Prime Trucking School Review – Company Paid CDL Training

You’ve probably already run the numbers on a career change. A trade that pays from your first weeks, doesn’t require a four-year degree, and can’t be handed off to a computer or shipped overseas is worth a hard look. Truck driving fits all three, and the biggest thing standing between most people and that first paycheck is the cost of getting licensed.

Prime Inc. offers a great training program for people who want to get their truck driver training from one of the best company sponsored truck driving schools in the nation. Prime Trucking School, also known as Prime’s Student Driver Program (PSD), includes extensive on-the-road practice so that you can become a top certified and experienced driver to win the big bucks that can be made in the fulfilling field of over-the-road truck driving. Of course, as with most company paid CDL training, you will need to commit to working with Prime Inc. for at least a year.

Prime has been on the road since 1970 and has trained brand-new drivers through the Student Driver Program since 2002. That’s more than two decades of taking people with zero trucking experience and turning them into licensed, paid Class A drivers. If you’ve been waiting for a way into this field that doesn’t start with a loan, this is one of the clearer paths available.

Why Prime’s Company-Paid Model Lowers the Barrier to a New Career

The math on private CDL school stops a lot of people before they start. Tuition can run several thousand dollars, and you’re paying it while you’re not yet earning. Prime flips that order. You start the paid CDL training program with nothing due for the training itself, as long as you drive for Prime for one year after you earn your CDL.

The only cost you handle up front is obtaining your Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit in your home state, along with the small fees your state charges for it. Everything after that is covered on Prime’s side. There’s no payroll deduction for tuition and no credit check to qualify, which matters if a rough stretch has left a mark on your finances.

Once you arrive, Prime pays for your bus transportation to orientation, puts you up in a hotel, and provides three meals a day while you’re there. You’re not fronting travel costs or living expenses during the first phase, and new orientation classes start every week, so you’re never waiting months for a seat to open.

The trade is straightforward. Prime invests in getting you licensed, and you agree to drive for the company for a year. For a lot of career changers, a one-year commitment in exchange for a debt-free license and a guaranteed job is a fair deal, especially compared to borrowing money and still having to hunt for work afterward.

Two Kinds of Learning: Classroom Time and Real Miles

Prime’s program leans on a simple idea: you learn to drive a truck by actually driving one, but only after you understand the rules and mechanics that keep you and everyone around you safe. The program blends structured instruction with real freight hauled across real highways. That mix is what separates it from a classroom-only school where you practice on a closed lot and hope the road feels the same.

Structured Instruction Before You Roll

Before you take a loaded trailer onto the interstate, you cover the groundwork indoors. That means the federal rules of the road, hours-of-service limits, safety procedures, and the mechanical logic of how a tractor-trailer behaves. You also spend time in a driving simulator, where a mistake costs you nothing but teaches you plenty.

This front-loaded instruction gives you a foundation to build on. When your instructor later talks you through a tight backing maneuver or a mountain grade, you’re not hearing the concepts for the first time. You’re applying something you’ve already studied, which speeds up how fast the skill sticks.

Hauling Real Freight From Your First Weeks

Once you have your permit, Prime puts you on live loads with your instructor riding along. You’re delivering actual freight to actual customers, not circling a practice yard. Real dispatches mean real traffic, real weather, real fuel stops, and real deadlines.

There’s a reason Prime trains this way. The situations that rattle new drivers, such as a crowded truck stop at night or a construction zone that funnels three lanes into one, don’t show up on a closed course. Facing them early, with an experienced driver in the passenger seat, builds the judgment you’ll rely on for the rest of your career.

How the Two Halves Reinforce Each Other

Seat time and study aren’t separate stages you finish and forget. They feed each other. A confusing moment on the road sends you back to what you learned in the classroom, and the classroom concepts only make full sense once you’ve felt them play out behind the wheel.

By the time you sit for your CDL exam, the theory and the practice have blended into one instinct. That’s the goal of the whole design, and it’s why so many people who couldn’t picture themselves driving a semi walk out of the program as confident, licensed professionals.

What Orientation Teaches You

Orientation is your first stop, held at Prime’s facilities in Springfield, MO; Pittston, PA; or Salt Lake City, UT. You’ll typically be routed to the location closest to your home state. This phase is about confirming you’re ready, getting your paperwork and health screenings squared away, and starting your hands-on education.

Your Interview and File Review

The first part of orientation covers your interview and a review of your file. Prime confirms your background, your driving record, and your paperwork so there are no surprises later. You’ll also complete a DOT physical and a drug test, both required by federal law before anyone can drive a commercial vehicle.

This is also where you get your medical questions answered. Prime partners with an onsite sleep provider to handle sleep apnea screening and equipment, so if that’s a concern for you, it can be addressed right there instead of derailing your start date.

Computer-Based and Classroom Sessions

A large chunk of orientation is computer-based and classroom training. You cover the knowledge that shows up on your CDL exam and, more importantly, the knowledge that keeps you legal and safe once you’re out there alone. Hours-of-service rules, safe following distances, cargo securement basics, and inspection standards all get their time here.

