Profile For Eric G.

I’m going to try and answer all of the comments or questions. I apologize if I missed one or two.

First the easy ones. Repairs I have a 2020 FL that had 16 miles on it when I signed the lease. The warranty is for most major repairs and is good for 650k miles. Unless for obvious reasons it is owner negligence.

Prime has info on all of my maintenance and when everything is scheduled to be done for preventative. All I have to do is go to a TA or a terminal.

If I have to cover a repair this is how it would work. There is an optional emergency fund a driver can set up. And there is a tire fund that is not optional. I have already had to replace a Drive it cost me $300 roughly and was covered by the mo eat set away in my tire fund. As for the EFund I have one set up but I only use it for when I’m taking extended time off to cover my fixed costs. Any other major repairs I would pay for out of my business account. I save more than I pay myself so that just in case I’m covered.

As for Workers Comp we have an occupational insurance that we pay into every week for workers comp type claims. And I have full benefits at a cost of just over $300 month, roughly $78/ week.

As for my miles to be honest I’m glad they are low. I would rather have less miles and still average the $4200/ week gross. Less miles is less wear and tear. If I can make the same mo way in less miles then that’s better for me.

As for the extra stress. I do t feel any added stress. I have to make appointments just like a company driver. I want to be safe just as well. We get bonuses for being safe and for our service if we run over , amount of miles a week. But mostly only teams get these bonuses.

And .55/ mile is a good start for a driver with less than 6 mo this sooo experience. Prime company does get there but you have to hit all your bonuses each week. I know with more experience I could get a job at a company making more, but then I’m also not my own boss. And I’m sure someone out there will say I’m still working for Prime. I guess you could look at it like that. But I’m going to be able to buy this truck and leave with it in a few years. Then go contract on somewhere else if I do choose to do.

I chose to go lease because I knew how hard I worked as a company driver. I knew how hard I worked at other jobs to move up the ladder. If I was going to put all of that effort in again, why not do so for myself and a company I build. I understand what I’m giving up and what responsibilities I’m taking in. But the reward has the potential to be soo much more the way I see it.

And if it doesn’t I can always just go back to company.

Thank you for your response. I’m glad this group isn’t full of people who throw shade in others for being different.

My driving breaks are all determined by the load. If I have time I’ll sleep in some if I do t then I’m on it like every 10 hours or 8 if it is required.

As for the driving I like to do 550 miles every day. For Prime trucks that’s about 9.5 hours of driving and my .5 break so about 10-10.5 hours on duty if I have a fuel stop or not.

Keep your head up. I had a similar experience with my trainer backing was always my problem and it is difficult to visualize with nothing g there really.

What I found out along the way is it doesn’t matter how good you back. First when parking find a pull through if you can. No need to back if you do t have to. At doors for shippers/receivers the more you do it the more you will find your rhythm and yes you will still have brain fart days but you will have super hero days too.

When I back if there are two open spots or more together it doesn’t matter if you are in another spot. Get back then kind the truck up in the spot you want with your S curves and boom all done. Take your time Get Out And Look and do t let any driver rush you. I tell them to F off if the honk. Hell I’ll stop and really puss them off. The point being you are right where you need to be in your journey. Enjoy the ride

Hello all,

It’s been a long time. I last posted here before I went back to Prime for my second go around with TNT. Got in just before the change in miles. I also mentioned I would be going Lease. I know that lease is a no no around here, but I felt it was right for me.

So on the year I only had 6 mo this if solo time as a contractor, the rest of the year I was training it at my previous job.

In 6 months time I Grossed over $100k in revenue including reimbursements, fuel savings, detention pay etc. all the things I as a contractor receive money for. Now I know I do t get all of this money in the end I netted over $33k in 6 months. And after I paid my quarterly taxes I averaged .55/mile in my first 6 months.

So I’m posting this not to say haha or anything like that. But for those new drivers who are thinking about this. It can be done. But it will require much sacrifice and dedication. I worked all but 14-15 days in those 6 months. Taking only 1 34. I had to change my mindset from miles to revenue. I didn’t care if it was 200 miles I cared what was the total revenue and how did it fit into my average each week. You have to be business minded. Prime pays my business and I pay myself the minimum amount that I have been told is the minimum average that drivers make. That way if I get audited it won’t look fishy. In fact every decision I make is how do I do this and the business still turns a profit.

All in all I’m happy with my decision. What the future holds for me is unknown. I could stay a one truck operation or continue on my path of a small fleet. But 2019 my second go around in trucking has offered me the freedom to control my life.

