Rookie Driver Working For Prime

Hi all. I'm about to begin my trucking career, and I'll be signing on with Prime Inc. I have a few questions regarding Prime, and what it'll be like for a rookie. Some background info: I'm 22 years old, single, and I love being on the road, so it seems that Prime is a good choice for me. I just got my CDL last week, so training isn't a concern. I have some questions for anyone currently working for Prime. 1. Is the pay really as good as the recruiter says? From what I undestand, rookie drivers can make up to 47 cents a mile, which could mean up to $55,000 in my first year. Those are excellent numbers, but I know that recruiters often exxagerate such things. 2. Is the drug screen Urine, or hair follicle? I don't see any reason I would fail a hair follicle, but I've heard they are more prone to false positives. I was also prescribed hydrocodone a couple months ago, and I can't find the bottle, so I'm a bit nervous about taking a hair follicle test. 3. How long will I be on the road? I'm single with no kids, so home time isn't a huge concern for me, but being on the road for 6 weeks at a time might still be a bit much. And my general question is about the training process. Most companies send you out with a trainer for the first month, and that is a long time to be crammed into a truck with a total stranger. I'm a fairly sociable guy, and don't anticipate any problems, but I just want to know what it's like to be in such close quarters for so long. Any advice on being on the road with a trainer would be appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I'll appreciate any and all feedback

Hey, Andrew. Welcome to Trucking Truth. I do not drive for Prime (I'm a Swifty, not a Primeate.) There are may Prime drivers here, and they will certainly be able to help you out. IN the meantime, you can click on the three bar menu at the top left and check out all the resources we have.

Go down that list to "Trucking Company Reviews" and look for Prime. You can also use the search box just below that menu to look for anything else on the web site.

Also, I assume you're (ahem) not ready for Prime Time, so here's a few things we send out to all new potential drivers:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

That High Road program (free!) will get you up to speed for the CDL written test. Bring all yhour questioons here for straigh, honest answers and discussion.

Welcome to the forum Andrew!

I'm going to leave your questions that are specific concerning Prime to the many Prime drivers we have in here, but wanted to suggest you read the following articles to help you make a good start at this.

Tough Obstacles Rookie Drivers Face

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

1. Is the pay really as good as the recruiter says? From what I undestand, rookie drivers can make up to 47 cents a mile, which could mean up to $55,000 in my first year.

yes it is possible depending on how fast YOU learn to manage your clock. Each division pays differently, so that comes into play. I posted my pay on a thread here, and i know Turtle and Christian made more than me their first year.Lightweights make 5cpm more than full size condos, so LW not only get paid more, but accumulate vacation time faster.

2. Is the drug screen Urine, or hair follicle?

Urine only

3. How long will I be on the road? I'm single with no kids, so home time isn't a huge concern for me, but being on the road for 6 weeks at a time might still be a bit much. And my general question is about the training process.

Once solo you can request hometime every 3 to 4 weeks and take it anywhere in the country you want. Because you are coming in with a CDL instead of going through their program you will do 40,000 TRUCk miles as a team. that is going to take 2 months or more. Training pay for you will be less as well. I think its $600 the first 5 or 6 weeks then $700.

Any advice on being on the road with a trainer would be appreciated.

Understand you do not know crap and listen and learn. The CDL school taught you to pass, now you need to learn how to drive. Respect that the big rig is not a car and must be driven safely at all times. your reaction time is greatly diminished. Training is much more difficult than you ever imagined, so treat it like bootcamp. Most likely you will go home during training. That sorta depends on the trainer how often. Time of year makes a difference too. come in during summer or the holidays and the trainer might be taking off more and sending you home. i usually try to get in one home time but a few 34s or weekends in a terminal just to break it up. The more you go home during training the longer it will take to get through it. Its the trainers truck, you can do whatever you want when you get your own, so just hang in there until then.

This is a long thread, but i posted my totals for both my first year and into my second year.

My first year pay with Prime

On this thread i posted more current paystubs proving I make not only as much as some teams, but as much as many solo lease ops.

More recent pay after 2 years

I went through PSD Sept/Oct 2015. Went Solo Valentines Day 2016.

i couldnt be paid enough to leave Prime, although that was the plan originally.

Good luck. Diver Driver, Turtle, IceCold and others will be along as well i am sure. they are all Primates. Ask anything you wish.

Hello Andrew. Welcome to TT, and welcome to Prime.

I've been with Prime in the flatbed division since December of 2016, and I couldn't be happier. If interested, you could find my training diary here.

1- Yes you can make good money here. I earn .46 cpm for flatbed, plus extras for tarping and other stuff. My first year grossed just over 58k, and I expect to make considerably more in my second year.

I can't remember the exact numbers, but I think reefer drivers make .47 cpm if they drive a lightweight truck. A full-size reefer truck pays .42cpm. Tankers are a straight .47 I think. A couple other resident Primates, Rainy and IceCold, will probably chime in to give you exact numbers in those fields.

