Question - Potential New Trucker Here

The issue is hiring area. As long as a company hires out of the area, a place to park can be figured out.

This brings up a good point. Know the contractual obligations of the company.

Roehls contract is $7,000 forgiven with 150,000 miles driven. So more than a year. Primes is $4500 forgiven at 1 year or 9 months for veterans. CFI is 1 year, Scott could tell us the figure.

The locations Scott posted are quite a distance from Philadelphia though.

Ryan.... The issue isn't hiring area. It is home time parking. There are few truck stops in the area.

Besides the TA in Paulsboro, I used to park in Carney Point on occasion. It's not far from the Commodore Barry. So your location in the city makes a difference.

Bumping this…

Will add LTL ABF as an option; one of our members Delco Dave schooled/trained with them and they have a Philly terminal. He’s home daily.

Swift has two terminals about two hours northwest of Philly.

Many of the drivers at the Pottsville Walmart DC, running Dedicated took their home time in Philly. There are several Walmarts in the Philly area that allow overnight parking for Walmart PF and their Swift Partner.

Thank you that helps a lot.

What's the closest truck stop to your home? What about a paid parking or paid storage area?

If it's a safe area to leave a truck for up to a week while you're home, a terminal location should make zero difference on where you are going to work. I've never driven for any company where the closest terminal wasn't STATES away from me, let alone a couple hours.

GO BIRDS!!!!! Awesome to see a local lady respond, and from one of my main choices of companies none the less. How do you like Prime? Do you think I would get the miles I'm after 2500-3000 as a newbie in their paid CDL program? I also saw your toher post regarding what you would owe and time to pay it off, that is good info. I appreciate it

Go Eagles! 😂

I'm from the Philly area of NJ. Gloucester County

Prime has a drop yard in Bensalem, but you can't leave a car there. You could leave the truck there a few days while home and get a ride to/from. Many "drop yards" are locations where companies rent space to use along with various other trucking carriers. Therefore it is not a Prime owned, nor well guarded facility.

My dispatcher was in Missouri but I lived in Jersey. I parked the truck at the TA in Paulsboro NJ for home time. I once paid for a self storage facility in Thorofare and parked the truck there for several weeks when I had surgery.

I personally don't like the Prime PA terminal in Pittston. It is our smallest and Prime has grown and there is no way to expand the terminal. It is just a pain in the neck to get in and out of there.

Dietz & Watson is one of our customers between the Tacony Palmyra and Betty Ross. I did a couple loads off Tioga & Allegheny area... And delivered across from the Upper Darby police station. Lots of freight in the area.

If you aren't planning on going home much .. or if you happen to give up your home, the truck may not be as big an issue as you think. I no longer have a residence there, but got a Hampton Inn suite in Swedesboro last month. Truck was parked there fine.

Unless someone gets repairs done or is a trainer, most drivers don't even go into terminals. I know drivers who only visit terminals a couple times a year.

Thank you, if Delco Dave is out there if love his perspective on those options to. That's actually where I live, Delco aka Delaware County

Bumping this…

Will add LTL ABF as an option; one of our members Delco Dave schooled/trained with them and they have a Philly terminal. He’s home daily.

Swift has two terminals about two hours northwest of Philly.

Many of the drivers at the Pottsville Walmart DC, running Dedicated took their home time in Philly. There are several Walmarts in the Philly area that allow overnight parking for Walmart PF and their Swift Partner.

The only advantage I have seen to having a terminal near your house is it is easier for a company to get you home. If you have obligations that require you to be home for a certain period of time, it is usually easier on the company if there is a terminal or yard close by. If you can get home whenever or have easily changed plans for your hometime then it becomes less important. For example im divorced and have a son, I get my visitation when I am on hometime. If I come home during the week he still has to go to school during the day and I am responsible for transportation. So I schedule my hometime for the weekends. If I get home late it impacts the amount of time I get to spend with him. So I am not as flexible as someone else who even though they would like to be home on Friday, it isn't a huge deal if they get home Saturday morning instead.

I love Prime. But you have to understand a couple things.

1. All companies are really slowing down on hiring due to the economy. Because of this, they are becoming more picky with students and pushing orientation dates further out

2. All drivers are going to feel an impact. Regardless of lease vs company, solo vs team, it seems a lot of drivers are complaining of less miles/revenue right now. In reefer , we sometimes push through economic times due to us delivering food. People always eat. Making matters worse is that warehouses have had staffing issues since covid. The waits in the customers are longer.

The good part? By the time you get out of training and into a truck, you will be months away. It may give the economy a chance to improve. As far as miles for a newbie, under normal circumstances, I would say sure. My fleet manager throws as many miles at a driver as they can handle. Under these economic circumstances, it will be harder. However .... Mileage is up to you and how you manager your clock. It is hard work and not thrown at you. When teaming, I am often planned for 4000 miles a week. I have to run harder and drop the loads early, sometimes in yards or even ask dispatch to swap me with a driver. I can usually gain 1000 miles a week this way.

Learn to drive safely and time manage. The miles will come at you.