Prime Company Drivers Please Read
Topic 12528 | Page 2
Wow , thanks Ernie! I hadn't heard that. any idea why? is this topical or am i high jacking a post?
Wow , thanks Ernie! I hadn't heard that. any idea why? is this topical or am i high jacking a post?
From what I can gather, it has to do with freight. I also have another friend that was doing flatbed for another company that has said the same thing, seems depends on who/where in the country you are hauling for/in. That is just my take on what the reasoning is. I am sure that things will change at some point, just not sure when at this point.
Ernie
I'm currently a fb tnt. Can't decide if fb is going to be good money for me or not. I don't mind putting in the work
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
I'm currently a fb tnt. Can't decide if fb is going to be good money for me or not. I don't mind putting in the work
Hi Kenny...I'm Reefer PSD and TNT Trainer at Prime and think the money will be as good or almost as good in either division. I'd finish the FlatBed TNT, do your upgrade, run for 3 to 6 months and then maybe switch to Reefer or Tanker...
Ken C.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
PSD:
Prime Student Driver
Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.
The following is from Prime's website:
Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.
Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days
- Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
- Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
- Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
- Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
- Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
- Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
Jumping in a little late, but I'm a Prime flatbed lease op. Freight has been slow, and it's especially slow this time of year. Rates were down some in 2015 compared to 2014, but still better than many other years. If you have a good work ethic and want to flatbed, you'll make money. My last student went reefer because the pay is higher in a LW and his family is more expensive than mine to maintain, but I agree with Ken C. - finish your TNT. Freight usually picks up in March or April, and summer is so busy you will wish it were slow again.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
Jumping in a little late, but I'm a Prime flatbed lease op. Freight has been slow, and it's especially slow this time of year. Rates were down some in 2015 compared to 2014, but still better than many other years. If you have a good work ethic and want to flatbed, you'll make money. My last student went reefer because the pay is higher in a LW and his family is more expensive than mine to maintain, but I agree with Ken C. - finish your TNT. Freight usually picks up in March or April, and summer is so busy you will wish it were slow again.
Don't know if anyone is still reading this! I spoke with a recuiter and was told prime paid .44 for lw trucks. Is that true? If yes, how much is per diem?
Per Diem:
Getting paid per diem means getting a portion of your salary paid to you without taxes taken out. It's technically classified as a meal and expense reimbursement.
Truck drivers and others who travel for a living get large tax deductions for meal expenses. The Government set up per diem pay as a way to reimburse some of the taxes you pay with each paycheck instead of making you wait until tax filing season.
Getting per diem pay means a driver will get a larger paycheck each week but a smaller tax return at tax time.
We have a ton of information on our wiki page on per diem pay
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
They do pay that much per mile for the lw trucks! I don't know anything about their perdiem, but hey, the money is good there. I would have loved to gone to prime, but thdir hometime doesn't fit my needs currently.
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.
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Prime Inc Becoming A Truck Driver Choosing A Trucking Company Company Sponsored CDL Training Paid CDL Training Per Diem Pay Truck Driver Salary
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I have several friends that are flatbed drivers with Prime. Most of them are lease, but it still does not take away from the fact that all the flatbed folks at Prime for the last year have not been doing really well. That is one of several reasons when I go back to Prime next month I'm going back to the reefer side, not flatbed. I can't give you any numbers, but suffice it to say, none of them are rolling in the dough right now, company or lease.
Ernie
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.