New Perplexed Prime Driver

This statement would probably kill my wife with laughter.

 

I suggest that you continue to work with the training department at Prime just to avoid orientation and training with a new company. Your communication should also include emails so that you will have documentation of who/when you spoke to. Also, keep a log of who/when you spoke to on the phone. To protect your interest, you should also apply to other companies that you're interested in. It'll take them a week or so to do their background checks, so you might as well get the process started just in case. If Prime gets you a satisfactory trainer, you can always decline the other companies. But, if Prime doesn't work out, you'll have options. The Tanker endorsement is an easy written test, so you might as well knock that out and start studying for your hazmat too, while you have some free time on your hands.

 

Forest Products out of Columbia Ms hiring. It's a chip hauling job. Home everyday. They sold out to kllm years ago but they still pay descent

 

My trainer, a lease operator, went on vacation for a week exactly one week after picking me up from psd. Why even take a student?
I've been home for a week 2x's after that and I'm currently on day 9 of being home this time around. No one at dispatch answers my messages to get in touch with my FM. I've had payroll issues ever since I stayed on my trainers truck since they have none available for me to upgrade with. I'm broke. I wont have a paycheck this week or next week since heath insurance will eat away at what little I will get IF I get back on the road later this week. I also have a wife and kids to feed. I'm looking for another job at the current time.

 

When I trained I only made 500 a wk. Now I make 3x that running teams. I don't know much about Prime but it sounds like you have the patience and the people skills to run team if you wanted. You were able to have a conversation with your trainer in a manner that defused the situation and hopefully the two of you reached an understanding.

What I learned so far is with codriving you need to pick your battles. You need to give way on somethings and just deal with it, but things important you need to say something to ensure the team will last. That way you don't become too irritated to quit, and your partner won't quit on you for nagging over every little thing. You will probably not find a perfect codriver.

It sounds like you understand that already and being in the Marines you are used to being in close contact with people.

 

I'd go solo as soon as you can upgrade. Winter driving is vastly overblown (when it's bad it's bad, but it really ain't that bad that often).

I went solo around this time of year myself, and figured out winter driving and everything else as I went along. I liked my trainer, but #### I was happy getting off his truck. I didn't feel like I was ready, and I kind of wasn't, but that's when the real growth happened.

You will do whatever you want, but I would caution that you dont get taken advantage of. Lots of lease ops love getting cheap help. If you upgrade to a company A seat I'd make sure you are getting paid as one. And start earning your vacation and benefits as a company driver.

 

I didn't see the trainer was a lease. That means he would be paid by his trainer, and not the company, right?

 

His trainer would pay him, as he pays his TNT salary too. I've heard it can be set up that the driver can be paid as a company driver through Prime where he earns benefits and what not (still coming out of trainers settlements), but I don't have any personal experience with that.

The one guy I know that got screwed by his trainer doing exactly this was not paid that way, and started his company driving like six months behind me (we were in orientation at the same time). He wasn't making what I was either. He even ran the guy's truck solo for a few weeks. Which is crazy, a team driver should be making at least a few hundred more per week than a solo.