orientation pay at prime

na, won't ignore you. It wouldn't be right to censor you. You want people to "hear the pros and cons" but you only share the cons. I don't think of only me. I tell people what it is REALLY like at the company that I worked for. Is it perfect, hell no. Is it like YOU portray? HELL NO!! If you want people to know how it REALLY is then speak from more than just a month experience of it. For every disgruntled person that left Prime in a tizzie, I can show you 10 that know how to run their business without needing their company to hold their hand and are successful and prosperous.

 

I usually don't defend Prime (or any other company for that matter) because I've learned it's impossible to change anyone's mind (let alone their own) when their minds are already set in one way or another. I used to see a lot of Prime bashings (almost as much as Landstar bashing if not more) both on forums such as this or in truck stops and for most part without any merit. More often than not from those who never even have worked there or never even step onto their property, EVER! But they know EVERYTHING about Prime, even more so than those that had been there for number of years.

For some who actually did, it were from "students", "trainees", first timers chasing after that dream of being O/O driving that fancy brand spanking new truck making that big bucks but w/short yrs exp at truck driving but want it all now, etc...
It isn't easy getting along with people you are familiar w/ let alone complete strangers from different: social, religious, race, creed, gender, economical, etc... back ground 24/7 but couple that w/one supervising / training/ instructing the other and being in such close proximity of a closed confinement of a vehicle every moment of the way. I fully understand when team drivers abandon their spouse or co-drivers in rest areas / truck stops. Not saying I agree, do / done it myself but I understand. (That's all I'm admitting!) Just not a whole lot of privacy, one pass gas / bad body odors and the other would "partake" in that particular flavor of the moment. Spouse problems, money problems - all your dirty laundry out in the open (figure of speech or not - skid marks??!!??). Some find early on that trucking isn't right for them and leave with no strings. Some want to "earn" their CDL or minimal road experience so they can move on to something better. Wait, how about not wanting to satisfy the contract they'd signed for getting that CDL license through company training program because they're not rolling in dough? After all, they got their CDL and big $$ is an entitlement right? Anyone got a complete CDL training w/ no strings attached lately? "No wait, I'm different because I've been driving for X number of yrs, even though my credits are bad (divorces, child supports, ex - someone ruin it for me) and I should succeed! Styling and profiling - brand new (3 yrs or newer) trucks, #### expensive CB, LCD TV, laptop, wireless accounts, highly polished aluminum (even load lock - only seen it once), Cell phones, chicken lights (well that's a necessity), sat TV, sat radio (a necessity- comedy + Playboy channel - at least you can hear about sex***) etc... driving as fast as I could go. "I got all this on cash advances but why are they being taken out of my income?" (I've heard it) The trucks are turned up to 76 mph - usually only after taking their ACE business course (free - even deferred truck notes - fixed expenses, meals + hotel while attending course) so you could calculate how to efficiently run your "business". Don't know: how to read your settlements, operate it to you maximum potential, calculate fuel taxes, fuel cost per mile vs. operating speed, etc...? Didn't fully understand everything and didn't ask because didn't want to look like a "dummy" since nobody else was asking? Take it again in the future. Supports are available every step of the way.

Without knowledge and experience, successfully operating a business isn't easy even at best of times but in trucking, it's like whitewater rafting without a life vest / paddles / raft and hoping you'll come out in one piece. Things didn't float so well? Don't just get agitated and blame others for you failings. Learn from that experience and see if you're willing to let it keep you down or willing to leap forward.

I was O/O leased onto Prime in their reefer division. Back in 95 they were less than half the size of what they are now and "notorious for weeding out men from the boys" in their infamous runs. Good $$ though. I left them 2 yrs ago, because I was "getting out" w/less than 2yrs old fully loaded Volvo 780 w/Rigmaster APU (which I bought new - not left over model yr but new) that was paid for. The years I was w/ Prime wasn't all rosy (I believed I threaten to leave them every few yrs but we made up) and felt their growing pains every time things change. (i.e.; change of policies, bought out other companies, open training programs, student programs, brought in company drivers, open their Logistics side / fleets, got bigger, had Regional Fleets and grew with their success) Great for them but O/O + L/O took hits in their pockets when that happens.
For O/O they have strict vehicle requirements: 230 preferred but 244 max wheelbase, 5 yrs or newer (after the 5th vehicle age yr - removed from fleet), 18,200 lbs w/all of driver/s belonging with ¼ tanks full (able to haul 45,000 lbs), Qualcomm, etc... Due to longevity, rapports w/ personnel's - not all was enforced to the letter but never really pushed much. I understood how they serviced their customers and never asked for any preferential treatments, just to be put on a level battle ground. (Which they did for most point) I ran my tail off for which I was well rewarded. Never fell for any "per mile" or "percent" nonsense in terms of annual gross nor net. The fleet discounts/savings coupled w/consistent miles and premium rates made up for some loss of "freedom". Don't really want to run that hard again but I did OK when I was there.

Also - not trying to pick on anyone in particular or start a pissing match. If and when I switch to another company, I give it a 6 months minimum, unless illegal or safety issues exist. I can't even begin to imagine getting up on a new company in a shorter time period.
Certain time of the year (slow/fast) counts for that industry as well as current economy, fuel prices, personal expectations, etc... "Don't expect any carrier to produce a particular run if it doesn't exists" - kind of thing. Well Cheers!

 

Well said, TK!

 

BTW - regarding Prime lease program (unless things have changed in the last 2 yrs.)

