the GOOD with the BAD.

There is a lot of things that factor into the WAITING game regardless of what you pull / haul.

Weather , suppliers , recievers , the economy all play into it.

 

A lot of things play into it. The higher rates paid to company tanker and flatbed types tend to reflect some of the additional waiting and tasks they go through. Tanker and reefer tend to be a little more consistant - people have to eat no matter what the economy is doing. Flatbed is more tied to construction, so when things are bad they feel it. When things are good, they're booming.

Steady miles? Start out company reefer and see how things go. You have a good opportunity to make some additional cash with the fuel bonus. It also gives you some time to see how things work... find out whether tanker/flatbed/leasing might be where you want to go.

 

Thanks IronPony. Just trying to make good decisions before I leave for training on the 10th. No job is perfect but its what you make it and planning never hurts. Is it realistic to expect to get between 2000-2500 miles/week solo?

 

Certainly is. I was averaging around 2600 on the company side last year.