Who can I work for? Need help! Anybody out there?

First of all, thank you guys (and gals - how do I know the difference). I appreciate your advice and I'm slowly shifting gears (pun intended) to look at this more realistically. I had a long phone conversation yesterday with O/O recruiting at Prime. They (because I probably shouldn't name names) convinced me there is no way out of paying my student dues. If I'm not willing to crawl first; I will almost certainly fail in this business.

I actually have found a way not to crawl through Houg Special Services in Commerce City, Colorado if I obtain my own authority. I can start with them tomorrow. The bad news is the risk is simply too much in this economy - I would fail and I know it.

Prime pays $0.12/mile or $600/week (whichever is greater) during their 80,000 mile training program. You can go from that program into a lease purchase at 72% of line haul plus fuel surcharge; and if you want to, you can go full O/O with your own authority at 82% of line haul plus fuel surcharge.

Prime's "Success" leasing program is nice in that if you fail you can turn your truck back in and walk away. It's basically a month to month lease rather than a 2, 3 or 4 year contract. I haven't verified it, but it appears you could actually walk away from this deal and not destroy your credit.

Prime is like others - you hear good and bad - but so far their deal seems fairer than most. If you are willing to play by their rules, it appears you could have a real opportunity.

That's as far as I've gotten. I may have to get off the pot one of these days.

Thanks guys and gals.

 

I hear you on the Prime lease thing. Thank you. Most of these zero-down lease programs are slave labor with a nice ride. I worked out a business plan and without a driver's pay included came up with bare bones fixed and variable operating costs of around $0.98 / mile at 2,200 miles per week and $0.88 / mile at 2,800 miles per week.

That doesn't leave much for the O/O if line haul plus fuel surcharge is $1.15. If you sit around you dig a hole you can't get out of pretty quick.

It seems like the really small carriers are feeling a lot of pain these days, but I've started searching them out anyway. I'm not into the corporate thing too much. I basically get along best with independent types.

I applied with a small local outfit yesterday and the add says I have to be able to unload plants really fast. Sounds like a winner to me. I probably have 8 years at least of frozen, potato and UPS warehouse experience. I can load/unload with the best.

Life is good and getting better. If it was easy anybody could do it. I never asked for easy - just close to fair will do.
Thanks again.

 

Got that right. Wife of 35 years has her own book keeping business working for small contractors, radiator shops, etc. She's a tough and beautiful girl.