After training is over, do you get paid while waiting for a truck?

Thats a pretty good deal as that is more than I am making driving a truck.

 

Prime... first, don't believe the negative comments you see about Prime. It's one of the best and safest trucking firms out there - in my opinion. Note to moderators: I'm not a recruiter - I drive solo - and I'm not fishing for recruits. These are the facts:

No pay while waiting for a trainer (that seems to be the biggest one), so it pays to be around early on the day they assign trainers! No pay during orientation (3 days) or upgrade classes (4 days,) but meals and lodging are covered at company expense. They advance you some cash (not sure about the amount) during the initial training period while you get your CDL... taken out in small chunks once you get "officially hired" with a CDL. After "hiring" it's $500 per week flat training pay (gross) or 12 cpm over a 5000-mile base (team training) whichever is greater, but you have to be available for dispatch - that doesn't mean sitting at home. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than many companies. The training period is longer, but considering the really dangerous newbs I encounter on the road from the companies that throw new drivers in the deep end after a short training period, I really appreciate the longer "journeyman period" we provide. Plus, Prime is still bringing on non-CDL students for training. No waiting for trucks (currently - depends on the supply - and getting a real paycheck beats $350 a week sitting on your butt) and we don't have the maintenance problems that many companies allow to persist. We're encouraged to get that stuff taken care of, and we have national accounts for maintenance at three major truckstop firms. So unless you have a really serious problem, things are usually taken care of while you're on a 10... you wouldn't be available to drive then anyway.

As others have said, if the wheels aren't turning, you don't get paid. Trucking is different than flippin' burgers or running a cash register. Your paycheck will go up and down depending on how much you run, so you need to develop some savings for the lean weeks and home time... it's about averages. You can't count on the really good weeks always being there. Don't like it? Go southern fry yourself at McBurger!

We do get layover and stop pay, a bonus for no gigs on DOT inspections, a fuel bonus based on weekly performance paid as a cpm increase during the next pay period - if you're a company driver. Staying on the company side instead of leasing is the way to go right now - sure beats having a lease payment these days!

 

Please explain the procedure for getting a truck repaired or serviced while taking 10 hours off duty .

 

Pull into t/s, do paperwork, get into the queue and all preliminaries while on duty. As long as it doesn't take you more than 15 minutes to pull into and out of the shop, you don't have to come off of line 1. Got it?

 

So you're off duty while answering questions , calling dispatch , arranging payment , filling out Comcheck or whatever after service etc . ? I guess I don't get it . I don't think an auditor checking your logs against the Qualcomm would get it either .

 

I don't have to convince you... only the DOT inspector reviewing my logs, and they're happy with them. KDOT thought this was just fine.

You pull into the truckstop, answer questions, get qualcomm approval... don't usually have to, (I don't have to call dispatch, arrange payment, fill out Comchecks, - that's between the shop and my maintenance department) get into the service queue, unhook, and whatever while on duty. Go off duty, and do whatever... shower, eat, go to sleep. Shop calls you. Pull into service bay. Can you pull into a service bay in under 15 minutes? I can usually do it in 5. Under 15 minutes, you don't have to come off of line 1. Go ask a DOT inspector. Shop calls you when done, go sign paperwork and pull out of bay in under 15 minutes. Flag truck movements with vertical line from line 1 to line 4.

It's about managing time.

 

You're right . You don't have to and won't convince me . Do it the Prime way . But you failed to mention where you are while the truck is being worked on . Back in the truckstop ? I won't be convinced it takes less than 15 minutes to go back to the shop and out of the bay once you get the call and when you get the call you are on duty .

 

Doesn't matter how much time it actually takes... it matters what you can and do log.

 

Actually it doesn't matter a bit. You go off duty in the t/s. Do you walk around? Do you talk? Do you stand around and watch the tube? So what if you strategically preposition yourself at the entrance to the shop...

The only time you are actually conducting business is the time in the shop. Line 4. Sheez! Use your head! It matters that you show it in the log, and nothing more.

 

Part of part 395 Hours of Service definition of On Duty time

(5) All time loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle, supervising, or assisting in the loading or unloading, attending a commercial motor vehicle being loaded or unloaded, remaining in readiness to operate the commercial motor vehicle, or in giving or receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded;
(6) All time repairing, obtaining assistance, or remaining in attendance upon a disabled commercial motor vehicle;

Again , everyone has the right to their own interpretation and you may not consider strategically prepositioning yourself by the entrance to the shop remaining in readiness to operate the CMV or remaining in attendance of it but I don't consider spending your 10 hour break doing that off duty using your head . When my truck goes in the shop I either go to a hotel and maybe get paid a layover if the truck stays in the shop overnight or I stay on duty and get paid to wait .