Questions About Prime - Lease Vs Company Drivers

Researching the company, they say you don't have to lease, but further in, I kinda get the feeling they might try to push for it, or at least prefer that you do lease a truck. I may be wrong.

I, for one, am NOT interested in leasing, fresh out of school, so my question for any Prime drivers is this:

Is there a difference in average miles for a company driver vs a Lease driver? In other words, If I turn down the option to lease, will I get less miles to drive?

I am hoping to get a feel from a company driver how many miles they average over a year, and then also from a driver that leases a truck what they might average in a year mileage wise.

Also, if possible, maybe the same question to a recent lease driver, vs a seasoned lease driver.

Thanks

If I turn down the option to lease, will I get less miles to drive?

Absolutely not. Remember, as a company driver you're driving a company truck. The company has to make payments on that truck and they have customers to serve. If you're doing a great job for them - working hard, safe, reliable, and you have a great attitude - Prime has all the miles in the world available. Their drivers run hard.

Prime doesn't push the leasing thing hard like some companies do. They'll encourage it. They'll make it sound like the road to riches. But anytime they talk about it just smile, listen intently, and then say "No thank you. Maybe a year or two down the line, but not right now."

Of course I always encourage everyone to stay far away from leasing or owning a truck anytime - not just the first year. It's a terrible business to be in.

But you won't have a problem saying no and the company won't punish you in any way for it. Don't sweat it a bit.

Does anybody know anything about the 1 man tractors Prime offers? The web page says that Prime pays more if you drive this tractor, that it only has a drivers seat (no passenger) and that the bunk space is smaller.

Any pics of the the two tractors side by side? Are they so small they are claustrophobic (lol) do they have an APU?

just curious, as I am considering Prime, and may not mind doing the smaller rig.

Are they more prone to break downs? Are they governed lower? Are they more prone to being affected by the heavy trailer?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

I'm pretty sure you're talking about a lightweight truck that only Prime offers. It comes with a passenger seat, but 90% of the drivers take it out for the extra space. So it's technically not just a 1-seat truck.

The short description of them is they basically weigh a lot less than your traditional truck. The bunk is smaller, it doesn't come with any cabinets or storage closets. It's just the front driving area and a bed. They are made with lighter materials. The thing is, these can haul up to 49k of freight, meanwhile I can only haul up to 44k of freight. That's a huge difference to the customer.

They are not more prone to breakdowns, in fact, every single one they have is brand new. They are governed at 57mph.

And they are not more prone to be affected by a heavy trailer. I'm not really sure what you mean by that too be honest. Basically, they can haul *more* weight than the traditional full sized truck.

For pictures just google "Freightliner Cascadia Lightweight Truck" and then google "Freightliner Cascadia Fullsize Truck". You'll immediately notice the difference. The average pay for a rookie is roughly .28cpm, on a lightweight truck the pay is .41cpm. Huge difference financially.... If you can deal with the extremely limited space.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

from what ive seen in our light weights they aren't made from anything different than a newer cascadia, just that the cab is tiny, theres 2 seats, which yes you can have them remove it, for much more space ,it has no storage other than what is under the bunk , and the back of the seat touches the bunk if move tue seat fully back, their on a ful sized frame so they dont handle any different, their governed at 62mph with cruise on, and 58 if your using the peddle, they can carry more because they are lighter, as well as our "eco 49" trailers are lighter, which you cant always get a hold of.

the handling isint something that you should be worried about, its still 80k gmvw, and chosing the proper gear and speed will keep you out of most issues.

prime is one of the only companies that stands by apus being the future, so your truck wont leave the yard without one.

also you can elect to take a full size, as our truck prosses is handled by success leasing, is the company that the owner owns, and is where all of our trucks are from, during the week that you are upgrading you go into that office and tell them your going company and that you want a full size, simple as That.

I went in as a PSD , got my cdl , did my TNT phase, upgraded to an A seat, got a full sized company truck, and am now teaming with my wife. solo I was doing 2200ish to 2600 ish miles a week, no touch refer freight.

my trainers were the ones that mentioned leasing, not any of my fleet managers, and they didn't preach about it in any of the classes I was in while getting my cdl.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

• Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
• Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Fleet Manager:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

PSD:

Prime Student Driver

Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.

The following is from Prime's website:

Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.

Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days

• Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
• Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
• Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).

On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles

• Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
• Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
• Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.

TNT:

Trainer-N-Trainee

Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.

The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.

The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

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.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

EPU:

Electric Auxiliary Power Units

Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices

If I turn down the option to lease, will I get less miles to drive?

