PLEASE HELP start with PRIME INC or Knight?? suggestions

Lightweight?

 

My best advice would be to avoid truck company schools. Get your CDL through an accredited community college. Get your hazmat, tanker, and doubles/triples endorsements. Then apply at the better companies. Good ltl companies like Old Dominion are now hiring newbies. Better yet, find a tanker company willing to train.

I wouldn't touch Knight or Prime with a ten foot pole. I'd rather have my Cdl and some credit card debt with some better options.

 

Drive a year for Prime in a lightweight, get 2400 to 3000 miles a week (my average was 2800+ on the company side,) get 43-cpm plus a fuel bonus up to 6-cpm paid weekly. After that one year your tuition is forgiven. Free training... and keep the $3000 to $4500 you would have paid in your pocket.

BTW... you're not even close to being a truck driver after paying all that money at one of these vaunted "truck driving schools" including community colleges... they can barely afford to give you enough skill to get past a road test with a licensing examiner.

One of the guys who started with Prime who posted here went over to what he thought would be a better local gig with Knight. He got screwed over pretty well there, and had a lot of personal property (GPS, CB, laptop) stolen out of his locked truck when it was in one of their yards for service. Real good outfit that Knight, yup!

 

Its what you do when the signal turns red . . .

 

It's a toy truck err small truck lol. Basically a smaller engine, super single tires on the rear, no cabinets between the bed and seats and one bed installed. They take the passenger seat out to get more room. Governed at 57mph on throttle, 62mph on cruise. It lets them get more contracts they say because they can carry more weight in the trailer.

This guy drove one for a bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6wy6dMkkEE

 

They're probably not much bigger than ours - single axle, 48" sleeper, I think . . . slim cabinets (may as well be none), and we team in it. No side door either.

I think these new drivers expect a bit much. Its a work truck, want a better ride? Buy your own.

 

I have 2 EX PRIME company drivers working for me both are great drivers , 1 went through PRIME from the start and I also have a trucking school trained driver that started at the same time , the PRIME trained driver has a much better grasp / understanding of the real world of trucking.

 

See I chose Knight because of the actual drivers I talked too plus the positive stories I heard out weighed the bad. Yes Prime offered more money, but how do you call and talk to the dispatchers or DM's there? I know with knight they have a manageable number of drivers under them to where they can learn their names. A big thing to me was being treated like a human and not just another ticket puncher that reports in with their driver number to be identified before talking to anyone at all.

You must have been talking to a reefer recruiter when you called in and asked about the solid CPM option. I know that I am dry van and after I am done my training I will be on a 35-44 CPM sliding scale.

It all depends on what you want and what the company offers. Everyone here can give you a different answer and you might not come to like either company! YOU have to weight what they have to offer, if it fits your schedule (if you have family), your budget for what they are paying and help you towards your end goal! Me, well my choice was Knight and no matter how much money Prime threw at me, sorry I wouldn't go because the only time I hear a happy driver talk is if he is leasing from prime. Oh another topic, I don't like the fact that they try to run new drivers out of school into a lease as well... but than again that might suit you...

Best of luck with your decision

 

No one pushes leases at Prime... truck stop myth. I spent 3 years on the company side, no one ever said anything about it except during orientation that they actually had such a program if you were interested.

Oh yeah... on a first name basis with each FM I've dealt with. I can get an answer on the phone within a few minutes most any time.

 

Good Luck........



With choices like those,

you may need it.