None of this is busywork. Every topic connects to something you’ll do daily as a driver, from logging your hours correctly to knowing when weather makes it smarter to shut down for the night. The classroom sessions give you the “why” behind the habits that separate safe drivers from statistics.

Time in the Driving Simulator

Before you handle the real thing, you practice in a driving simulator. This is where you get comfortable with shifting, steering a long vehicle, and reacting to hazards without any risk. If you’ve never driven anything bigger than a pickup, the simulator is a gentle on-ramp.

The simulator lets you repeat tricky scenarios as many times as you need. You can stall the truck, misjudge a turn, or blow a shift, and the only cost is a lesson learned. That kind of low-pressure repetition builds muscle memory you’ll be glad to have when there’s a live trailer behind you.

Skills You Build on the Driving Range

The driving range is where the abstract becomes physical. Here you learn to control a tractor-trailer at low speed, which is harder than it sounds and is exactly what your CDL skills test measures. Three things dominate this part of your training: inspecting the vehicle, backing it accurately, and controlling it with precision.

The pre-trip vehicle inspection is a skill you’ll use every single day you drive. You’ll learn to walk a truck and trailer methodically, checking brakes, tires, lights, fluids, coupling devices, and dozens of other points, and to explain what you’re looking at. Examiners want to hear you name the component and state what makes it safe or unsafe.

Backing is the maneuver that intimidates most newcomers, and Prime spends real time on it. Straight-line backing, offset backing, and parallel parking a 70-plus-foot vehicle all take practice and patience. Your instructors break these down into repeatable steps so the movements start to feel natural instead of terrifying.

CDL Instruction on the Road

After you get your commercial learner’s permit, you’re paired one-on-one with a CDL instructor, an experienced Prime driver, and you head out on the road for roughly two to four weeks. Prime runs a 1-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio, so you’re not competing with a dozen classmates for the wheel. Any time you operate the truck on your permit, your instructor stays in the passenger seat, awake and alert, ready to step in.

During these weeks you run real loads across the country while your instructor focuses on the three areas that make or break your exam: completing a thorough vehicle inspection, safely driving and operating the tractor-trailer, and backing the unit. You’re not paid during this instruction phase, but Prime provides an interest-free weekly loan of around $300 to cover food and living costs. Once you earn your CDL and start getting paid, you repay that amount in small weekly installments.

Passing the CDL Exam

When your instruction phase wraps up, you return to a Prime training center to take your state CDL exam. The exam has three parts: the vehicle inspection, the backing skills test, and the on-road driving test. Pass all three and you’ve earned your Class A Commercial Driver’s License.

Prime adds a nice incentive here. If you pass all three parts on your first attempt, a result drivers call a “trifecta,” you earn a $250 bonus. Beyond the cash, passing the first time keeps your momentum going and gets you into a paying seat sooner. Once you hold your CDL, you’re eligible to be hired as a Prime company driver and start earning.

TNT Team Training

The final stage is TNT training, and it’s where the paychecks begin. You go back on the road with a TNT trainer, who may be the same experienced driver who handled your instruction. This phase is team driving, meaning you might be driving while your trainer rests in the sleeper, and then trade places. It’s the first time you drive without someone watching your every move, which builds real confidence.

The goal is to log your required team training miles, generally in the range of 30,000 to 50,000 miles, with every mile counting whether you or your trainer is driving. This stage usually takes about three to four months. During TNT, you earn a guaranteed minimum of $900 per week as long as you’re away from home and available for dispatch, or a minimum of $120 per day when you’re home and available. Once you hit your mileage requirement, you become eligible for upgrade review.

Start to finish, from orientation through upgrade eligibility, the whole program runs roughly four to five months. Your exact timeline depends on your division and how quickly you accumulate miles. Tanker and flatbed drivers, for instance, have a different minimum mileage target than refrigerated drivers, so check with your recruiter about the number that applies to your path.

Truck Driving Jobs at Prime Inc.

One of the strongest reasons to train with a large carrier is choice. Prime hauls freight across three main divisions and offers several driver types, so once you’re licensed you can steer your career toward the pay, home time, and freight that suit you. Here’s a look at the jobs available and what each one offers, including what you’ll do, starting pay, veteran pay potential, benefits, and hiring requirements.

Refrigerated Division Driver

Refrigerated (or “reefer”) drivers haul temperature-controlled freight, most often food and other perishables that have to arrive cold and on time. It’s Prime’s largest division and the most common landing spot for new graduates, partly because the freight moves year-round and keeps drivers busy with steady miles.

Starting pay for solo company drivers in this division is 50 cents per mile, with an additional 5 cents per mile available when you run a lightweight tractor, subject to equipment availability. Team drivers in the reefer division start at 69 cents per mile split between the two of you. As you gain experience and run more miles, your effective pay climbs through weekly mileage bonuses of 26 cents per mile for weeks between 3,000 and 3,999 miles and 31 cents per mile for weeks over 4,000 miles.

