I Need To Decide Between Prime, Schneider Or Maverick
Topic 17369 | Page 3
Rainy u make me sad. I ran 2500 miles grossed 1300 and took home 800 lol. Insurance and taxes destroy my checks.
Sorry. That is a cool thing about prime is that my health insurance went from $65 per week to $22 per week once I hit my first year if employment. I have all the life vision and disability as well. But...I couldn't contribute to the 401k til next month. So that take home will go down.
Keep in mind that I haven't gotten to my first real tax season with them yet so let's see what happens.
1st real tax season? I'll get some back tho thanks to my gremlins (kids).
I started for Schneider as a new driver in October. I currently drive regional out of Atlanta. You will be lucky to bring home $600 a week. I average 2000-2400 mpw
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
1st real tax season? I'll get some back tho thanks to my gremlins (kids).
Last year I was only an employee for a month. ;)
I'm single with no kids though so big difference on the health insurance than most people
Thanks for all of the replies/advice. It gives me a lot to think about. I have decided against Schneider mostly because they do not allow cell phone usage at all while driving - even Bluetooth. So now it is between Prime and Maverick. I like that prime has tanker, but I can switch to reefer if I don't like tanker. I like that Maverick has a $1,000 per week guarantee for reefer, and their training is dispatched as a solo - not team. Both seem to be great companies, and I'm sure I could be happy at either one.
Rainy, could the average be close to $1,000/week at Prime if I went reefer? It looks like Dan E. probably got close to that in the tanker division.
I know my earnings will depend on my performance and attitude, and I am eager to get started. I just want to make an informed decision, and everyone here is helping me tremendously, not only here in this post but everywhere I read on this awesome site.
Not for the first few months solo. It took me probably three months of about $800 gross/$600 clear...this week was a slow week due to truck repairs but with detention and bonuses I ran 1726 miles. Grossed $907, take home $775.
Last week I did like 2700+ miles and got $1300 gross, $1120 clear...something like that. It does differ week to week. Since I paid off the money I owed prime for my food advance, cat fee, locks and chains...I don't think I've cleared less than $500 even during home time.
You said "training is solo not teams" what do you mean?
At prime with your permit the dispatches are solo runs so the student drives the instructor sits next to you. You take a 10hr break like you would solo. After you get the CDL you run team for 30k miles. Its not fun...but the rewards are great.
Prime does have a northeast dedicated route for reefer that is guaranteed $1250 per week, but you have to drive a lightweight unless you are a trainer. And you need to deal with traffic and lack of oarking , small tight customer docks. I told them no way. Lol
If you are like me and can live in your truck the money can roll in quickly. The $1700 per month in rent and utilities now goes in my pocket. Lol
Yeah, I know it will be less when I start out. I was just wondering what I could expect the average would be once I settled in and got used to how things work. I don't think I would want the Northeast dedicated either. It sounds like good money, but I'm sure there are a lot of headaches that go along with it. I live in southern Ohio, so I probably wouldn't qualify anyway.
I am married, so I will need the family insurance. My wife is checking to see when can get on her insurance, though. That might be cheaper in the long run.
About the solo thing, it seems to be run like the PSD is for Prime - I would do most of the driving and the instructor would be in the jump seat. No one sleeps when the truck is moving - even though I have my CDL already. I think they said I would be out a minimum of three weeks (up to eight, if needed) like this. It is dispatched as a solo driver truck. I think one reason I like this is because it might be shorter time-wise than the 40,000 miles with Prime. But Prime does pay $700/week while training, and Maverick pays $550. Also, with winter here, I'm sure I would be more comfortable with someone more experienced in the truck with me when the snow flies, so Prime would be good for that for at least this winter.
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.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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.
The time it takes for 30k teaming depends on how hard the trainer runs. One trainer could have you running 6k mikes per week son in five weeks you are done. My trainer ran less miles as a team than I did solo. Serious in two weeks her friend and i did 12k miles. It took me and her a month for that!
Keep in mind that even with all that training....I still was nervous going out on my own. I can't imagine only three weeks of training.
Well I found out real fast that it shows in WY even on Easter and 4th of July lol.
The bad thing about primes training is that lease and owner ops get to decide where they want to drive. Which means even if in training and you WANT to drive in the snow for experience....you might not. That is something to ask your trainer. I came in winter for winter training and my oo trainer only really drove us through two snow storms. That wasn't enough time for me.
The GOOD thing about teaming in training..because the person is asleep...I drove better. Having someone watch your every move 24/7 drove me nuts and messed me up more. When I didn't feel.watched I could relax.
Whatever you decide, I wish you luck. As long as you stick with a major carrier you can't go wrong for your training and experience. After that year if you have doubts about the company than shoo around. I planned on only staying my year then going local...but I got it so good with my FM I was like "WHY"? Lol. I'm saving so.much money by living on the truck I would be just as miserable driving local as I was with a non driving job.
Fm:
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.
If you need good insurance for the family, look at a Teamsters company. Nick Strimbu Inc is Teamsters and located in Brookfield,OH. They hire new CDL grads. They have flatbed & refrigerated and from what I know, the reefer division does lots of west coast runs which means more miles.
