Prime, Inc. - Springfield, Mo.

Personally I wouldn't pay for training. You could get a cdl from a school and still not get a job driving because of a felony. Try Schneider they have one of the most respected training programs out there and they would probably be a good outfit to work for.

Schneiders exceptance of felonies varies as far as the amount of time goes. For example some compaines will except drivers with felonies that have occured anywhere from 5 yrs. old to 10 yrs. old and some companies exceptance varies. I can't tell you want this means. I'm guessing it varies based on a number of things, say the type of felony, how long ago it occured, how old you were and how old you are now, are you responcible, is your credit good.

You might also try Swift. They have a training program also. Their hiring policy is somewhat liberal.

If I have a chance I'll look around for more out fits and get back to you.

Thanks mannmk7 for the reply. Have already started the school anyway. Had to do something since I didn't have a job. I'm also living with my brother and his family now due to giving up my apartment and tho I love them dearly, they do need to have some space.
I tried Schneiders earlier but according to the app., the felony has to be at least 10 years old and it wasn't when I put it in. Plan to do the app again near the end of the school. I have a friend driving with them who was in the same boat and I think worse but his felony is older and he does have more clean time than me. I have 8 1/2 years clean time and his at least 5 years more. He told me to talk to the recruiter and explain all tha went on on what you've done to correct it, and well, they hired him. All I can do is to just keep plugging away. I may have to drive concrete trucks BUT I will find a job and be the best employee that I cna be.

 

I currently work for Crete and I am at .47/mile. This month has been bigger than most. As of the delivery 7/31 I will have 13+K miles. (if you add up the weeks that produced the paychecks for July, weeks ending 6/27-7/25 my miles were 15692) Gross this month, because it was a 5 paycheck month and I had some multi stop loads and detention, will exceed $7000(1st paycheck was carried from last week of June's miles and was a 3450mi week but paid 7/3, so that kinda skews it a little). Net is in the low to mid $5000's. But.... like the post said, you must stay out and keep on them for miles. I left June 18 and was planning on home this weekend (8/2) but decided to postpone until next weekend or later since they are running me so good.

I wish all months were this good, but I am still averaging 11K a month for miles. Add in detention and stop pay, not a bad average.

 

Prime is a great place to go if bankruptcy is in your future!!

If you have any doubts talk to Adam , Steve , Stan or Pat and ask them what happened to the driver of 69209. Those are all "Operations managers" and above. And not a single one of them stopped what I am about to tell you from happening.

I drove for a touch over 2 months with no home time. Since I have a wife and 4 kids at home I kinda wanted to take some time to spend with them. So one Tuesday morning I get home for a planned and approved week off. By Wed morning my FM was ringing my phone giving me the business. We need you back in the truck immediately....

So I gave in on Friday and went back to the truck agasint my better judgement. Friday night I was admitted into the hospital after 911 was dialed from a shipper.

After a 2+ day stay in a small town hospital they released me and gave me orders to go home for 5 days and rest. Follow up with my Dr and let him decide when I was able to return to work.

I was fired for not being productive!!!

I have never had a late load, not one ticket, accident, log violation or anything. Simply put they thought (and treated me accordingly) that I was lying about being sick. And I turned my truck in yesterday.

Almost 3 months there I got 3 paychecks. The last week of "earnings" they hit me for a deductions described as "other deductions" to the tune of $3769. Still no one can explain to me what those are. Kinda like to know where 3800 of my $$ went, wouldnt you?

A great place to work if you desire being broke and homeless!!! I wish I had grounds to sue the pants off all of them. But I dont think that I do.

I left CRST to go to Prime and frankly CRST is not a great company but I will go back there before I ever drive another Prime truck!

 

On LTL, you are paid for the pain of stopping so much. I had thought about it with a company like New Century or Whitte (i think that's how you spell it) but not sure if I'd like all the stops. It would have to be a national type LTL, local stuff just wouldn't float my boat, you get home too often, gives you more of a chance to screw something up and get yelled at by the real boss. The one, that if she fires you, you pay a 50% duty to leave the house that you still have to pay for. Plus giver her 1/2 your stuff

 

I hate to say it, but suing probably won't do any good. Robt Lowe will out 'lawyer' you until your legal bills would be out of this world... Ask OOIDA, they sued, had a case, but are still fighting (last time I heard, on appeal).
The drivers that pawpaw spoke to were definitely the exception not the rule. I am half tempted to call Bill Mack on his show and ask him how he sleeps at night promoting Prime as such a great company...His advertising standards are definitely not as high as Paul Harvey's.

I don't mean to toot my own horn(or my company's horn), but if you still are looking to make some money, try Crete. If you can stand puttering around at 62mph. They are very anal about logs, and are kinda' pickey about the way you do certain things, but they are one of the better paying companies out there. I know they changed their pay range recently, so I am not sure how much they start at now, but I am at .47/mi and making a killing. I started at .42 and had myself out of Prime's financial hole in less than 6 mos. There is a loooong thread on this forum. I think it's in the favorite trucking company section, or here in the good/bad section. 'Crete a year in review' (I'm not the author) but kinda lays out the overall Crete experience pretty accurately.

We need to start a support group for former Prime drivers... to help us cope with readjusting to the real world. Kinda' like when a prisoner 1st gets out of jail after a long sentence.

 

Thanks for the reply. Crete is one of the companies I am looking at now. I actually thought about retiring from trucking thanks to Prime. But why should we let them beat us right? I wont give up on the ndustry because there are a few criminals now running trucking companies.

This time I will be moving slow and making a lot better decision.....I hope!

 

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I'd love to drive for crete but i dont have the haz-mat req. they are asking for on their site.

 

I've been working on getting into driving. I've talked with about 15+ Prime drivers. Only one, getting ready to retire, said he didn't care for Prime but his previous company was bought out by them. He strongly recommended another company and gave me there number.

I have read your posts on Prime, and one other guy who didn't like Prime. So, I'm trying to square up my thoughts on Prime. If you guys are right then the only thing I can come up with is that Prime is a bit like a pyramid scheme. Could it be that the drivers are brainwashed into talking up the Prime by the company telling them it would benefit all drivers to encourage people to sign up with Prime. Prime does offer incentive to sign up drivers. What do you think?

What I'm up against is time. I don't want to waste it. I don't have a cdl; I don't want to go to a school. I'd like to train with an outfit and stay with them. What I'm getting at is, according the happy stuff I read, and hear about, Prime is the place to go based on this.

Thanks.

 

Are you drive'n now? Did the info show up on your DAC report?