Thoughts On Prime

I'm headed to Prime here soon and I've been talking to a lot of drivers and the non prime drivers are dissing prime wicked hard while the prime drivers that I've talked to really seem to enjoy working for them... my thought process is that they are a good way to get my foot in the door and get my class a for ''free'' ... I'm going regardless of what people say but I would like some options

Ty

Any specific things you want elaboration on? I went through the training and I'm a few weeks solo and I'm very happy.

I came in with my cdl and am currently on week...? 3 or 4, they are kind of blending together, but I am very pleased with the way prime conducts itself as a company. Honestly, even though my experience is limited, I would be willing to go out on a limb and say that there are probably a number of companies as good as prime, but not sure if there are many that can be considered better.

Just my uneducated $.02

Im gonna be there march 9th, Ive heard the exact same stuff from people , and I decided the only way I`ll really know is to find out for myself. My moms been out there a little over a month though and she loves it . Most of the complaints ive heard were from truckers that dont drive as legal as they probably should . I`m thinking its good place to start, if I like I`ll stay if not, well there are other oppertunities out there. I`m super excited for it though !!! Hope to see ya out there !!

If you have any questions by all means ask away !!!

Hey guys and gals, you simply cannot measure these trucking companies by what people say about them. Unfortunately there is this culture of griping, complaining, and dissing companies that has developed among truck drivers that has falsely led most new folks trying to enter the field into believing that there are certain companies out there that are good, and then there are these other ones know as the bottom feeders. It's all totally bogus.

I personally worked very successfully and contentedly for sixteen months at a company that has been completely vilified on the internet. Here's how this develops: These companies that are so called "starter companies" by the drivers who make disparaging remarks about them are companies that bring in a lot of new rookie drivers. Ninety five percent of these new entry level drivers do not have a clue about what they are getting into. This career is really tough to jump in and make a good start, it has challenges that most of the new entrants never dreamed of. There are a few that face down all the challenges and go on to make great careers out of it, but there is a host of folks who never ever really get the hang of it, but they just keep on hanging on and trying new companies all the time because they are falsely convinced that if they can just find the right company then their bank accounts will be brimming with money, they will have home-time every three or four days, and they will be cruising the nations highways in a brand spanking new Big Rig!

Here is what makes a trucking company a great place to work... I hope you realize that I'm about to share with you a secret that hundreds of thousands of unhappy truck drivers would like to know... So, take heed and guard the secret well, because it will lead you to a rewarding and successful career behind the wheel of a big truck.

The only difference between me and the approximately 2,500 other drivers at that low down, mean, slave laboring, bottom dwelling trucking company (that is how others would speak of them, but not me) that I worked at for sixteen months was that I made up my mind that I was going to be the best driver that company had ever seen, and I did everything I could to make each trip I was dispatched on work out like it should. I never laid the blame on my dispatcher if things didn't go right, I never looked for anybody to babysit me, and I was dead set on proving not only to myself, but also to the company that I was worth every red cent that I was getting paid. And here's what happened... they loved me, and they did everything they could to keep me busy and making money. The problem with all these complainers out here is that they think everything shoul be handed to them on a silver platter. It just does not work like that out here. You are going to be challenged everyday, and some days to your very limits. You have got to be an independent individual with a will to succeed. That will to succeed is what will carry you through and help you get to the point where you are a successful truck driver, and that is something that no company can give to you. They can give you the training and the equipment, but that is only about one tenth of what you need to make a go of it. That other 90 percent that comes from within you is what will make Prime, or Schneider, or even Western Express be a really great company to work for.

Hi Ty I have just finished psd training with prime and am currently employed as TNT. One thing to understand is that many people are or have been employed with prime due to the size of the company. Due to this fact you will find many differing opinions on the company. When I started as a psd there were 119 people who showed up to class the first day, by the end of orientation only approximately 30 of us made it through to start our training. That means 80 to 90 people did not even begin to train on a truck. They either didn't pass the physical, drug test, background check, or pass the permit test. That means 70% may have already a bad experience with prime without even starting. My experience has been good so far. Some of the core values of the company are some of the same ones I follow also. When you get here and finally make it through orientation I think you will be pleased with your decision to start your career here I am so glad I did

Ty, you asked if what you've heard about Prime (dissing prime wicked hard) is true. Here's some simple logic: the competition for drivers is intense. Nearly any CDL driver has a choice of who they want too work for. If Prime, or Swift, was such a slave driver, why are they so big?

It's the same as dissing Walmart for exploiting their workers. They would not be so successful if they beat up on their floor clerks.

I've just started driving for Swift. In my training I have learned about many Swift policies that support their drivers. I'm sure Prime does the same thing.

One more thing: print out Old School's note above and paste it inside the front cover of your notebook. Read it at the start of every day. You can be the best rookie driver Prime had ever seen.

I'm headed to Prime here soon and I've been talking to a lot of drivers and the non prime drivers are dissing prime wicked hard while the prime drivers that I've talked to really seem to enjoy working for them... my thought process is that they are a good way to get my foot in the door and get my class a for ''free'' ... I'm going regardless of what people say but I would like some options

Ty

Hi , I personally never drove for Prime Inc before but let me tell you this , I was in training for Central Refrigerated before they were bought by Swift. I parked next to 6 or 7 Prime drivers and they were having a ball and ask me to play cards with them . long story short I wound up talking with them and many were solo drivers and showed me they trucks and told me about how much they were getting paid . I even spoke with a trainer and his trainee ,.......lets just say this , Primes trainees were getting twice as much a week as I was before I went solo. Central paid me $300 a week during training , while Prime trainee was getting $600 a week , this was in 2013 . I didn't make the switch because I'm loyal and at the time Central was treating me fair and never lied to me like CR England . If I decide to go back over the road again , Prime Inc will definitely be my #1 pick . I don't know if the training pay rate is the same in 2015 or not but the truth is and "I'MMA KEEP IT 100" ......the trucks that they showed me at Prime were more advanced and had more sophisticated equipment than my trainer's truck & the truck that Central gave me after I completed my training : I personally don't have anything bad to say about Central Refrigerated , they were a good company to drive for (but let's be real here) I would have got a lot more money training at Prime Inc . I went to truck driving school at CR England (the training was decent) and I have nothing bad to say about them "AS FAR AS GETTING MY CDL IS CONCERNED." but after we received our permits , someone walked into our class and to give a welcome speech and pep talk . He said "EVERYONE OF YOU IN HERE IS GOING TO MAKE $50,000........THIS YEAR!"....when I heard that , that didn't sit well with me , it's like my mind just couldn't believe it/sounded too good to be true : since I had no way to find out if he was lying to the class in our faces or not , I just made up my mind to leave CR England as soon as I get my CDL and bite the bullet (to pay back the tuition). I just couldn't comprehend a rookie truck driver making 50 stacks in his/her very 1st year on the road . If that person was "telling the truth about the $50,000".....then I guess I missed out on all that money lol . When I came back to Chicago , I had about 10 to 20 trucking companies calling me and I only had time to screen out 5 . I chose Central because they screened me out the fastest and it was pretty much "1ST COME 1ST SERVE"......whoever can get me ticket the fastest , wins the prize "ME" haha . just wanted to share my experience