Time for Prime.....

Well Bullwinkle....sorry you didn't have a good experience. But, the numbers I've been using are after all the tolls, etc. are paid. When I say that's what I bank.....that's what I mean.....not before all the takeouts. Yes, I know I'm not an Owner/Operator. BUT.....I'm not Lease/Purchasing either. I think that a L/P is a bad idea especially if you are getting your loads from the person you are L/P'ing the truck from.....as many have stated...you get close to the purchasing part and somehow things start to go downhill with your loads.....That's why when I finish my LEASE....I will be buying a truck from someone besides the company that I will Lease on to.

Also, Prime does not compete with the likes of JB.....Schneider is about the only company out there that even tries. Just look @ all the trains in NM and AZ and you'll see what I mean. All you got on them is JB, Schneider, Yellow/Roadway, UPS, and containers.... I don't know if you go out west....but if you do then you know what I'm talking about.....run 80 from the Iowa/Nebraska line to I-5....you could count the JB Hunt trucks you see on the road on your hands....you might even get away with 1 hand. We haul the same stuff the O/O's haul......the stuff that feeds the country....and keeps Wal-Mart full. It's that simple.

I don't expect to make many friends on here.....but, I just want to say that if you can't buy a rig....then there are places you can go and make it if you're willing to work......AND have sense enough to remember you're not working for someone else anymore.......YOU'RE responsible for all the bills. And you have to take care of business......because it's YOUR business (and family)that will suffer if you don't.

 

Bronc..... The truck payment.....sit down for this....Is $751 a wk. I know there will be people saying I'm crazy.....well.....I don't know....even with that I am still making good money...and it's like anything else....you pay for things one way or another....

I know if my A/C goes out....I go to Freightliner and they fix it....it's under warranty. If the am/fm goes out.....I get another......warranty. Normal wear items is it(Tires, Oil, Filters, Belts, etc.).....everything else will be warranty for 500K miles. Yes, we have a 500K mi warranty. And the truck will be turned in by that time.....and I will be driving my wife's truck for her @ that point....

Like Slick50 has done....he bought a truck and has it leased right back on to Prime.....they know he's a runner....and makes his deliveries on time and he's making a good living here.....BUT of course he's now putting more $$$$ in his pocket. That's the same plan that I have. I just wasn't in the position to buy the truck right off the bat........I probably could have gotten the money.....but, my wife isn't comfortable with the whole idea just yet.....next to your house.....it's the largest investment you can make....and the thing is.....this investment, if not handled properly....can cost you the house. That was my main reason for going this route. Once she sees how it works.....she'll be for it.

But, I guess I'm whipped.....Because we approach this thing like it's a shared venture....because it is. Our decisions out here affect our entire families....not just ourselves.

 

Over the last 6 weeks I have averaged just under $1250 per week in the bank. What really hurt me was the week of 7/16-7/23 I sat for 3 days with Freightliner Warranty issues(I'll get paid for 2 of those this week!) and took off 2 days for my dad's 80th birthday. So, that week was shot...I only put $250+ in the bank.....didn't go in the hole tho....That's the good thing!! Had it not been for adding in that week.....I would have been close to the $1500 mark.

They must really be needing the West Regional drivers right now. I know they are having to scramble to cover all the loads they have coming out of Cali. Which is a good thing! And they pay good too!

The load I'm on now is paying the truck $1800+ for 934 miles.... picked it up this afternoon & it delivers 8/2 0900.....it works out to right @ $1.82 per mile. Like I told my travel agent.....My arm's getting sore with you twisting on it to make me take these loads....LOL

I tell you what guys.....You may think that this company is only out to rip off drivers.....I don't see it.....and like the man said.....He hasn't talked to any "Current" drivers that have a problem with them......and A LOT of them have already finished at least 1 lease.....

Ask Slick50 if he's making any money with his new truck.....THAT HE BOUGHT with money he's made here......and leased it right back on....that ought to tell you something. IT AIN'T AS BAD AS SOME SAY...

I'm finished.......for now.

See you in LA!
(Lower Alabama, that is!)

 

My numbers may be different than the way broncrider figures his.... I just take all that I'm getting revenue wise and divide it by the miles. If I take off my FSC....It's right @ $1.53 per mile + the FSC.

Not bad for a little fat country boy!

 

Honestly....I haven't been keeping up with the length of haul....I have all the info...But, I haven't had the time to develop my spreadsheet to that point. But, I can say that I'm finding more and more info that I want to start tracking.

I have not hauled any flower loads yet....I want to tho!!
They are shipped on the floor. Boxes, stacked on the floor.....no pallets.
You have to roll them to the back.....thus tailgating. At a lot of the floral stops you have to unload them into the shop's cool storage. AND you get paid extra for that!

Yes, I do have an APU. I have the Thermo-King Tri-Pak. And love it. Keeps the truck cool for 1/10 of the cost of idling. Not to mention it comes with an 1800W inverter. Keep my 110V fridge plugged in to that all the time. Also can run my 5.5hp Shop-Vac to keep the "house" clean at the same time. Not to mention charge the phone, BT headset, GPS, PDA, Laptop......etc.....etc. (I'm a high-tech redneck!) But having that fridge with the freezer really rocks!

The truck had 44 miles on it when I picked it out on the 14th of June. Now, almost 6 weeks later......I'm over 20K mi. Getting ready to have my first service done. That works out to 3333.333333333 miles a week.

Tell them you'll do the regional thing if they'll get you the color of truck you want....with the Tri-Pak already installed. Well....I better get to bed.....0400 comes early!