Jim Palmer/ Wil Trans questions

Jim Palmer has caught my eye as well - definitely listening to their offer, but they want me to go back into "training" because I've been driving local for the last 4 years. EEEECH. One month with a trainer, not that long. I have plenty in saving to cover learning how to send in macros and scanning paperwork. *sigh*

 

Yeah, they told me they would do their best to keep it to 20,000 miles but website says 40,000

 

Are you okay with teaming with a trainer that you don't know anything about for that long? I don't know how I feel about that myself. Little leary though..

 

Yes, I spent 6 weeks with a trainer and it sucked for sure but it is what it is. I have been driving Class A tankers here in AK but they dont consider it OTR. Lame

 

i enquired into Wil-Trans/Palmer just out of school and their training program turned me off because it was tons of time at ludicrous rates (18cpm for like 20k miles as I recall). I went to for for System Transport for $700 a week training pay for 4 weeks then started out at 43.67 CPM and wasn't stuck teaming for months.

They may have changed or offer more now than a year+ ago. At the time it seemed to me that they wanted slave labor out of you for several months. They might be a great company for experienced drivers, but the trainee wages just did not remotely compete.

 

Whats wrong with starting at .40cpm...you have to start somewhere and every profession has a starting and progression point.

 

That's right; .40 cpm + .05 cpm for fuel savings + accessorial pays ain't too shabby.

 

I've been doing a lot of research into getting into the trucking agency. With what my needs are (being able to pay bills while training) prime seemed like the best option, except for that I live in California and would like to spend most of the time on the west side of the country.

I have monthly bills of about 1700. I have enough vacation time saved up to cover about 3.5 months of bills if I quit my current job.

Would this company be a good alternative to prime? Does anyone have alternative suggestions?

My ultimate goal would to get a year or two of experience then do o/o transporting cars through the west coast states...a couple of people I've talked to say they pull in 90 to 100K a year after taxes and expenses doing that....

 

If you have zero experience this is a better job hands down. You will pull Prime Loads though. I am trying to decide between JPT and Central Oregon Trucking Company. I would definitely go with JPT because once done with their program you will start at .40cpm but have a weekly acheivable fuel bonus of up to .05 cpm plus APU and inverters in all trucks. I have been speaking weekly with JPT drivers and all said its the best company the have ever driven for.

 

akfisher, are you aware of any differences between Wil-Trans and JPT? I like Wil-Trans myself, but I'm trying to decipher the difference between JPT/Wil-Trans, of whom pull Prime freight, and/or just going to work for Prime itself.