Prime: Orientation and Training?

well, i dont know what else to tell you. i gave you my husbands number and no one called, you have been offered advise on here too. maybe its just time to hang it up. not everyone in primes lease deal feels like they are getting screwed. there are many people that are successful at it.

 

couldn't find on the web site what the home time was for this company. I am in the military and just graduated from Troops 2 Truckers. I am considering Prime and TMC as companies to work for. What would prime start me out making? Are there any drivers here from NC? If so how much do you get to the house?

 

Company drivers earn 1 day of hometime per week. You can take as much as 4 days at a stretch, and the company wants you to be out a minimum of 3 weeks between home visits. Practically speaking, it depends on your finances - 4 days at home kills a paycheck, since you are only paid for time the wheels are a turnin'! You also earn a 5-day paid vacation every 125,000 miles starting when you are fully A-seat qualified.

CDL students going through Primes training aren't employees until they receive their CDL. At that point they start paying you a flat $500 per week for the first month. They will advance a CDL student $240, reimbursable at $25 per week while they are driving on a permit. After the first 4 weeks, training pay goes to a guaranteed $600 per week or 12 cpm for 5000 miles and over, whichever is greater - but you must be available for dispatch. You don't get paid for sitting on your keister at home!

Training is for a total of 80k miles (including permit time of 10k miles if you start as a student). The last 20k miles you have the choice of remaining with your trainer, or going solo. Once you go solo, you jump to 30 cpm. I believe the next pay increase is at 60k miles after going A-seat, solo qualified at 80k, but I can't be sure (about the 60k number) - pay goes to 34 cpm at that point. Figure on around 2500 to 3200 miles per week, with an average of say 2800.

Reefer work is a little more steady than flatbed, since people need to eat even when the economy sucks. Not a problem getting down to NC... just pulled a load out of Clayton, with a second pickup at Tar Heel last week. To get home time, you just request it, and they find a load going your way. Drop the trailer, bobtail home. Reverse on the way out. My FM is very good about it... never had an issue with hometime being denied. If he sees a load going to/thru where I take hometime, I'll usually get it whether I've asked or not. He'll QC me with a "do you want to take some time there?" before I know it.

 

I already have my CDL but I am straight out of school. Will I have to do their driving school also? So Prime don't offer weekly home time?

 

Ironpony has a couple things right, and a few things wrong.

This part is subject to change (and was current 2 months ago) Prime will not accept CDL school graduates more than 6 weeks beyond graduation.

This is current:

60k training miles before you can go solo(you can opt for 20k more and it will get you quicker from the .30 per mile to .34 pay bracket) You no longer have to complete 80k to lease... just 60k (I dont reccomend leasing in the current economic enviroment)

You (MosseyOak) will be classified "C" Seat(recent CDL school grad other than Prime) during your training will be paid .10/mile or $500 (whichever is greater) for the first 5 weeks, provided you are on the truck and available for dispatch (any hometime negates the $500 min gaurantee for that payweek... you just get paid the .10/mile for the miles completed that week)

After 5 weeks you graduate to "B" seat at .12/mile or $600 (same rules as before) for the rest of your training miles

Basically if your truck is dispatched more than 5000 miles you make more than the minimum

D seats are Prime CDL students... they have their permit and run with thier driver instructor sitting next to them. They are not employees yet.. and they dont get paid... but they do have the option of taking any or all of $200 per week loan (this changed from $240 when I started) .. no intrest and paid back by $25 dollar weekly deductions from payroll. D seats graduate straight to "B" seats after passing their CDL driving exams (.12 or $600) and recieve 10k mile credit towards their training miles requirement.

After 60k training miles the "B"s can take the upgrade exam to "A" seat(company driving test)attend some orientation type classes and can go company or lease. Solo "A"s at 60k start at .30 and their first raise is 20k later at 80k to .34... "B"s can knock out that last 20k quicker by sticking with their trainer, running team miles and upgrade to "A" at .34/mile.

All furthur raises are based on these miles... training included. Vacation award mile marker starts at 0 when you upgrade to "A"... So 125k miles after upgrade to "A" and youve earned youself a vacation...

 

No, no weekly hometime.

 

In need of Help...

 

Ok, i'm following you guys, Iron Pony and U2, you guys are my main souce of information about Prime.
Since i don't belive any more in recruiters conversation, not to judge them, but they are pretty much sales person... i beg for a suggestion or a opinion in my case.
So here it is: i had been pre-aproved and during my contact with recruiter i've been told that since i have only 6 months of OTR, i must go with a trainner. So far ok, that's fine, acceptable. At end i don't know all and i'm a open mind guy who trust that there is always something new to learn a .
The point is, we plan to do a H/W team, my teammate has the same experience that i have: 6months OTR.
Prime suggests that after i train (been told 3/4 weeks, since i have previuos exp.), they want me to stay 90 days as 1th seat to then be able to train my team mate.
For personal reasons, I really don't want to send her with another trainner, lady or guy, even i beliving in the professionalism of Prime Trainners, i had promissed her that that will never happen again. So in order to honor my promisse we will able to run as team just in Feb 2010. Wich is 30 days to my trainning + plus orientation + tests out + assign a truck + 90 days driving as 1th seat to became a trainner and then more 30 days of her trainning.
Is there any other way to make it easier? Any suggestions?
My recruiter is not much supportive, does not show much entusiasm in help me out with this question.
My question to you guys is: since i'm really interested in be a L/O Team for Prime, what is the minimum experience that i must show to we don't need to go with a trainner?
I'm considering to go with this any other big companys, get the remaining time necessary to be considered elegible to 1th seat.
The recruiter told me 8 months of exp.,is that correct?
So if i work more 2 months for somebody, Do you think we have any chance to make it smoth and we start up both driving?
Thanks a lot.

 

U2 is training, and probably has a better insight on this than I do. That being said, from what I've heard they've gotten more picky about who they're hiring, so I'd think it would be best to get in now.

3 or 4 weeks with a trainer isn't much, and it gives you the time to adjust to how Prime works. If you've been driving for someone else, you have developed under their system, not ours. I've talked to a number of drivers who have come from elsewhere... some fit in - others don't do what they're supposed to and get in hack from their actions.

FWIW, my recruiter never lied, did a good job letting me know what to expect. Yup, it's their job to sell the company, and your job to turn on the BS meter when talking to them.

 

IP thanks for your response, I don't have problem in train again, matter fact i think will be positive, i'll learn all the company procedures an therie is always something new to learn... but my point is after my trainning. They want me, after my 1 month trainning, to stay 3 more months with my teamate as "passenger" and then be elegible to be a trainner and then start up her trainning. One more month (for her trainning ) wich makes a total of 5 months untill we can drive as team. Now we are not working, and thats why i'm considering to work for somebody untill we get the minimum exp. required to both get in at same time...Just an idea..
Thanks at all.