I often hear from those with "no clues" about Prime's truck lease program being this and being that nonsense. They'll throw names around cursing Robert Low and Success Leasing for making money. Spouting off about how these lease programs are designed for failures. How many times you hear things like "you pay so much for that lease but you don't even get to keep it" or some witty BS to cover for their ignorance.

First off, about the truck leasing program by Prime (or anybody else for that matter). It's a "LEASING PROGRAM" - basically you're "renting" that equipment for the purpose of making $$ for yourself by operating it. So why should you feel you're entitled to own it for making "all those payments"? That's like living in a high priced luxurious apartment "rental" for X number of years then expect the owner to just sign the deed over to you, right? Go to any car dealership and lease any vehicle. Then at the end of that lease, tell them that now you own it and expect them to fork over the title. You made payments on it. You've put gas in it, serviced it and you even insured something that wasn't yours. So why can't you keep it?
Prime has something call ACE II Lease, which is actually Lease Purchase. It's for someone who actually completed a Prime lease program, has been with Prime for X number of yrs and show that they have some understanding of how to be successful as a business person. Your credit doesn't matter, you'll need approx. minimum of 5K down more or less and you get to choose payment options. Can add few custom ordered options. Being late on few payments won't affect your credits. Of course you defaults on the truck notes because of certain circumstances (sickness, disability, loss of drivers' license) you won't able to make any future payments, Prime will repossess it. Expect them to give it to you because you deserve it? They gave you a new truck and you're giving them a used truck back. Do the same at any (Kenworth, Freightliner, Volvo, Peterbilt, International, etc...) dealership and then tell them the same thing.
These company sponsored programs rates include all the necessary tools (various types of vehicle insurances, permits, QC, HVUT, etc....) fixed into that weekly cost. I see that in another section of this forum there is a post devoted to "what it cost to be an owner operator" and breakdown list of such fixed expenses, let alone the difficulty/time consuming of obtaining all that there are required. A person can have the skills and knowledge to properly use specific tools to generate a profit margin but if those tools aren't available...? The same goes for necessary tools being available to generate profit but not having the skills or knowledge to utilize them properly. How far could he go? Not picking on Landstar but imagine why many of their O/O's trucks seems "little" older-ish in vehicle age and aren't as pristine as some of those large company trucks? Generally those drivers are like Jedi knights because they've moved on from caring about "styling + profiling" as much as having "freedom" to run their way while attaining the $force$. Except no Yoda.

 

There was nothing positive to comment on.
It was the biggest goat roping session I ever seen. It wasn't getting better. Worse by the day. I almost bellied up. I had sense enough to get as far away from them as I could. My question is if it was me how did I go to a co where I picked my own freight and ran the truck the way I wanted and had no issues of seeing jacked up issues??? They was so jacked up when we got there they only had about 3 beat up freightshakers for about 20 guys. Orientation was a cluster. Everything was jacked up. I could not make up stuff any better if I wanted to. They had it all jacked up from the get go.

We had to go to altus OK to get trucks. Was told you will go down there and bring back stacked trailers for us, then sign your lease. Got down there no trailers. Piece of junk truck that got worked on 3 times before I ever got a load out of the main yard. Left with the same problem. Got to altus and was told go get a preloaded trailer and tarp it and bring it to the yard. We did. Called in and they said you can't pull freight for us. You are not a co driver and not leased a truck yet.... It really gets jacked up from here, but this was the best exp I had with them. I have talked about this enough and I am not going to repeat the rest of the jacking from them.

My point is every day they figured out a way to become more jacked up. You might stick it out 6 months, but they already proved to me what they was. I drove for one co for 7 years. Was no need to leave them. They were not jacked up.

 

Had to be something more for you to just run Prime in the ground like you do. Ive worked in some REALLY messed up places in my 42 years, but I wont run them in the ground in a public message forum. If someone asks my opinion, Ill give them my experience, but you dont do that...you just slander about things you have no CLUE about. You worked there one month in the Flatbed division, who has its own sales, dispatch, etc. it basically is a seperate entity of Prime.

Whatever...Im done with it. You wont listen to any reason...all you want is for Prime to close its doors. But then, if that happens, what will you have to ##### about?

 

You ain't got a flipping clue..... I tell what happened while I was there. It is not slander it is jacked up. I don't give a flip if they close or not. I don't give a flip what you think either way.

 

You started about the same time I turned up in Springfield for a truck. The problem wasn't with Prime, but their tractor vendor Freightliner Inc. This was the point where they arbitrarily decided to shut down the Century Class production line before they had cranked up production on the Cascadias. That coupled with the annual "holiday" they give their production employees caused a pretty big crisis at Prime. You had the choice of an old Freightliner (I took out a 2005 with 90 days left before it had to be legally turned in) or one of the Passmore Petes. Bad situation, but it was that or sit around.

Since then, Prime has spread the tractor business out between Freightliner, Peterbilt and International. So your point about this being completely Prime's fault doesn't necessarily hold water...

 

Who scheduled 20 some exp drivers to come in for orientation, freightshaker or prime?

 

Pony...you KNOW it's Prime's fault. Are you seriously trying to suggest otherwise? In fact, here is a list of things that are Prime's fault -

1. The economy
2. Global Warming (or the lack thereof)
3. 9-11
4. Fuel prices
5. The rising cost of Chinese food.

Ill search for more and see what else Prime has done.

Seriously, this guy had a bad 20-30 days at Prime so all must be wrong with us.