Prime: Orientation and Training?

This is no where near the misery the country was in during the Great Depression.

 

thanks for the detailed info..... most of the posts i've read have been negtative.. but then theres usely 2 sides to every story

 

thanks for the info of your progress. been thinking of prime due to my central missouri location.what miles are the company drivers getting now?

 

oops i'm new to this posting stuff. that last post was directed to u2exit

 

Im wondering that myself. Im not doing bad, but I cant give you any accurate numbers... Hometime and mechanical issues have my numbers all skewed for the whole month of Jan.

I like to look at an average over 4 weeks of running. Feb. was supposed to be a fresh start to run 4 straight weeks and give some good data.

My truck really doesnt like extreme cold weather below -10. If your truck has an APU, Prime has the trucks programmed to shut down after a certain amount of ideling. I spent all day yesterday getting my truck thawed out and fired back up. I had plenty of additives in the tank so the fuel hadnt gelled but was a little cloudy... so I ran the battery down pretty low trying to get it turned over... took the tow truck to drag me around the TS and popping the clutch to get the fuel moving in the lines.

Mechanic said the best thing is to leave it running all night... well cant do that, so last night I got up every 2 hours and ran the truck for 30 min and worked well. warmer weather today, If Im still here

Anyway, I was 90 miles from delivery and fortunatly another truck was able to repower it and make the delivery. Bad news is my Pre-planned load was probably given to that driver as the pickup was in the same town as delivery.

After coming out of the house on Friday, the load repowered (15xx miles) and the next load (12xx miles) WOULD have given me about 2700+ miles for the 7 days but not for the week as paperwork cutoff is Tuesday at 1600 for Friday's paycheck.

Positive note, I am seeing and hearing alot more drivers discussing pre-planed loads... so that's a positive note on two points... one, we know where we are going next, and two, we know when... Im happier sitting and knowing when Im reloading, rather than sitting and not knowing.

 

Training phase at Prime all depends on you and your trainer. If you get along it will be a very good experience. If you don't get along find another trainer fast. Why you ask? Because you are with your trainer 24 hours a day 7 days a week. He or she will see more of you as the student then their own family. Stay clean, "take showers whenever you can" and remember you are in your "trainers home" as a guest. Only thing your phase 2 trainer gets from you being their is the miles as a team truck. Your trainer pays "your" wages out of his or hers settlements, Prime only makes up the difference if you don't make 5000 miles a week or the basic $600.00 per week. You think 5000 miles a week would be easy as a team truck. Depends on the fright, right now fright is just not, "anywhere" and its hard to get 4000 miles a week. If you take out medical insurance after 3 months on the job keep in mind your trainer pays some of "your" medical insurance. Your trainer pays all your workmans comp. {Based on your state laws of course}so you can see that you are the guest of the trainer. Take in their knowledge, and keep the good through out the bad and make your own style.
***Take note as a student, after 6 months if you have not upgraded to "A" seat driver Prime will stop making up the difference in the actual miles driven and the $600.00. In other words after 6 months on the job you only get paid for the actual miles dispatched to the truck # 12 cents per mile.****

 

That 3 month window before you can get the medical insurance starts the day you finish your CDL instruction and get the full liscence not the day you show up at Prime. For me, I was already finished with my training miles when I signed up for the insurance.

I didnt know about the 6 month window... I met a guy who is sticking with his trainer for the time being by his own choosing. Even though he has all his training miles. His trainer must be making some money off of the miles they are doing... He has me convinced he's happy with the current situation.

 

well thanks every one for the info, spoke with prime yesterday & their not taking on any newbies & apparently for a few months......... guess things have gotten worse. spoke with a few otherv trucking co doing the same. several warned me about the puppy mills willing to put you through school but then not being able to get a job. i dont need to spend more money to find out i still cant get hired. but i did appreciate their honesty

 

Are you new as in no CDL or are you a recent school grad but never hired?

 

jshepp I sent you a PM