[SayAPrayer4Me]

Ok, I've pretty much gotten a pre hire from Prime INC. Can anyone tell me some good bad about them? Their training pay is very good 500wk. . And its for 90 days..And starting me out at .34 for reefers..Much better then swift that the school wanted me to go with.. Anyone have any knowledge?

RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN. They are known for the FLEECE PURCHASE SCHEME were they basically let you buy a truck for the company make sure you can not afford it then when you have it repopossed they then hit you up for 8-12k in the fees that you owe then they release the same truck to another driver. That is how they stay in business.

[Uturn2001]

Prime's training program works like this:

They help you get a CDL, then they stick you with a Flease Purchase Driver for 3-6 months (all depends on how your "trainer" thinks you are doing). While you are on the "trainer" truck you are running as a team from day 1 or 2.

Also from the day you step foot on Prime property they will be pushing the L/P program to you. They will show you a bunch of fuzzy math that shows how you can make $2,000 or more after expenses if you sign on the bottom line. Of course if you do the actual math yourself using real numbers you will see that this is next to impossible, and almost next to impossible to make any money at all unless things go 100% perfect 100% of the time, which any experience driver will tell you NEVER happens.

[century451]

Its obvious that neither of you handing out advise have any knowledge about Prime. First of all there is no lease to purchase, If you lease a truck and you turn it in and you get stuck with a 12,000 bill then you werent doing your maintenence. You have to turn the truck in at the same state of repairs as you leased it in. They dont push the lease program, they have company drivers as well.

[SayAPrayer4Me]

Ok. I dont care to ever lease a truck. FYI. Now talk about the company...

[Skywalker]

OK, I've already had my first glass of wine this evening (I'm on off time...have been for 3 days, and don't go back to the 5th of July :P )you've already been warned by others, and apparently have your mind set on driving a fast truck for them. Whooooop, whooooop!! I thought Uturn made it quite clear....but you apparently are wearing "rose colored glasses", or have perception problems... :?

So here's my suggestion.... GO TO WORK FOR PRIME, HAVE FUN, BE SURE TO HAVE FUN, THEN COME BACK LATER AND ADD YOUR TALE OF WOE TO THE MANY WHO HAVE BLOGGED AND PASTED THEIR MISERABLE EXPERIENCES AT PRIME....

Of course, someone with a "lick of smarts" would use the "search function" on this site and others to get some pertinent information....unless of course you're some dolt recruiter at Prime.... :P :P

Oh, by the way.... I didn't know that "Prime" had company drivers.... Seems I remember something about all company drivers working for RTC, not Prime..... SO.....maybe you are think about a fleece purchase deal, eh?

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by century451

Its obvious that neither of you handing out advise have any knowledge about Prime. First of all there is no lease to purchase, If you lease a truck and you turn it in and you get stuck with a 12,000 bill then you werent doing your maintenence. You have to turn the truck in at the same state of repairs as you leased it in. They dont push the lease program, they have company drivers as well.

There never was a "lease" to "purchase".... 8) As to the rest: Really? I guess all those court decisions against them and their mounting legal bills finally got them to rethink their business model?

If Prime has company drivers....who are the RTC drivers pulling Prime trailers?

[century451]

Those RTC are Primes company driver division. Go to their web site if you need reinforcement.

Recruiter?......the only recruiting I did was in the Marine Corps 81 thru 84. I could care less if anybody drove for Prime or their dear old Grandma but I think if your gonna give someone advice you need to be factual.

Prime has their problems like every trucking company out there as well as their leagal problems, personality clashes, driver turnover, etc..... thats the cost of doing business no mater what areana....hell even the military has their fair share. Thats life.

I cant tell you how their training is conducted now but as a Company driver you will get the miles and the pay isnt too bad for a rookie. You will be treated with dignity and respect. Its a good place to start and you are wise by not wanting to lease. You need to learn to make a living in the business and learn that business before you stick it in the wind to see what happens. Good luck no matter where you go.

[geomon]

Skywalker...you still living on the boat or did you sell it and move ashore?

[Uturn2001]

if your gonna give someone advice you need to be factual.

And how do you know if I am or am not being factual?

FYI: The info I posted is based on reports from 9 people who have went through Prime's so-called training program in the last 7 months.

All 9 of them were hit up by Prime to enter into the lease purchase program at least 4 times before being assigned a "company" truck.

First time was during initial orientation.
2nd time while in "school"
3rd time before being assigned a "trainer"
4th time when they returned to Springfield to be upgraded to solo status.
Now if this is not pushing the LP program I do not know what is.

All 9 of them were placed with LP operators. All 9 of them were ran as a team from day one. Real good training there. I am impressed that someone can teach when they are asleep in the bunk.

Now as far as what Skywaker posted about being people charged thousands of dollars when they turned in their trucks prior to lease completion I can, if you want, provide proof in the form of several former Prime lease operators who went through this. Two of the ones I know for a fact are so anal about truck maintenance that when they went O/O for real their trucks were on 12,000 mile PM schedules, tires were changed out at 5/32 nd's with virgin tires, ans this is the same cycle they maintained when they attempted the Prime program and still got charged several thousand dollars in maintenance and repairs for work that did not need done and repairs for non-existant damage.