Profile For Robert L.

I understand that we are supposed to be charged by the company for tire chains, but they never did take any money out of my paychecks (ssshhhh.... they might be reading this). You will need tire chains & if they do charge you for them, it's several hundred dollars. You'll need load locks, however you can probably find enough lying around during training that you'll not have to buy any. Just strap them to your trainer's truck until you're out on your own. You'll need a padlock, which is about $40. It's a good one that the company sells. That one is money well spent.

Yep, I have a card for pretty much every truck stop out there. You'll need it for free showers.

RTL

I suppose other Prime drivers may have different “drop & hook” numbers, but that is my best estimate, per my experience. Our freight definitely is mostly “no touch”. The one time I’ve ever helped unload was when I did a flower load out of Miami.

I had them remove my passenger seat so I could put in my fridge. Yes, I have an APU. All trucks (as far as I know) have a twin size mattress. You supply your own sheets, etc.

I’m racking my brain trying to remember when I had to really exert myself physically. Can’t come up with anything. We do occasionally sweep out trailers, but I don’t very often. We don’t wash our own trucks; we take it to someplace like Flying Beacon, where Prime has an account. No money out of our pockets. So there is no strenuous physical activity. Heck, when you see some of the obese drivers out here (who can barely walk), you’ll know we don’t have to do much.

My biggest challenge is changing schedules. That is, going from day to night & back & forth. Some people handle it just fine, but it is hard for me to sleep all night & find out I have a night drive load coming up, having to try to sleep more during the day to prepare. I’m not a night person. Some drivers do prefer to drive at night. That’s not a Prime thing. It’s an OTR trucking thing.

Nope, no pics of inside my truck. It’s too messy.

In my ~2 years here, I’ve only done, I think, three coast to coast runs (not counting training time). Of course I do all 48 states so it’s hard to tell where I may end up. Reckon I do spend most of my time in the mid-west and east. I think the company can make more effective/efficient use of teams on those long runs out west. Oh, I do get out west sometimes though. I have been to all but North Dakota & Oregon, although I think most drivers (by the time they have as much time as I do) will have seen all states. I’ll get there & complete that item on my bucket list. One nice thing about driving is that I occasionally get to stop & visit with old friends from my military or college days. I have to stop where-ever I can park (truck stops, etc) & have them pick me up in their car.

About the only time I bobtail is when I go home. They’ll have me drop off my trailer somewhere, as near to home as they can get me, & then have me BT home. I can park the truck at my house, but not with a trailer. If you can park a trailer at your house, they may just have you take it home too.

Multiple stops? Not usually. I guess I get a multiple stop load about once a month. Yes, you will have some “wait time” loading & unloading. After a while, you’ll figure out the locations where you can expect a wait. It is part of the job & you just plan on it. I’m thinking about 30% of my loads are “drop & hook” at either the shipper or receiver (or both). I don’t know how the numbers look for flatbed & tanker as I’ve never done those.

I’ve been with Prime as a company driver for almost 2 years. This is my first company & I think they’re a good place to be. I’ve never been pressured to become a lease driver, which is good because I don’t think lease is a very good deal.

I’m getting an average of ~2500 miles per week…. some less & some more. The most I’ve run in a week is 3600. Yep, I ran my butt off that week. I’m not sure of the details on the fuel mileage bonus, but I do know that in some weeks, I get roughly 46 cents per mile, all things considered. BTW, most of the time I keep it at 62mph (using cruise control) & I average about 7.7 mpg. I might get better mileage if I slowed down a little, but I’ve never tried it.

I drive a lightweight truck (a 2014 International Prostar). Sure, it would be nice to have a big, full-size truck, but I’d rather have the extra nickel a mile. Heck, I spend 90% of my time in the driver’s seat anyway & it’s all the same from the seat. Note that the Internationals do have a little more space than the baby Cascadias. There is a little floor space between the seat & bed. You may not have a choice about a lightweight. Usually, you will get one as a solo driver. Sometimes solo drivers get big trucks, but not as a rule. Some drivers do a quick stint as a trainer to get a big truck. Once you get a big truck, you get to keep it even if you quit training. BTW, the lightweight Peterbilts are by far the smallest inside.

There is no such thing as a perfect company, but I’d say Prime treats me pretty well. I like it here. Note that Prime does not have a reputation for great home-time. You’ll get home about once per month, if you request it.

Oh, someone mentioned that all trucks have APUs. Well, I drove a lightweight KW for a year & it didn’t have one. Nearly all trucks have them though.