Thanks for all of the replies/advice. It gives me a lot to think about. I have decided against Schneider mostly because they do not allow cell phone usage at all while driving - even Bluetooth. So now it is between Prime and Maverick. I like that prime has tanker, but I can switch to reefer if I don't like tanker. I like that Maverick has a $1,000 per week guarantee for reefer, and their training is dispatched as a solo - not team. Both seem to be great companies, and I'm sure I could be happy at either one.
Rainy, could the average be close to $1,000/week at Prime if I went reefer? It looks like Dan E. probably got close to that in the tanker division.
I know my earnings will depend on my performance and attitude, and I am eager to get started. I just want to make an informed decision, and everyone here is helping me tremendously, not only here in this post but everywhere I read on this awesome site.
Not for the first few months solo. It took me probably three months of about $800 gross/$600 clear...this week was a slow week due to truck repairs but with detention and bonuses I ran 1726 miles. Grossed $907, take home $775.
Last week I did like 2700+ miles and got $1300 gross, $1120 clear...something like that. It does differ week to week. Since I paid off the money I owed prime for my food advance, cat fee, locks and chains...I don't think I've cleared less than $500 even during home time.
You said "training is solo not teams" what do you mean?
At prime with your permit the dispatches are solo runs so the student drives the instructor sits next to you. You take a 10hr break like you would solo. After you get the CDL you run team for 30k miles. Its not fun...but the rewards are great.
Prime does have a northeast dedicated route for reefer that is guaranteed $1250 per week, but you have to drive a lightweight unless you are a trainer. And you need to deal with traffic and lack of oarking , small tight customer docks. I told them no way. Lol
If you are like me and can live in your truck the money can roll in quickly. The $1700 per month in rent and utilities now goes in my pocket. Lol
Yeah, I know it will be less when I start out. I was just wondering what I could expect the average would be once I settled in and got used to how things work. I don't think I would want the Northeast dedicated either. It sounds like good money, but I'm sure there are a lot of headaches that go along with it. I live in southern Ohio, so I probably wouldn't qualify anyway.
I am married, so I will need the family insurance. My wife is checking to see when can get on her insurance, though. That might be cheaper in the long run.
About the solo thing, it seems to be run like the PSD is for Prime - I would do most of the driving and the instructor would be in the jump seat. No one sleeps when the truck is moving - even though I have my CDL already. I think they said I would be out a minimum of three weeks (up to eight, if needed) like this. It is dispatched as a solo driver truck. I think one reason I like this is because it might be shorter time-wise than the 40,000 miles with Prime. But Prime does pay $700/week while training, and Maverick pays $550. Also, with winter here, I'm sure I would be more comfortable with someone more experienced in the truck with me when the snow flies, so Prime would be good for that for at least this winter.
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.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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.
PI&I Motor Express in Masury,OH is flatbed and Teamsters and hires new grads. Nick Strimbu Inc. has the better reputation though. If it were me, would go with Nick Strimbu Inc. reefer division, but that's me; you will decide what's best for you and your family.
Not for the first few months solo. It took me probably three months of about $800 gross/$600 clear...this week was a slow week due to truck repairs but with detention and bonuses I ran 1726 miles. Grossed $907, take home $775.
Last week I did like 2700+ miles and got $1300 gross, $1120 clear...something like that. It does differ week to week. Since I paid off the money I owed prime for my food advance, cat fee, locks and chains...I don't think I've cleared less than $500 even during home time.
You said "training is solo not teams" what do you mean?
At prime with your permit the dispatches are solo runs so the student drives the instructor sits next to you. You take a 10hr break like you would solo. After you get the CDL you run team for 30k miles. Its not fun...but the rewards are great.
Prime does have a northeast dedicated route for reefer that is guaranteed $1250 per week, but you have to drive a lightweight unless you are a trainer. And you need to deal with traffic and lack of oarking , small tight customer docks. I told them no way. Lol
If you are like me and can live in your truck the money can roll in quickly. The $1700 per month in rent and utilities now goes in my pocket. Lol
Yeah, I know it will be less when I start out. I was just wondering what I could expect the average would be once I settled in and got used to how things work. I don't think I would want the Northeast dedicated either. It sounds like good money, but I'm sure there are a lot of headaches that go along with it. I live in southern Ohio, so I probably wouldn't qualify anyway.
I am married, so I will need the family insurance. My wife is checking to see when can get on her insurance, though. That might be cheaper in the long run.
About the solo thing, it seems to be run like the PSD is for Prime - I would do most of the driving and the instructor would be in the jump seat. No one sleeps when the truck is moving - even though I have my CDL already. I think they said I would be out a minimum of three weeks (up to eight, if needed) like this. It is dispatched as a solo driver truck. I think one reason I like this is because it might be shorter time-wise than the 40,000 miles with Prime. But Prime does pay $700/week while training, and Maverick pays $550. Also, with winter here, I'm sure I would be more comfortable with someone more experienced in the truck with me when the snow flies, so Prime would be good for that for at least this winter.
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.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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.
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
Ignore the post just before this one. For some reason it mixed in with yours and difficult to figure out.
PI&I Motor Express in Masury,OH is flatbed and Teamsters and hires new grads. Nick Strimbu Inc. has the better reputation though. If it were me, would go with Nick Strimbu Inc. reefer division, but that's me; you will decide what's best for you and your family.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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
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Rainy u make me sad. I ran 2500 miles grossed 1300 and took home 800 lol. Insurance and taxes destroy my checks.