Time for Prime.....

Steve, you are correct on all counts. Sitting never pays! Take it and roll it.
Here is how I figure it: Monday morning you get a $1.00 a mile load that delivers on Thurs/Wed nite; pays $1500, 1500 miles. You decide to blow that off and wait for that 'good load'. Ok, Monday is gone, so to make up the difference you have to get a $1.50 a mile (out of a bad area?!) $1.50 X 500 miles = $750 for Tue and Wed. JUST TO MAKE THE SAME MONEY...
Last year with Prime I did 161,000 miles and my truck made $1.26 (all miles). That figures to $203K gross, banked $72K, took my 'bonus' and bought my own truck, but still run Prime freight. This year I'm on the same schedule, but @ $1.34 mile average (so far), and truck payments of only $1500 a month. 6.47 mpg. My accountant and I are on a first name basis.
Good luck to you and your 'co-driver' but be aware of what Prime takes from you when you exceed your 2500 miles a week. Finish the lease to get that money back, but before you turn in your truck, get a pre-turnin inspection so you can fix what needs to be done prior to turn-in.

 

Could someone explain what the statement above means?

 

I'll answer this from memory...as best I can. Prime trucks (being that they are leased) have a clause that if you exceed 2500 miles a week you are charged a per mile deduction (called over mileage or something like that). Teams will go over miles every week, and can lose up to $150 a week to this deduction. This money will be returned to the driver upon lease completion, and only then. If you walk away from the lease, the money stays with Prime (Success Leasing). That is but one reason I don't do Prime trucks anymore, just their freight.

 

My understanding would be because their leasing the truck and it's like a car lease if you go over the alotted milage for the lease then you pay a penalty. Makes sense then. Yeah I guess if your running a team and picking your loads wisely then you could make enough money to pay the penalty. Wouldn't mind paying a penalty on high dollar loads.

 

With in the next 2 weeks i will be applying for schooling and training to get my cdl. I have been doing alot of research and reading forums on all companies that offer schooling. Now I am down to 3 companies I am considering ( Schneider & Roehl for van ) or ( Prime Inc. for tank ). I have gotton alot of good advice and info. from this site, now I have just a few more questions. 1) Do you have any feed back on these companies before I make my decission ? 2) All things considered ( slosh, wind, ice , snow, etc. ) if a driver is safety minded and tries to be careful and hauling food products.....is one safer to handle on the road then another ( van or tank )? 3) Where would I get the most miles ? ( pay per mile seems to be the same at each ) 4) also I have heard that tanker customers are alot friendlier and easier to deal with then van customers , this true ? Any advice you people can give me would be helpful. I read on here one time that figuring out which company to go with...was more frusting and stressful then doing taxes. I got to admit....this is the most stressful decission I have ever made and if I don't hurry up and make a decission, my wife is going to kill me ..cause Im driving her nuts. Oh great now I'm stressed out about her killing me.......HELP

 

Stay on the Van / Reefer side first and get experience. Being a "Tanker Yanker" takes a lot of skill and experience. Plus pulling a Tank, takes a lot to stop them when loaded. Much more than a loaded Van / Reefer.

Miles will be more with Van / Reefer than with Tanks. There is more sitting waiting for a load with Tanks also.

Whatever you decide, definitely stay away from PRIME, INC. If you really want to pull Tanks, go with Scheider.

 

Thanks for the advice Ledbetter.

 

Houdini....I have been in the Prime CDL Trainers program this past week....didn't have Internet @ the Motel.....and to top it off....I gave my daughter my Verizon wireless card since she actually needs it for school. I will tell you this.....IF you come to Prime.....by the time you get tested for you CDL....you will know how to drive that truck. Their training and testing process is VERY comprehensive. I have been a driver trainer @ 3 different companies before now....and I have to tell you that the trainers here have more expected of them than the other 3 companies combined. And I don't mean miles wise.....CDL trainers are only dispatched on single loads.....no team loads.....To compensate for the fewer miles the trainers income is supplemented for the time you are on the truck.....that way you won't be used as "another log book". All of the trainers are held responsible for how their students perform when they come in to take their skills tests. If the student does not do well.....it doesn't come back on the student....it falls on the instructor. It is "BY FAR" the best training program I have ever been involved in. Now....I'm about to see if I'm as good as I think.......getting ready to head to CA with my first student.... MY WIFE!! If you see a Prime truck out there with a little blond driving and a fat guy with black eyes in the passenger seat......That's us!

BTW.....I did get me a new card.....so I'll be around.....Letting you guys know how it's going.

I had guys in my Trainer class that had trained at places like Schneider and England and they agreed with me that the program here is MUCH better.

 

Thanks for the input. What about the other questions, got any input ?

 

Also with a tank wouldn't you have the same tank trailer most of the time instead of drop & hooks and wouldn't that be a benifit ?