ask your questions about prime inc here

You do have the option to shop around and find your own rates. Or you can call your recruiter and ask them. Compared to other rates I have seen you may be better off getting coverage elsewhere. However you may be better off getting insurance through prime. Do your due diligence and find out what is best for you. Getting upset because we don't have the exact rates yet is kinda ridicules.

FYI if any of you go to SLC you do your skills test in a truck there is no sim here. Make sure you can drive a 10 speed before getting here. Also when you do the skills test you can not hit a curb or you will go home. 1 person failed because they weren't used to driving a 10 speed and stalled to many times. It's not para military by any means. (I have been in for almost 7yrs now so I know) as long as you aren't late, have respect, don't lie, don't drink, and don't do drugs your good. Again this info is as of right now at SLC.

 

I'm not trying to be pissy, nor am I upset about. My apologies if I came off that way. I'm just expressing a bit of confusion on the subject is all. With the employer I'm currently at I knew what I would be paying back in November before I signed up during open enrollment. Maybe the drivers aren't in open enrollment yet, so the price hasn't been negotiated yet, I don't know. They have the summary of benefits and coverage up, so I assumed (yep, I know what that means ) that the premiums would have been set already. I can certainly make a phone call, but I thought I would throw the question out there to those currently employed who might have a quick answer without having to bug a recruiter who I'm sure would rather be doing other things than answering that question.

Again, my apologies.

 

Ok do just opened the new 2014 medical packet for drivers. I will post for associate and family cost verbatim to what is showing. It gets costly.
Vision is 6.15/wk
dental 14.87/wk (225 deduct able with max of 1k/yr)
Health 273.98/wk (in network is covered at 100% for some things and 50% on average with a max out of pocket annual cost of 13,000 for high ppo out of network 6250 in network and 25,400/yr out of network for low ppo and 12700 max for in network)

if you have a family do some research before you spend this kind of money for only 50% coverage on most things.

 

My only "issue" I have so far is my recruiter didn't tell me as a company driver is have to buy gear. I'm not talking about little stuff all drivers should have but as in they will charge us flatbed guys 2300(weekly at $56) for "flatbed Equipment" I personally don't mind it because I want my own rig in a few years but paying for it on the company side is kida BS also if you run reefer you have to buy load locks and crap too. Just wish my recruiter would have been more upfront with out of pocket cost that my last company nor any other that I know of have you pay for. Even as a lease driver at my last company I didn't have to pay for load locks and crap.

But that being said if you have close to a year otr you can get paid better here then most other companies. 1 guy has just over a year and is getting .41cpm then add the .05 for running lightweight and the fuel bonus he's looking at .49 cpm if he can keep 8.0 mpg.

You are required to keep 7.0 mpg or better so if you come here thinking your not gonna be one of those slow lane guys at prime and are gonna hammer down as a company guy you will get booted and as a lease guy you will go broke.

 

I can certainly understand being a bit miffed at that surprise. I suppose the reason behind having you pay for it is a hope that most people will take better than average care for equipment that they had to pay for, rather than something that isn't 'theirs'. As far as I'm concerned, if it's the companies, it's mine, because it helps me make them money, and I'll take care of it the same whether or not I paid for it. OTOH, $56 a week is $56 a week, it would be nice to have in the check.

Keep us updated on your progress as a flat bedder. Some of us are planning to go that direction out of PSD, and we are hoping that we made the right decision financially. (By we, I mean me, and maybe another person or two.) I'm planning on going that direction because there is a lot of flat bed work in my area, and when I come in off the road, I think it will be good to have that experience. I'm just hoping that Prime has enough flat freight to keep me busy and making money in the long(er) run.

 

The reason is that our owner got tired of replacing company equipment sold at the truckstop. That's right... a driver down on his financial back pocket will happily sell company equipment, and then lie about how it was "stolen" in order to get it replaced. So... that's the drill. They'll provide you with what you need, sometimes at a steep discount over what you can purchase it for on the open market. So... for a number of years now, Prime has sold your equipment to you... so it's YOURS. You loose it, you sell it, you destroy it... that's your problem, but you still have to have it. When you leave the company you can turn it in for used credit or take it with you.

I understand the savings in "replaced" company equipment has been substantial since they started doing this.

 

I want it anyway just means I have to be a lighter sleeper and get a bat just In case lol...I'm still a rookie I have under a year under my belt but the most I've had stollen was a bunch of fuel out of the truck and all but a gallon or two off my reefer. I had locks on my load locks or I'm sure they would have been gone too.

 

That brings up another question. Where does the company stand on drivers protecting their load, gear, fuel etc? Do they want drivers to just observe and report, or are they ok with more pro-active measures, i.e., the above mentioned bat? Or is it more of a don't ask/don't tell kind of thing? Of course I'm sure this applies to company drivers far more so than lease drivers and owner/ops.

 

honestly I haven't heard one thing or another. I personally will stand my ground. All it's gonna take is you loosing $2300+ In equipment you payed for and having to buy it all again. I'm not saying is kill a man over it it's not worth that but a few bruised or broke ribs are fine with me. I'd expect that if I were the thief.

 

Officially? Make sure you use your lock on the trailer door, and the aircuff lock on your brake handles. If the trailer is broken into or your tractor and/or trailer stolen, there had better be a cut lock and/or a destroyed aircuff lock. For company drivers, in areas they require you to park at a drop lot, you'd best not loose your machine at a truckstop. Hival loads... follow the procedures, or else. Firearms are not allowed in your truck. If something is going on that threatens the security of the load or yourself you have your Qualcomm to communicate with dispatch, and your cellphone to communicate with police. There is always the panic button if you have nothing else.

That's officially. If something happens you call security, and the police. Ask that question at orientation when the security guys are talking to you.

Unofficially? Don't get caught. They aren't going to bail you out of jail, and an assault charge (or worse) will get you terminated. BTW... lets not turn this thread into a gun discussion. It will get it locked up by the mods. If you want to discuss that there are plenty of other threads on TTR to do that.