I won't lie to ya, it ain't cheap. Costs can go upwards of 3k depending on what you get. You should request used equipment vs new if they have it available. It will save you consideraby.
I paid roughly $2500 for my stuff, and they took a small amount per week for a year. Now it's all paid off and if/when I leave Prime i can sell the equipment back to them. For a pro-rated cost of course.
Thank you very much turtle that is what I needed to know
Also, you don't need to take everything they offer in their start-up kit. There are some things you simply won't need, and can leave off the list to save money:
Roll of plastic- the shippers that require plastic under the tarps will also supply it.
Smoke tarp- useless in my opinion. Mine has sat on the rack untouched for over a year now. It would be cheaper to get a used steel tarp for those times when your two standard tarps aren't quite enough, which is very rare.
Rubber edge protectors for coils.- shippers provide durable cardboard protectors for this. Stock up on a couple dozen when you're at a shipper.
Pipe stakes- my trainer told me not to get them, but I did anyway and have yet to use them.
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
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I was wondering for all those that are with prime and flatbed how much is the startup cost.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.