Truck Driving Jobs

tbogle · #1 07-27-2009, 05:04 AM

My husband has just left for Prime today and I know it is kinda late to be asking this question, but does anyone know anything about Prime? I was just wondering if anyone knows what we could expect from this company. We havnt heard anything good or bad and i am not for sure if that is a good thing or not.

1TruckDrivinSunUvAGun · #2 07-27-2009, 05:51 AM

I know they really push their lease program on newbies unless that is what your husband signed up for already? I would strongly suggest staying away from it. What division did he sign up for? I hear the tanker yankers and flatbedders do alright. I don't hear a lot of good from the reefer guys. Good luck to him just tell him to stick it out for now.

tbogle · #3 07-27-2009, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1TruckDrivinSunUvAGun

I know they really push their lease program on newbies unless that is what your husband signed up for already? I would strongly suggest staying away from it. What division did he sign up for? I hear the tanker yankers and flatbedders do alright. I don't hear a lot of good from the reefer guys. Good luck to him just tell him to stick it out for now.

Well we decided before we talked to anyone that we wanted to try the lease and so that is what he is doing. He did go into the flatbed division. thanks i think we are going to need all the luck we can get.

sportster65 · #4 07-27-2009, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbogle

Well we decided before we talked to anyone that we wanted to try the lease and so that is what he is doing. He did go into the flatbed division. thanks i think we are going to need all the luck we can get.

WOW, getting into the lease program before talking to anyone? Go to primedrivers.net and look around, you will find that things are really tough for the L/O's right now. One longtime flatbedder just hung it up and yes he was a L/O, not enough income to keep the truck going and pay the bills. I personally know a team who left for greener pastures to Prime as L/O's who are just keeping their heads above water. Now is the absolute worst time to get into a L/O. please do yourself a favor and go to the above mentioned site and see what the drivers are saying. I think prime has a walkaway lease, if so he may be lucky to not get too far into debt, if not, I'm afraid you should prepare yourselves for some pretty lean times. I have never driven for prime, but I am friends with those who do, and they are really struggling to just make the payments. A general rule of thumb in trucking, if the company says it is a good thing, it is, for the company, not the driver. I really hate to see people get suckered into these types of deals, they are shown numbers that look great, and they usually are, but they are best case scenarios, and in this industry, that rarely happens.

1TruckDrivinSunUvAGun · #5 07-27-2009, 06:41 AM

I'm sorry he went with the lease. It really is a bad deal the majority of the time. You are at the company's mercy when it comes to miles. They dispatch you, and if there is no freight or your dispatcher is pissed at you then guess what, no pay. But that lease payment still comes and all your other bills come. But you still need miles and your not getting them. Since your not an owner/op with your own authority you can't get your own loads from another company to make ends meet, instead you are at the mercy of Prime and what they decide to give you. They could care less that you have a lease payment to make each week. I would make sure to see if there is way to back out of the lease contract without owing anything. If you can have a lawyer look at it. Is there a buyout option? Is there a balloon payment at the end of the lease? What are they paying in fuel and maintenance? Are all plates and permits paid? Is there a tire program? Is there a Qualcomm fee? What do PM's cost? Is he allowed to fuel anywhere? Is he allowed to receive maintenance anywhere? Are APU's provided free of cost? Are there accounting fees? Is Pre Pass and EZ Pass etc. provided? What is the fuel surcharge based at? Good luck I hope he beats the odds.

boneebone · #6 07-27-2009, 06:35 PM

P lease R emember I 'm M issouri E ducated

boneebone · #7 07-27-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbogle

Well we decided before we talked to anyone that we wanted to try the lease and so that is what he is doing. He did go into the flatbed division. thanks i think we are going to need all the luck we can get.

Flatbed freight has to be the slowest right now, especially with the housing crunch, he should've went with the Refrigerated Division, more freight=more miles= more money, got to make those payments.

tbogle · #8 07-27-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneebone

Flatbed freight has to be the slowest right now, especially with the housing crunch, he should've went with the Refrigerated Division, more freight=more miles= more money, got to make those payments.

Well from he has heard today the refrigerated division is the worst of the three they have. It doesnt make much since to me since there is always freight for refrigerated but i gues it is bc the loads arent paying well. He isnt getting paid per mile, it is percentage pay. I know being on here sure has worried me on the decision that we have made but I also think that it has to do a lot with the driver, not just the company. You cant just blame the company for not making it bc chances are the driver had a lot to do with it too. I know that times are hard right now but i also know someone leasing from a different company running flats and he is doing well and i know it isnt just bs either since i take care of his finances for him, so i see exactly what he is making and spending. If any of you know someone that is actually with prime or has been with them, please have them respond to this so i can hear from someone that has actually worked with this company. I dont want just all the hearsay stuff i would like to hear how things actually are with Prime.

tbogle · #9 07-27-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneebone

P lease R emember I 'm M issouri E ducated

well that doesnt go for my husband, he is Illinois educated, which doesnt make things much better.

1TruckDrivinSunUvAGun · #10 07-27-2009, 08:38 PM

Well I have a friend there right now as a company driver but he is not in flatbed he is in reefer. I talked to him the other day on the phone and he said it was slow all over. He said the tanker guys are actually doing well. But flatbed and reefer are sucking it up big time. He said there are a lot of empty trucks and a lot of guys sitting and waiting at the terminal for days. I suppose the info is hearsay but he usually doesn't pathologically lie to me very often.