looking

While I'm sure you're a fine company driver, I'm also sure you don't have what it takes to be a successful business entrepreneur. Operating a CMV successfully as a company driver is something completely different from how you have to operate it in the business environment that we work with. Also, you mistake the kind of relationship that we have with a shipper or receiver as some sort of "boss/employee" relationship - nothing could be further from the truth.

None of this is "bashing" - simple observations, that's all. You don't have the desire and drive to be a successful lease operator, and should stick to the company employee side of the equation. I'm sure you'll be quite happy and successful there. And there's nothing wrong with that. But as SE mentioned, you do others a disservice when you tell them anything more than Prime just wasn't a good fit for you.

 

I am getting confused now.
Back in the day a customer paid us money to deliver their freight the way they want it delivered and if we did they kept paying us and if not they paid somebody else to do it as they required it to be done.
In my instance I work on contracts with different customers for 5 years at a time and if I do their loads as they tell me to do it then I get 5 more years that is subject to cancellation after the 1st 18 months and after the 1st 3 year marks and then redone after 5 years.
If if meet their requirements such as keeping new trucks and keeping them washed and hauling their loads as required in their time frames then I work for 5 more years and if not somebody that will grant their wishes gets my job.
Sounds like a boss to me.
As far as company vs o/o the goals seem the same--run as hard as you can to make all the miles you can get,keep the equipment serviced and clean,do not dent it,wear tires as long as possible,save as much fuel as you can and shoot for 6 to 7 mpg (in my case with constant stopping and starting the owners want 4 mpg and keep the customer as happy as they can be and it's a profit every way possible.
So really the only shots we truly call are what kind of truck to buy and where to fuel and in the Otr case for o/o is which load they would rather haul and for a company guy its usually this load or else but I have received a choice from as many as 4 loads.
I can say I had one good experience at prime and that is the freightliner trucks--for my personal choice they are the best but the truck owner differs there but cool--he's buying

 

That's a "customer." A customer comes to you with a requirement that is stated in a contract. The legal obligations of both parties are stated there - and there is the ability to address shortcomings through negotiation or litigation.

In a "boss/employee" relationship, the boss tells you how high to jump, and you'd better jump that high. Otherwise you hit the street. In most states that means that you have little or no recourse to dispute the outcome.

Actually the goal of an independent contractor vs a company driver is very different... and this may be why you had trouble at Prime. A company driver needs to put as many miles behind him as possible. All other considerations really are secondary. An independent contractor at Prime needs to operate as efficiently as possible. PERIOD. Along the line both need to supply quality, on-time service. Those are extremely different methods to achieve similar results.

You're wrong here as well. Employees make few real decisions... those decsions are generally presented to them as orders. While you may think that I'm constrained in the same way, in reality I'm not. The decisions that I make allow me to operate in a way that keeps my bottom line very healthy - the same choices you had were made in a way that kept you poor. That's the difference.

 

As for company driver you might (I do not know from experience there) make money at prime just drawing a set cpm rate but as with any company and you know after 10 years that you just have to watch your back and your own interests.

 

Our company guys are making more than you are... no bashing, just fact.

 

What's the starting pay there?

 

After training, solos make 34-cpm reefer, with a 5-cpm bonus for lightweight tractors, and another 5-cpm bonus for northeast regional. 36-cpm flatbed. I don't recall what the tanker guys start at. All company drivers are eligible for a variable fuel bonus - more with higher mpg - over the 7.25 mpg minimum (I think that's where its at now.) Been awhile since I worried about that stuff.

 

And prime trucks are at what now?
Around 62 or 63?