Our experience with Success Leasing

Billsgirl... Have you tought about driving with Bill? Then you guys could run the truck as a team and from what i have been reading right now teams seem to be doing a lot better at PRIME than solo l/o.

 

I was going to suggest the same thing. Kill two birds with one stone. Take the ACE II and then get face to face with the powers that be and get him on different board.

If he is so convinced he needs a new dispatcher, make sure he stands firm on this.

If they are firm on not allowing him to switch, tell him to have them (the powers he is dealing with) PROVE to him on his settlements over the last 10-13 weeks that he is not doing everything he can do. Basically stay firm and not hot headed until the have explained it thouroughly and exhausted every avenue.

Getting with the Accountant was a good idea. They arent employees of Prime, just contracted out to provide tax services. They are very intimate on the way things work on the finance side of Prime becuase the deal with it alot. There are however just a numbers men, and only advice is to get more revenue. Prime can tell you how and where that revenue is going.

 

I agree with U2exit and stranger Billsgirl; do not quit untill you have everything you can. Also, Boostedtag mentioned a good idea; have you thought of teaming with Bill? You both would enjoy the company and make money at the same time.

KH

 

Best of luck to Bill and yourself, Billsgirl.

 

Hey Billsgirl, I just actually sat and read the entire bunch of postings to your thread, from the first one available 4 weeks ago to the sadening one where you said you went and picked up Bill 5 days ago. I was just curious. I am not trying to be a smartbutt or anything. I am just curious. When you say he was watching his speed, say the truck would run 76mph, was he going the speed limit in 70mph states? Or keeping it more like 60-65mph? Most trucks especially Freightliner get the best fuel economy right at or below 1500rpms. Actually most any truck for that matter. Even in your highest gear, you will barely be pushing 65mph there at 1500rpms. Possibly even slower. Some of the older freightliners, the Centuries even had what I refer to as the cheater meter, on the rpm gauge. It was different colors. I am sure not for fuel reasons but so you wouldnt damage the engine having it too low, or to high at rpms for the transmissions. But, if you look at that from the last one I saw anyway if I am not mistaken the green stopped at 1500. In the green, makes the green. In the yellow, your more than mellow. And in the red, well, your almost completely dead.
Also when he got fuel, was he fueling up once a week, and running those tanks to almost empty before he refueled? Me personally once I had the truck and control over the fuel and all (leasing or owning the truck) I would not want to make a habbit of letting it fall below 1/2 a tank. And usually if Prime is anything like some companies, depending on which day you do fuel up you could have two or three fuel stops coming out of that one settlement for that particular week. Tires and all that also chime in to the mpg you are getting as well. Heavy loads, weather, conditions and everything help in destroying your mpg. I was just wondering about that. I myself was thinking about leasing a truck from Prime if I can get approved for "re-hire". Never actually worked for them just was going to go through their CDL training before I first started driving and chose otherwise after an incident with the trainer, but thats another story. Anyhow, I was thinking about leasing a truck from them. Solo could make it. Everybody says "oh only teams can make it" but thats not the case. Their payments though are pretty high. Considering theres some people who get private financing to buy a truck from a dealer and only get a $1200 a month note, opposed to $650 per week, or $800. I myself was recently laid off. Not that it really has much to do with anything. But the company I drove for I was laid off twice, the second time they actually closed. That truck was an 02 FLD120 flatop, with 10 speed transmission, governed at 68mph, but also had the 3mph speedometer lag. Meaning it was going 3mph less than what showed. Had 150 Gallon tanks as well. I got the best fuel mileage in that truck, than anyone else got in any of his others. I was getting right at 7mpg. But thats also flatbed, some deadhead, but not a whole lot. We usually pulled a lot of ridiculously heavy loads of pipe, and usually ran hard when the work was there. He went out of business just due to his customers (he didnt ever find new customers) not paying him, and not going to get new customers. He would call in the mornings to get loads, but usually would be late in the day before he would get one before he would hear anything. And majority of it was in stop and go houston traffic running within a 250 mile radius. That plays a big part too in the mpg.
As for what you said about him not wanting to go to another company and look like a job hopper on the DAC report, theres good news. From what I have read, in your posts on this thread he has only driven for two companies. Most companies will allow you to have no more than 6 jobs in the last 3 years. I learned that the hard way. I had a difficult time with quitting and going back to one place where I was employed 5 times. Some companies count that as one job, the others counted it as 5 different jobs. Even though it was the same company. I will say the one you want to stay away from at all costs is Arrow Trucking. You thought Prime was bad to you? Go try being company driver for Arrow. Almost every driver there will tell you "oh i usually only get one load a week". In the month I worked there, I got 7 loads all together. Which a couple were local, couple were 300 mile runs. One load to Tulsa, and back to Houston. My checks highest was $207, and went down from there, to $130 was final check. So there is far worse out there I am certain than Prime. The millenium building is a castle compared to most any other company I have ever heard of. Arrow is literally "portapotty" nasty. Stains all over the floors, looks like monkeys had fights slingin pooh at each other on the walls. Very smelly. Trucks all beat up and ragged out. Much worse. But, maybe they will call him back and try to get him to go back. I read I think on this site as a matter of fact that there was one person who went through the same thing but went back when they called him. Of course his story for the second round ended same as the first. He wasnt making money. You just have to really be on your toes. Know it sounds dumb but even for my last job, I would shut the truck off anytime I got out of it. Whether it be 3 minutes, an hour, whatever. Save diesel. I didnt want to be laid off again. Only reason I stayed there that time is I didnt really at that time want to go back over the road. Really didnt think I would find a company that would hire me. But I got 3 looking at me right now. JB Hunt is a good company to drive company for. They were in 2007 when I worked for them anyway. But I was making $.41cpm with them to. Only thing I can say about them is when you want to get home and your date is due, you will be day late getting home. So plan accordingly. Sorry for the long winded response. I am not bagging on Bill by anything I have said either. I was just curious. I mean some people have different definitions for driving slower and stuff. Some people think slower means if it will run 80 run 77 instead. RPMS are your best friend. Forget the speedometer (not literally) but when it comes to fuel rpms your best friend. Best economy will come at or below 1500rpms. Thats my input. Main thing on DAC is dont get canned. Most dont care about your leaving the job unless you were fired. Good luck to you and Bill though. Hope you find another company that makes you both happy and keeps money in your pockets. If I am approved to work for Prime and able to lease I plan on doing that. Mainly to have a newer truck, increased income potential, etc. Freedom, not that it really means much. You turn down loads, you get no loads. Period. I usually get stuck in a piece of junk I guess because I smoke when I drive company. Burn marks everywhere, stuff like that. Good luck to you though. He will be able to find plenty of work with other companies with 1 year experience though. Good luck.

 

How about putting 6 paragraphs in that book???

 

Good luck to you and bill. Does bill still plan on driving trucks or is he moving on to something else.