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Poor guy... when it comes to backing and slow speed maneuvering I really hope that my 8 years as a light duty flatbed tow truck driver will help a little....not gonna lie i spent the better part of a year hooking my 26' toy box trailer to the back of my tow truck and playing around maneuvering around cones.. lol.. been planning this move for awhile now. I'm over thinking the #### out of this trucking thing.. especially as the date gets closer...

 

So I towed a car up to Ontario, Ca. last night and decided to stop by the TA out there... Made of a bunch of new friends for better or worse... but Prime isn't exactly the most loved company out there huh? lol. I know I am making the right choice as far as training companies but ####... lots of #### talkers out there. Most of them were just talking about how slow the trucks are, and how I am not going to make any money. Also they seem to have a lot to say about the lease program for never having worked at Prime. But you should have seen their faces when I told the super truckers that I am knowingly leaving a towing job making what they make to go to Prime where I know I will make less lol. But I set them straight on a few things that I was aware of. I think I am making a good choice as far as training companies, and they seemed to look at it a little differently when I explained I would rather give up a year or two of my life for some real one on one training out on the road, rather then pay a private school $6k to be taught the very basics and then train in a truck with 4 other guys and drive for 20min at a time.

 

One: prime trucks are governed which makes the "super truckers" mad because the can't continue 90... two: a lot of the small companies that hire the "super truckers" that are willing to look past their tickets or pay for their tickets pay less than 30cpm, so they're jealous that drivers for big companies can make as much as them while running less miles

 

yeah I know. I am curious though I always hear people claim they are taking home upwards of $2k a week driving a truck as a company driver. Im not the greatest at math but since it seems the average driver drives something like 2500 a week times .41 cents/mile at the very most.. that's $1025 i know there is incentives and drop pays and such but im pretty sure they don't double your mileage income. right? So would I be wrong to say that after taxes and health care and such the "average" driver takes home something like $800 a week??

 

I am at home for a couple of days after spending over 7 weeks on the Road. I finished my 40,000 miles of my TNT when I made it back to Springfield last week. Now that my miles are complete, and I have been cleared to upgrade to an A Seat, I am going to continue to run Team with my TNT Trainer for a few more months, and get my own truck after a Family Vacation in May to avoid a Truck sitting for 7+ Days, or having to make Lease Payments on a Truck that is not moving.

So far, I am very Happy with Prime. Everything that I have been told by my Recruiter months ago, and by the Company have been true. I have seen so a lot of negativity about Leasing from a Company from Drivers, but with my Trainer, I have seen that if done correctly, and through hard work, it is possible to have Huge Settlements at the end of the week. Having a TNT, or running Team helps the Settlements a bunch, but a Driver running Solo can have Good Paydays as well by running hard, and keeping Expenses down where they can.

I came out of a Driving School, which from what I understand, TNT Trainers aren't always fond of getting Trainees from. Overall, my Trainer was really impressed with what I knew, and how I drive. Plus being very conscientious of my surroundings when Driving. Through my Trainer, I have learned a lot about how Prime does things, and have improved upon my Driving as well, especially Shifting. Fuel Mileage is a huge factor in our Trips, and we do what we can to keep the Truck moving at a Lower MPH, without any chance of being late to an Appointment.

For making a Career Change after being at a company for 14 years, I feel that I have found a Company that will not be a "Starter Company" to me, but one that I will stay with for many years to come.

 

41cpm is definitely not the ceiling. With prime in a light truck that is where you will start... then you get raises and such... 2500 miles is 42 hours drive time non stop... you may be able to do more in a week if you run continuously and your f.m. cooperates..

 

yeah I didnt word that correctly. I know .41 is just the starting point.. I was just pointing an average

 

The guys making that kinda money are trainers. They get paid 41cpm for all the miles the truck drives. So if the trainer andv student ran like a team and do 5500 to 6000 miles a week, that's .41 x 5500=$2225

 

Is your trainer going to up your pay?

 

Yes, we actually talked about that before my Miles were up. He has been completely fair with everything so far. Did a Flower Load a few weeks ago, and split the Unload pay right down the middle with me. He will make it worth me staying on the truck running team. For him, he gets to sleep at night without worries, and he has someone on board who likes keeping the truck moving.