Absolutely not. Remember, as a company driver you're driving a company truck. The company has to make payments on that truck and they have customers to serve. If you're doing a great job for them - working hard, safe, reliable, and you have a great attitude - Prime has all the miles in the world available. Their drivers run hard.

Prime doesn't push the leasing thing hard like some companies do. They'll encourage it. They'll make it sound like the road to riches. But anytime they talk about it just smile, listen intently, and then say "No thank you. Maybe a year or two down the line, but not right now."

Of course I always encourage everyone to stay far away from leasing or owning a truck anytime - not just the first year. It's a terrible business to be in.

But you won't have a problem saying no and the company won't punish you in any way for it. Don't sweat it a bit.

If I turn down the option to lease, will I get less miles to drive?

Absolutely not. Remember, as a company driver you're driving a company truck. The company has to make payments on that truck and they have customers to serve. If you're doing a great job for them - working hard, safe, reliable, and you have a great attitude - Prime has all the miles in the world available. Their drivers run hard.

Prime doesn't push the leasing thing hard like some companies do. They'll encourage it. They'll make it sound like the road to riches. But anytime they talk about it just smile, listen intently, and then say "No thank you. Maybe a year or two down the line, but not right now."

Of course I always encourage everyone to stay far away from leasing or owning a truck anytime - not just the first year. It's a terrible business to be in.

But you won't have a problem saying no and the company won't punish you in any way for it. Don't sweat it a bit.

The Con-Way driver I spoke with today I asked if he was leasing or an o/o. He said h### no. He has been a company driver for both Swift and Con-Way for about 11 years, total. He has happy with his miles at both companies. He said stay away for the same reasons Brett states.

Does anybody know anything about the 1 man tractors Prime offers? The web page says that Prime pays more if you drive this tractor, that it only has a drivers seat (no passenger) and that the bunk space is smaller.

Any pics of the the two tractors side by side? Are they so small they are claustrophobic (lol) do they have an APU?

just curious, as I am considering Prime, and may not mind doing the smaller rig.

Are they more prone to break downs? Are they governed lower? Are they more prone to being affected by the heavy trailer?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Does anybody know anything about the 1 man tractors Prime offers? The web page says that Prime pays more if you drive this tractor, that it only has a drivers seat (no passenger) and that the bunk space is smaller.

Any pics of the the two tractors side by side? Are they so small they are claustrophobic (lol) do they have an APU?

just curious, as I am considering Prime, and may not mind doing the smaller rig.

Are they more prone to break downs? Are they governed lower? Are they more prone to being affected by the heavy trailer?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

I'm pretty sure you're talking about a lightweight truck that only Prime offers. It comes with a passenger seat, but 90% of the drivers take it out for the extra space. So it's technically not just a 1-seat truck.

The short description of them is they basically weigh a lot less than your traditional truck. The bunk is smaller, it doesn't come with any cabinets or storage closets. It's just the front driving area and a bed. They are made with lighter materials. The thing is, these can haul up to 49k of freight, meanwhile I can only haul up to 44k of freight. That's a huge difference to the customer.

They are not more prone to breakdowns, in fact, every single one they have is brand new. They are governed at 57mph.

And they are not more prone to be affected by a heavy trailer. I'm not really sure what you mean by that too be honest. Basically, they can haul *more* weight than the traditional full sized truck.

For pictures just google "Freightliner Cascadia Lightweight Truck" and then google "Freightliner Cascadia Fullsize Truck". You'll immediately notice the difference. The average pay for a rookie is roughly .28cpm, on a lightweight truck the pay is .41cpm. Huge difference financially.... If you can deal with the extremely limited space.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Does anybody know anything about the 1 man tractors Prime offers? The web page says that Prime pays more if you drive this tractor, that it only has a drivers seat (no passenger) and that the bunk space is smaller.

Any pics of the the two tractors side by side? Are they so small they are claustrophobic (lol) do they have an APU?

just curious, as I am considering Prime, and may not mind doing the smaller rig.

Are they more prone to break downs? Are they governed lower? Are they more prone to being affected by the heavy trailer?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

I'm pretty sure you're talking about a lightweight truck that only Prime offers. It comes with a passenger seat, but 90% of the drivers take it out for the extra space. So it's technically not just a 1-seat truck.

The short description of them is they basically weigh a lot less than your traditional truck. The bunk is smaller, it doesn't come with any cabinets or storage closets. It's just the front driving area and a bed. They are made with lighter materials. The thing is, these can haul up to 49k of freight, meanwhile I can only haul up to 44k of freight. That's a huge difference to the customer.

They are not more prone to breakdowns, in fact, every single one they have is brand new. They are governed at 57mph.

