Prime Inc Pros And Cons?
Topic 32270 | Page 2
Terminal locations have nothing to do with where you live or take your days off.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Shreveport is where I live. Although I guess when it's time for home time they can just schedule me a load near Shreveport and then I can drive home.
I was on Reddit and a lot of the swift drivers there seemed really disgruntled. Saying they can't wait to quit and leave etc. Saying it was hell.
Swift is an attractive company to me because it's the biggest and most successful and I think that's a good sign of a well run company. But I don't know. Prime seems tops too but it might not be smart for someone from Shreveport, Louisiana.
As a company driver it doesn't matter if they send me looking for empty trailers. I get paid empty miles, lease guys don't. So they are the ones complaining. The empty miles increase my fuel bonus! So hell yeah I want those miles 😂. The past 2.weeks.i.got.7cpm on fuel bonus alone!! Yes I train teams...but it came to an extra $350ish per week.
Last summer I did seem to run looking for empties.... But I am always preplanned so I am never truly without a load unless I asked for something special and they are finding it. Example.... I was in California with my student and asked for a load to get me home time in NJ but would allow.me.to drop her in MO. It took 3 hours to find the load and we needed a 34 to do it. So we got some rest then rolled. Not a big deal.
Home time depends on your division and home location. Some people are intermodal (rail yards) and get home daily. Some are regional/dedicated getting home every other weekend. Most OTR can stay out 3 weeks take 3 days off. Stay out 4 weeks get 4 days off
Once there for awhile...many company drivers stay out 6 weeks and get 6 days off. If u suck as a driver that won't fly. If you are an awesome driver and later are willing to train...you get anything you want.
People go into leasing thinking it allows them home more often ...but it is the opposite. They need to stay out at least 6 weeks to be profitable and many due 8 to 12 weeks as lease before going home.
However.... My friends at other companies all feel the same way. Scott at CFI gets what he wants...Old School at Knight gets what he wants... G Town was at Swift and got what he wanted. People think I'm treated special cause I'm on YouTube ..truth is.. I was treated special way way before I went on YouTube. It's about being safe a d productive and communicating with dispatch.
Feel free to ask anything
What does Shreveport have to do with the company you choose?
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.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
I see. What about freight lanes? Like if a company doesn't have a freight lane to Shreveport area.
Terminal locations have nothing to do with where you live or take your days off.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
I see. What about freight lanes? Like if a company doesn't have a freight lane to Shreveport area.
Terminal locations have nothing to do with where you live or take your days off.
Like a major freight lane such as I-20? Last I checked, it runs straight through the city.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
If you're in a company's hiring area, you are in a freight lane they use. Dude, I-20 is a major freight lane. There's going to be very few companies that don't handle freight going into or through Shreveport, LA.
Gotcha thanks. :)
If you're in a company's hiring area, you are in a freight lane they use. Dude, I-20 is a major freight lane. There's going to be very few companies that don't handle freight going into or through Shreveport, LA.
Have you considered flatbed? I don't do recruiting, but I work for Knight on a special flatbed account. We are considered as drivers for the Gulfport, MS terminal , but we strictly handle loads out of the Hydro extrusion plant in Delhi, LA. You would definitely be in their hiring area for that job.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
I'm not afraid to work, but personally I would like to start out easy with like a dry Van or reefer then work my way into flatbed if its practical. My first year I wanna mostly focus on being a good truck driver. Flatbed seems like a lot of extra work and I'm not opposed to that but I'd rather do that later on, if that makes sense.
Have you considered flatbed? I don't do recruiting, but I work for Knight on a special flatbed account. We are considered as drivers for the Gulfport, MS terminal , but we strictly handle loads out of the Hydro extrusion plant in Delhi, LA. You would definitely be in their hiring area for that job.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Of course that makes sense, and it shows some wisdom in you that is lacking in many these days. I like your plan. Keep that kind of thinking going. Prudence and thoughtfulness are great characteristics for a rookie truck driver to have.
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I was wondering the same? We and Swift have freight everywhere.
My friend is delivering to the Walmart in Roberts right now. He lives in LA but close to the AR border.