My Prime INC Experience. (A Running Log)

Haven't heard from JimmyBones in a while. Hope training is going well.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Just remember some of us out here are rootin' for ya

 

Just curious, as a reefer driver do you guys do alot of the loading/unloading yourself.. like with a pallet jack/hilo? or is that mostly handled by the shipper/receiver or place you are delivering too and their own unloaders?

Where I worked at 7up, the drivers would sometimes have to pick their order, upwards of 700 cases and build pallets of product at the warehouse then load it into the trailer.. do you do much of that sort of stuff as a reefer driver?

Thanks for all the great info so far!

 

You can do your own unloading, but Prime prefers that you don't. Most receiver will not allow you to use their power unloading equipment, so you're going to be humping 20 tons of freight off by hand, and breaking it down by hand. Prime only pay you 10 cents per case, or you can get a receipt book and submit a claim for what the lumpers would charge - it's not really worth it IMO. The time spent working against your 70-hour clock could just as well be in the sleeper catching a nap so you are ready to hit the road when you get your next load. In my case, I'm dispatched almost immediately after going empty. Spending that time on the dock would mean in many cases that I'd be delayed in getting onto the next trip.

 

Bones, any more thought on the l/o, o/o part of driving? Did you get to read IronPony's thread on l/o? Great thread.

 

is prime a good company to start out with? i'm a student driver at FFE...starting pay after training is 29 cents a mile! i'm very interested in doing tanker work...ffe does have a tanker division but i cant do it til i have 6 months under my belt....also ffe has a 1 yr "promissary note" does prime require you to do a commitment if they do how long is it? thanks.