PRIME Drivers... What's your 20? (2)

I guess I just dont want to be tied to the company for a year in case I dont like how they are running me. Based off that about how many miles on average do you get as a newbie? Also what is the starting PM that you seen when you started out? If you dont mind my asking.

 

I ran 3100 miles my first week solo and have trip sheets to back that up I averaged about 2800-3200 a week while solo some weeks during the slow times you may see a 1200-2000 mile week or 2 I've had some 3000 mile weeks lately running TNT students its just that time of the year but when freight picks up it will be balls to the walls for months at a time

 

Did you go through prime cdl training?

 

Yes I came with my permit I started orientation on April 23 and delivered my first solo load on July 23rd we ran hard during PSD and TNT same instructor for both

 

Looking on their website it say you run with a trainer for 30k if you have your cdl. How long does that normally take? The only reason I was looking to go to a school to get CDL was cause my Post 9/11 bill will pay for it and I wont have to pay out of pocket.

 

Figure 5 to 6000 miles a week and that 30000 is a minimum you will go in to test out when your trainer and FM feel you are ready I've had guys that were ready at 20000 but had to do the full 30000 and I have had a couple guys on truck for 50-60000 1 guy was being paid by the army to go to school and didn't want to get off truck he was making the 600 from prime per week plus the army was paying him to go to school at I think he said 1800 a month so he was in no hurry to upgrade I finally had to just say its time man its time lol

 

I can see that lol. I am actually planning on starting in mar 2015 so Ill be out already Im just trying to get a feel for what would be the best route to go. What division do you run in?

 

Its actually 40k if you get your CDL somewhere else. Prime school grads do 30k because they get a 10k credit for PSD having already been on the road at least 3-4 weeks getting familiar with Prime's operating procedures while working on their CDL.

tnt miles are team. Depending on your home time requests and your instructors home time, you can average about 5k a week outside of those times and if unexpected repairs come up. Mostly more, sonetimes less.

as a veteran, someone who used the gi bill for college, and got my CDL thru Primes program for free... I implore you to think very hard about using that gi bill money for a CDL. I'd still wouldn't do it, but the only way if use that money on a CDL is through a community college where tuition rates are comperable to regular college courses. You will most certainly overspend and get less value of that money by going to a for profit school or tech course.

If you make it and like truck driving, that money is there to take classes for a normal degree online or later if you get a local gig. Plenty of options out there. As a heads up, Prime already has a partnership with Bethel University in Tennessee. Classes start monthly. 40% off tuition for online courses and online degree programs. There is certainly time out here to carve out a couple hours a week to work on a degree. I'm gonna start with one class, see how much time I'll need and then adjust my course load.

 

At the truckstop on us131 x75. Its a restaurant here. The fish and chips are pretty good. Drop at 90 in kalamazoo, mi. tomorrow morning.

 

Walmart DC Harrisonville, Mo