Profile For Ray F. (aka. Mongo)

Congratulations to Daniel B. And Olga. I used to drive with Daniel over at prime. If anyone knows how I can get a hold of him please message me.

Hello all. It has been a long time since I last checked in or posted here. As the title says driver pay is very stagnant. It really hasn't gone up since about the mid 1970's. I have been looking for a new company to drive for. I am sick or companies saying that they offer industry leading pay. Then only want to pay you .40 cents a mile. That's an insult to the driver. My first driving job started at .48 cpm. We the driver's are the ones that sacrifice everything for this job. Now I know we all have to start somewhere. But once you get some experience. Please do not settle for a mere pentance when you can make more money and have a life also.

Well 6 month's ago I changed over to being a flatbedder. For 2 1/2 yrs I pulled a reefer.

Now I have to figure out how I am going to secure each load and make it legal. At the end of the day. I know I can look back and know I did something positive. And that I did it safely.

I never got that pulling a reefer.

I do know there is a lot more work involved but it is worth it to me.

So if you want a challenge on every different load. Try flatbedding.

When I drove for prime all of my truck's had 10 speed manuals in them. Now that I am with Melton I have an auto. After 6 months I still miss a standard.

Prime is a great place to learn. I know. I started there 3 yrs. Ago. Became an instructor/ trainer there.

Left there in September to another company and make more money.

I was dispatched out of SLC. I can't say anything bad about prime as a whole.

Best of luck to you.

Congrats Daniel. Just don't forget us out here. Keep in touch. I will give you a shout the next time I stop at the 49er.

As far as company drivers go Prime is just about at the top for new drivers to start out with. The extra 5 cents a mile is worth it for a lw truck.

There are a lot of drivers that have gone through there from my area. But as far the school goes I can't help you.

There isn't any policy that I know of on tat's here at prime.

Listen to Daniel B. And Ken. The 3 of us are all instructor/trainers with prime.

As far as backing goes we all have good an bad day's. Sometimes you can one shot a really tight spot. And other days you can't back into a spot with 6 spaces open on either side of you.

I am also here in Springfield. In fact Daniel B. And I played a game of basketball and had lunch together. I will hopefully be leaving out with my new psd student sometime tomorrow.

Listen to Brett. About the only exception that I know is they can allow you to go up to 80,400 total gvwr. But only if your truck has an APU. But even then your axle weights have to be legal. I personally don't like running that heavy so any time I am pushing 80K I sweat it.

Because it is in the northeast. Too much traffic and too few places to park trucks.

Like the young Mr. Daniel I have been over Donner several times also. Just slow down and take your time in lower gears and use the Jake brake if possible. Now Cabbage hill headed west bound is the one that makes me a tad nervous.

Debra, You have nothing to lose by just filling out an application to prime. It is who jopa and I both drive for. The training is top notch as far as I am concerned. Do yourself the favor by checking out the schools section of the site that Brett put up for you. If you have any questions about the PSD program with Prime I would be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge.

I went through the PSD program myself and I am now an instructor/trainer. The best way to get ahold of me would be to send me a message since it goes to my email account. Hope you pull the trigger and follow your dream.

Good luck to you both. My student tests tomorrow.

The PSD program here at Prime is good in my opinion. It was what I did and I am happy I did it. The best things you can do is be honest about everything, show up to orientation with your permit and remember that entire week is one long interview. Do not be late for any of the classes and get your CBT's done.

Do not be shy about talking with the drivers and asking them if they are CDL instructors. I am in Springfield, MO right now. I will be going through the CDL instructor/trainers course. But I am sure I will be gone with a student before you even show up. Try asking Daniel B. some other stuff also as he was a instructor at Prime also.

I must have had a great recruiter on a slow day. I submitted my application and she called me within 45 min. Told me everything that she needed from me, answered a bunch of questions that I had. I could have been with my company within the week if I had wanted to be.

Anhiser-busch out of fort collins, co. was there for 36 hours for a drop and hook.

As the title says it is time for you all to be scared. The answer to the question is because I am going to become a trainer. I know it is a little soon since I have only been doing this for a year. But I have not had a late load as of yet.

Also my fleet manager says that he likes my driving and my old trainer even recommended me to do it. Maybe I can beat Daniel B. and train more than one student.

Best of luck to you all out there. And make sure you keep them trucks shiny side up.