2- To my knowledge the drug screen is still urine only. I have no idea whether the hydrocodone would show up or not. At the least, I would go back to your prescribing doctor and get documentation of your prescription, should that question arise. That's something you simply do not want to play with when it comes to trucking companies. They take this kind of thing very seriously.

3- Since you already have your CDL , you can expect to be with your trainer for 40000 miles. Depending on your trainer, hometime taken, and other circumstances, that can take anywhere from 2 to 3 months. Yes, that sounds like a crazy amount of time, and for many folks this is the worst part of the entire training experience. This is when the vast majority of drivers quit, because they can't handle the stress of living with someone in a closet. However, it's just a tiny sacrifice to make in the big picture of your trucking career. I spent seven weeks on my trainer's truck, and it wasn't always puppies and rainbows. But I kept a smile on my face everyday. I got up and did my job knowing I was one day closer to my own truck, and now it's just a distant memory. Keep your eye on the prize. It's only for a few weeks.

After you go solo, you can expect to be out 3-4 weeks at a time, with 3-4 days off in between. Once you develop a good relationship with your FM , you can pretty much write your own schedule. I tend to stay out 4 - 8 weeks at a time by choice. When it comes to home time, I just tell my FM when to get me home, and he lets me stay home for as long as I want. I take good care of him, and he gives me a ton of freedom in return. Basically, if you're out there kicking butt for them and getting it done, you'll elevate your self to top-tier status, with all the freedom and benefits that come with it.

Good luck! Please keep us updated on your progress, and never hesitate to come here with your questions. We can talk you through most anything.

Ha! Rainy best me to it. She's quick, that one.

Welcome Andrew. I’m in the TNT portion of my training here at Prime. It’s a great company fo work for so far & have been supported very much through out my whole process. Take advantage of the links provided above. They have a wealth of information & practical knowledge about what you’ll be facing in this industry. Even though you already have your CDL , the High Road Training has different modules on all the endorsements & useful information to help you understand hours of service, weight distribution when sliding your tandems & more. Also, in the diaries section there are many threads on training here at Prime.

Now to your questions: 1) Yes the pay is very good but you can add to that figure you were quoted also. Let me back up a bit. You will not earn anything for your 1st week in PSD , as you are not an employee yet. Once you make it past you orientation & you are with your trainer in TNT training, then you will make a guaranteed $700 a week & if you pass certain criteria like fuel savings & over a certain amount of miles, you will make even more than that. Once you go solo, then if you put in the miles & learn to manage your clock, you can earn more. 2) Drug screening for me was just the urine test but I’ve read that it can be both. In terms of your concern about Oxy? You can go to the prescribing doctor or pharmacy to get a copy of your prescription. Be upfront about everything that is asked if you. Don’t volunteer anything more that what’s asked. 3) Hometime: While in TNT, it’s about communication. Let your trainer & FM know of anything well in advance of the date you wish to take off. How long you stay with your trainer depends on how many miles you’re putting in weekly. They say it can take 3-4 months but I’m on track to upgrade in a month & a half to two months.

Good luck & listen carefully to what’s being asked of you & what’s being taught to you. Having the CDL only means you have the basic skills necessary to operate a commercial vehicle. With time, patience & commitment you will pick up the rest along the training & going solo process.

Also, did you get your tanker endorsement? If I understand correctly, that one is mandatory.

Thank you for all the advice, and kind words of welcome! To answer Splitter's question, yes I do have my tanker endorsement. After reading the replies from splitter, turtle, and Rainy, I am even more excited to start my career. I'll admit that the training period is what I'm most nervous about, and im hoping it goes well. There are all sorts of people out there, and there is a chance that me and my trainer might be completely incompatible, which would make for a rough couple of months. But as Turtle pointed out, it's a small amount of time in the grand scheme of things, and will be well worth it by the end. I'm very excited to get my own truck with Prime. I'll be earning more than I ever have before, and I'll get to do the job that I've always wanted! Thanks again to everyone who took the time to reply, it was very helpful information

One more thing Andrew. Don’t become a lease op. If you get a lease op trainer, they may lay it thick to get you hooked. Don’t do it. Use the search bar & read the threads on that subject. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask. Best of luck to you.

Don’t become a lease op.

Hey Andrew, I just want to confirm what Splitter is saying. You may encounter someone laying it on thick of how great an option that is, and how much more money you can make. Don't even give it a thought. You've got plenty of things to worry about this next year without adding another entire layer of stress on top. I honestly think you can earn more by being a company driver. This past year three of the top four drivers in my fleet (all of them with years of experience behind them) took the plunge into leasing a truck. According to my conversations with them, I'm doing better than them as a company driver. I was the one who refused the company's offer.