And they are not more prone to be affected by a heavy trailer. I'm not really sure what you mean by that too be honest. Basically, they can haul *more* weight than the traditional full sized truck.

For pictures just google "Freightliner Cascadia Lightweight Truck" and then google "Freightliner Cascadia Fullsize Truck". You'll immediately notice the difference. The average pay for a rookie is roughly .28cpm, on a lightweight truck the pay is .41cpm. Huge difference financially.... If you can deal with the extremely limited space.

Thanks Daniel, Yea, I think it is the lightweights also. What I meant by being affected by weight is kind of what you addressed. but, being that it can haul a heavier trailer, and the tractor is made with lighter material, it makes me wonder if it is ore prone to jack knifing? with more weight behind a lighter tractor, it seems physics would take over and the tractor would be more prone to 'pushing' the tractor around on downslopes, curves, wet roads etc.

It's a smaller tractor, but it can actually haul MORE weight?? wow, that's crazy. But yea, the extra pay is what grabbed my attention.

Now, when you say 'extremely limited space' can you elaborate a little more? I understand it doesn't have cabinets and only one bunk, but is it like you cant scratch your head without bumping your hand against the roof? Do I have to get out of the cab to change my mind? Small spaces don't bother me too much, but cramped does, ya know?

Thanks for the input

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

I believe Prime is a very good company. I applied for them and they did not contact me, but I had placed them in the lower echelon of companies I wanted to work for anyway, mainly for this reason. The pay is really good if you are willing to drive the lightweight, but I am a big guy, and a full sized tractor is small enough. Also, 57 mph is awfully slow especially considering HOS regs. At 62 to 65 mph, you are quite a bit further down the road after a full ten of driving under HOS than at 57. In seven days, that mileage adds up. I emailed some of their drivers, and asked about the lightweight trucks. I was told that Prime wanted to get away from removing the passenger seat that a lot of their drivers do to accommodate a small fridge. I am not sure that they will follow through on that though.

I forget what website I was at. But somewhere I read that the lightweight trucks are being used for only regional runs. They, whoever "they" are, have found out they are too small for OTR. Drivers being in them just about 24/7, the drivers are not liking that idea with such a smaller area.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

I believe Prime is a very good company. I applied for them and they did not contact me, but I had placed them in the lower echelon of companies I wanted to work for anyway, mainly for this reason. The pay is really good if you are willing to drive the lightweight, but I am a big guy, and a full sized tractor is small enough. Also, 57 mph is awfully slow especially considering HOS regs. At 62 to 65 mph, you are quite a bit further down the road after a full ten of driving under HOS than at 57. In seven days, that mileage adds up. I emailed some of their drivers, and asked about the lightweight trucks. I was told that Prime wanted to get away from removing the passenger seat that a lot of their drivers do to accommodate a small fridge. I am not sure that they will follow through on that though.

Yea, that thought occurred to me also, governed @ 57 vs say 62. It's only 5 mph, but like you say, after 70 hrs , thats 350 miles difference. Of course, with the better pay rate, it might even out ... I'll have to do the math

re: lightweights being used for regional only .... does anybody else have any experience or insight into this factor?

from what ive seen in our light weights they aren't made from anything different than a newer cascadia, just that the cab is tiny, theres 2 seats, which yes you can have them remove it, for much more space ,it has no storage other than what is under the bunk , and the back of the seat touches the bunk if move tue seat fully back, their on a ful sized frame so they dont handle any different, their governed at 62mph with cruise on, and 58 if your using the peddle, they can carry more because they are lighter, as well as our "eco 49" trailers are lighter, which you cant always get a hold of.

the handling isint something that you should be worried about, its still 80k gmvw, and chosing the proper gear and speed will keep you out of most issues.

prime is one of the only companies that stands by apus being the future, so your truck wont leave the yard without one.

also you can elect to take a full size, as our truck prosses is handled by success leasing, is the company that the owner owns, and is where all of our trucks are from, during the week that you are upgrading you go into that office and tell them your going company and that you want a full size, simple as That.

I went in as a PSD , got my cdl , did my TNT phase, upgraded to an A seat, got a full sized company truck, and am now teaming with my wife. solo I was doing 2200ish to 2600 ish miles a week, no touch refer freight.

my trainers were the ones that mentioned leasing, not any of my fleet managers, and they didn't preach about it in any of the classes I was in while getting my cdl.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

• Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
• Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Fleet Manager:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

PSD:

Prime Student Driver

Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.

The following is from Prime's website:

Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.

Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days

• Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
• Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
• Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).

On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles

• Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
• Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
• Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.

TNT:

Trainer-N-Trainee

Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.

The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.

The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.