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Prime Looks for Driver Partners
By Mary Hance
If you want to own your business and at the same time have a high-powered partner to provide loads and support, Prime Inc. may be for you. Prime, which was founded in 1970, has spent the last 10 years repositioning itself as a totally owner/operator and lease-contractor fleet. "The leasing concept lets drivers run their own business with no money down, no credit check, really no risk," says Don Lacy, director of safety and recruiting. "Some people will lease (from six months to three years) and then use their lease completion bonus to buy their own truck."
Prime is a 48-state and Canada carrier headquartered in Springfield, Mo. Its flatbed division has about 500 trucks, while its refrigerated division has about 1,700. Prime is privately held and consistently ranks among the top five fleets in terms of operating ratios and profit margins. Revenues were $405 million for 1998 and are expected to approach $450 million for 1999. Customers include Pillsbury and Kraft, as well as several meat packers and medical supply companies on the reefer side, and Charlotte Pipe on the flatbed side.
Generally, Prime requires that applicants be at least 21 years old, have a good traffic record, and be willing to learn and work hard. Prime does train some unexperienced applicants. More common, though, is "a company driver who has been driving for another company and has a good record in terms of safety and on-time service, who wants to be an entrepreneur and own his or her own business," Lacy says.
Prime stresses training. Its basic course is ACE I (Associate Career Enhancement), which focuses on understanding the lease arrangements and basic operating principles of the company. ACE II, an intensive two-day course, teaches drivers how to run their business. It stresses record keeping, fuel economy and basic business skills.
Lacy attributes much of the success of the lease-contractor setup to the two-year-old ACE II program. "We used to just give them a truck and say to ‘go get it.' But now we really try to help them with the business side of things." ACE II graduates see the bottom line go up an average of 15%, he says.
Driver Ginger Hurst says Prime has made dramatic strides in becoming a driver-friendly company. She had worked there for about two years, left for a regional fleet, then came back as a lessee. She averages 3,500 miles a week, and revels in controlling her destiny.
"Prime offers more for drivers all the way around," she says. "Everything (schedules and loads) is up to the driver. I can get home to Savannah, Ga., or to my father's in Florida whenever I want or need to and I make good money. I could never go back to being a company driver," she says. "I like to make my own decisions. I like knowing I can turn down a load if I want to. I never have done that but I like knowing I could."
Hurst says the ACE II course was invaluable. "They teach you how to run smart. I knew how to run but I didn't know how to do the business side." She is also impressed with the equipment. Prime leases mostly Freightliner Century condos and will provide loaner trucks in case of an accident or other down time. Contractors also have access to Qualcomm, Trailer-Tracs, Opti-stop and other software to help them manage their business.
Prime pays operators 72% of revenues, and guarantees at least 80 cents per mile. Average net pay for a single driver is $900 a week, while teams can earn as much as $100,000 after expenses, Lacy says.
A major perk is the new $9 million, 80,000-square-foot driver center in Springfield. It has a movie theater, gym, child care learning center, food court, doctor's office, CPA office, library and quiet rooms. "Our intention is to have an upscale shopping center and place for them while they wait," Lacy says.
For more information, call 1-877-PRIMEJOB.
At a Glance
Prime Inc.
(877) PRIMEJOB
- All owner/operators or lease-contractors
- Reefer and flatbed fleets
- 72% of revenues; with minimum 80-cent-a-mile guarantee
- Fleet average 3,200 miles a week
- Late-model equipment
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