I still appreciate this site for all it has done guiding me on this path. Even though I do t post much I stop to read from time to time.

So I may not be a crowd favorite for the decisions I have made in the past with my career, and some I may make in the future. But I have been in this situation sort of (only my FM never told me to deliver no matter what). I delivered to a brand new facility in NE once building had been open for maybe 2 weeks, no images on google nothing for me to go off of. same sort of set up like the guy had here 3 or 4 docks mostly ok to get into the last one though right on the edge of a 10 foot drop off. probably looked worse than it did, what made it difficult was there was still a huge construction dumpster right in front of the spot so I could not get straight in front of the spot I had to do the blindside back. and it had been raining for the last day so the ground around the place was soaked and I was hoping I didn't get stuck. it took me some time I did about 100 G.O.A.L.s and got in there. My point being that every situation is adaptable, you just have to slow down, think it through logically, and if it means go slow then go slow.

Secondly I was making a run back to SLC one time for two drops in one day. well I made a huge mistake stopped for coffee and a snacks ad to wake up I was doing one of those drive through the night runs. and I locked my keys in the truck. so 3 hours off later I'm back in the truck, and I lost those three hours so I could not make the second delivery. I think I might have been able to if it was a 8/2 split. but I cant remember. told my FM he was not happy wanted to know why I told him I made a bonehead mistake. and he told me just to bring it in. they repowered the load.

I tell you all of this to make this point. I was an ok driver. Nothing great I had to have a handful of delivery dates adjusted, some for maintenance, some for weather, or other things outside of my control like when Breyers entire company had their network go down and could not print out any BOL. so every truck was stuck for about 15 hours. they wouldn't even put us in the doors until they could confirm the system was going to come back up. But I always owned up to my bad decisions. None of them ever came back to bite me in the butt, I may have been getting less miles, who knows, but they never held it over my head or talked to me in a combative way. Just like with shippers and receivers treat your dispatch with the golden rule. Everyone has a bad day maybe that was his/hers.

First I’d like to say thank you for the responses. My intent is never to upset anyone.

I know now (hindsight being 20/20) that me leaving was a bad decision. I made an emotional decision to leave Prime a year ago. I also am not 100% decided in the lease thing. I have been monitoring freight rates, for the past 2-3 months for various mile lengths, and taking the average to get an idea.

I know I will have to go back hay in hand. And I am prepared to make a deal to make my previous contract right. I’m hoping since I didn’t leave to just run off to another driving job that will carry some weight.

I have kept my CDL active. I need to swap it over to Texas but that’s it.

I definitely know I’m not the best driver, and have a million things more to learn. Unfortunately I have always been one to learn through making a mistake first. And leaving was my mistake. I was doing well at least that’s what it looked like on my W2 I was on track to make around 55k the first full 12 months solo. If I recall that’s net not gross. ( I ran the numbers a few months back)

I’m just rambling on here. I again want to say thank you, and I appreciate the advice.

So about 2 years a go I started with Prime, and completed their CDL training, went on the road solo for about 6 more months. I had an opportunity to get back into the line of work I was coming from. It would allow me to be home every night, and offered to me what I thought was a better life. However 12 months later i'm itching to get back out on the road. but this time I want to go lease, and eventually start my own company. I left Prime in good standing, I put in a two weeks notice, and completed the driving for two weeks that they needed for me to do.

My question here though is. I was sent a piece of mail a few months back looking for the re-imbursement for their training, and I can say I have not done anything with it at the moment. I don't know anyone that has $5k handy to just a pay a bill. Do you think that Prime would allow me to come back? would I need to pay the training money back first? etc. im not sure if anyone has been through this.

Yes, Students in Salt Lake City will need to have their permit before they start orientation. You will do 4-5 days of orientation, mostly waiting for your drug screening to return. but you do have some videos and paperwork to do, plus they will want their approved doctors to do their med exam for a med card.

you may be there more than 7 days before you start training, all depends on how many students in class, and how many trainers they can line up.

most averaged 10-12 days for the CDL training, then about a day or two at the terminal to actually practice the test. then you will be out for TnT for about 8-10 weeks, all depends on your trainer, if they take home time in the middle of your training, and if they feel your ready to go out on your own.

Two things here. One I was told in training the marked pass means that’s the highest a vehicle can be to safely clear the overhang.

Two, this was from my grandfather years ago so it may not be true today. The signs posted state a safe height, but that’s not the true height. I can’t remember exactly but I think it’s something 4-6 more inches of clearance over the posted height. This also could just be a northeast thing as we were in Connecticut and New York when he was teaching me this.