Prime INC.

Are you in the Van or Tanker Division? I am looking into their Tanker Division. Can you give me any insight?

Thanks!

 

Yeah, what do you mean bad deal solo O/O ?

 

Are you solo with Prime? If so, how is it going for you?

 

I don't think so, some people are 40 and are still not prepared to own a company and will never be. some people still live at their parents on their 30's. Some other people started on their 20's and by their 40's are already retiring. And I do think who went for the sub primes where also idiots. I did my mortgage 2 years ago and i already paid 20% of my house. I know what I'm doing.

I'm solo with refeer, as company driver. The lease payments are too high, the only way you can make some money over here leasing is teaming up OR if you buy your own truck and sign for the 72%.

 

That is your opinion but out of nearly 40 Prime drivers, mostly solo, that I have talked with in the last few months, only one did not like Prime and said they were losing money. The rest were netting $1,500.00 per week average after all expenses, including taxes. And your figures on $500 for $3,000 are bogus because industry business consultants say to calculate half that much or 8% of the gross paid to the truck. That is from the people who do truck driver taxes and their clients end up paying little or no taxes at the end of the year. Sure the IRS wants you to send in that much, just like they want people to have more than enough withheld out of a paycheck. The IRS does not mind giving out refunds at the end of the year. They have gotten an interest free loan for the year. I used to work taxes and know this for a fact.

I don't recall anyone calling you names but you need to remember that calling people idiots is a violation of the rules on this site. All that anyone has said is that some people are not cut out to be business owners but that is true for any industry.

 

I'm new at prime and rethinking the thing, first trainer gets fired and I'm put with another who gripes about everything, claims to be a business man and nothing else.. i on the other hand want to make a decent liveing and think one day I might even enjoy what I'm doing, Before going to prime I gave the idea of OTR alot of thought and felt that this would be a good time to give it a shot. money seems to be bad everywhere I look, and fuel priceing is gonna keep going up I'm sure, but I feel it'll level out at some point and then all that I need to deal with is company BS. Like I said before, I'm new, GREEN! but I think in time it'll all work its way out, If the company becomes a problem because of dispatchers and there Holyer Then Thou attitude, I get up and move on, I want to be able to buy my own rig one day and work without the feel of being just a company driver. I have always looked at this as a Life style, not just a job, I don't think companys look at it that way anmore and it makes it harder for a guy like me to feel good about what I'm doing. and another thing! with fuel price's the way they are and drivers not able to regulate prices it seems to me the companys need to look to other areas other then the drivers for solutions. Well ------just my 2 cents

 

trucker B, keep us posted on how it is going. I still have a couple of months before I have to finalize my decision on where to go. In talking with Prime drivers they say that most managers are good. There are a couple who can be problems but they also say you can request a change. Just need to do it in a professional manner. Good luck to you. I know how it is changing trainers midstream. I had that with my first company. I also learned to not form an opinion about the company by the attitude of the trainer. There was not good chemistry with my secon d trainer and I let that taint my view of the company. It caused me some grief until I got my attitude straightened out.

 

Hey paw paw, for what its worth, the trainer I have now is probly the best I'm gonna get, I've learned more in the week I've been with him then the 3 mmonths with my first, I,m a pretty reasonable person, willing to learn and able to take direction. I'm not to keen on the idea of being subject to an attitude I'd compare to to someone suffering from a bipoler disorder, I seem to bother this guy to much. I think any 2 people in such close quarters should be able to get along better then we are. I feel as if I'm walking on egg shells most of the time and thats not easy for me to deal with, Left alone i think I'd do better at this , so as far as my attitude is concearned, I'm doing pretty good accepting the situation as it stands now. I look at it this way. No Pain, No Gain! but right now I'd rather jump from a perfectly good airplane!!!---LOL

 

Just got the 2nd pay stub since leaving Primes Leasing team.

Keep in mind-hubby left orientation on a Tuesday with a 2008 Freightliner that had less than 60 miles on it. Wed night at 9 pm ( 850 miles on it by then) - it was being towed in b/c the regeneration switch didnt work. Got it to a dealer- along with replacing the switch that was bad and incorrectly connected -got a bill for $124.00(which included checking on terrible static coming for inside the dash along with trying to figure out why the dash lights would just go out for no reason and the qualcom wouldn't work part of the time).Dealer said static was coming from wiring problem with 'customer add-ons' either Qualcom or apu unit.-Prime told them they would fix it in Springfield.-get it there- Prime says it a Freightliner issue- sends hubby to dealer in Springfield- got a bill there too- but no repair.
Needeless to say- 4 shop visits after walking out with a brand new truck-Fred in leasing said he would not trade truck for another one-we had been through enough.
Prime authorized the tow and the dealer charges-charged to hubby-we expected that it would take week or so and would be reimbursed. All warranty issues right???- Yeah, that's what Justin # Prime said- got credit for the $775 tow , still no reimbursment for the dealer charges.
Now that hubby turned in the truck-he had $775 deducted again from his final check for tow bill-(thought this was a warranty issue) and has still not been reimbursed for the freightliner repair charges.
I am sure that like all people and jobs, some times there are just problems that don't get worked out. But when a dispatcher wants you to run all day and bust your ##* to fix what another driver has screwed up- and then ####### because you won't run all night just to make another 5 am drop- the company won't back you up and get you another dispatcher- but they'll give you 2 service patches for your hard work- Well- excuse me!! but a patch doesn't pay the bills that should've been paid with money thet was owed to you thru a waranty issue.
You have to live and learn- we learned that Prime is not for us.
He had another job 4 days after leaving prime- and is extremely happy- he gets thru the house every few days- even if it's just to lay his head on the pillow- it's still home, making good money and so far can get all the miles he can legally do.
Hope you all have a better experience that we did.