Reefer company drivers receive Prime’s full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, the 401(k) Success Sharing plan, and paid vacation. To get hired, you’ll need your Class A CDL, and you’ll meet the same core requirements as every Prime driver: at least 21 years old, a valid license, verifiable work history, and the ability to obtain a passport and TWIC card.

Flatbed Division Driver

Flatbed drivers haul freight that doesn’t fit in an enclosed trailer, such as building materials, machinery, steel, and oversized loads. The work is more physical than reefer or van driving because you’re responsible for securing every load with straps, chains, and tarps. Many drivers who like being active and working with their hands gravitate to flatbed for exactly that reason.

Starting pay for solo company flatbed drivers is 52 cents per mile, a step above the reefer starting rate, which reflects the added skill and effort involved. Team flatbed drivers start at 67 cents per mile split. The same weekly mileage bonuses apply, adding 26 cents per mile for 3,000 to 3,999-mile weeks and 31 cents per mile for weeks above 4,000 miles, so a productive veteran flatbedder can earn well above the starting figure.

Flatbed drivers get the full company benefits package and receive training on load securement as part of their path into the division. Hiring requirements match Prime’s standard qualifications, with the understanding that this division asks for a bit more physical capability given the tarping and strapping involved.

Tanker Division Driver

Tanker drivers haul liquids, and it’s the highest-paying of the three company divisions at the starting line. Driving a tanker is its own skill because liquid shifts and surges inside the trailer, which changes how the truck handles in turns and stops. That specialized handling is why tanker drivers earn a premium.

Starting pay for solo company tanker drivers is 57 cents per mile, the top starting rate among Prime’s divisions. Team tanker drivers start at 70 cents per mile split. The 26-cent and 31-cent weekly mileage bonuses apply here too, so experienced tanker drivers who keep their miles high sit among the better-paid company drivers in the fleet.

Tanker drivers earn Prime’s full benefits and typically need a Tanker endorsement, and often a Hazmat endorsement, on top of the standard Class A CDL. Prime helps you obtain the endorsements you need, and the ability to secure a Hazmat endorsement is already part of the company’s baseline hiring requirements.

Over-the-Road (OTR) Driver

Over-the-road driving is the classic long-haul job and the default for most new Prime drivers. OTR drivers are typically out on the road for three to four weeks at a time before returning home, covering long distances and seeing a big slice of the country in the process. If you like the idea of getting paid to travel and you value miles over frequent home time, this is your lane.

Your pay as an OTR driver follows your division’s cents-per-mile rate, so a reefer OTR driver starts at 50 cents per mile, a flatbed OTR driver at 52, and a tanker OTR driver at 57, all with the same weekly mileage bonuses. Because OTR drivers rack up the most miles, they often have the highest earning ceiling among company drivers.

OTR drivers receive the complete benefits package and Prime’s home-time policy of one day home for every seven days out. Requirements are Prime’s standard driver qualifications, and new graduates from the training program are placed into OTR roles as a natural first step.

Regional Driver

Regional drivers focus their deliveries within a specific part of the country instead of crossing it end to end. The tradeoff is fewer total miles in exchange for more frequent home time, which appeals to drivers who want steady pay without being gone for a month straight. Some drivers start OTR to build experience and then move regional once a spot opens near them.

Regional pay is built on the same divisional cents-per-mile structure, though your total miles may be lower than a long-haul driver’s, which affects your weekly gross. Prime’s recruiters and fleet managers can tell you what regional options exist in your area, since availability depends on where you live and which lanes need coverage.

Regional company drivers get the same benefits, insurance, retirement plan, and paid vacation as everyone else. Hiring requirements are identical to Prime’s other company positions, so moving into a regional role is usually a matter of availability rather than extra qualifications.

Dedicated Driver

Dedicated drivers run consistent routes tied to specific customers, staying within roughly a 300-mile radius and enjoying weekly, or even more frequent, home time. This is one of the most home-friendly driving jobs Prime offers, which makes it popular with drivers who have families or simply want their own bed more often. Dedicated freight also brings predictability, since you tend to know your routes and schedule.

Dedicated opportunities are tied to particular locations. Prime has listed dedicated routes for drivers who live in or near cities such as Decatur, IN; Bellevue, OH; Newark, NJ; and Chicago, IL. Because these routes hinge on where you’re based, your recruiter is the best source for what’s currently open near you.

Pay follows Prime’s cents-per-mile structure and the dedicated route’s specifics, and dedicated drivers receive the standard benefits package. The main added requirement is simply living within range of an available dedicated lane, on top of holding your Class A CDL and meeting Prime’s core qualifications.

Team Driver

Team drivers pair up and share a truck, alternating between driving and resting so the truck keeps moving nearly around the clock. Because the truck covers far more miles when two drivers are trading shifts, team driving offers one of the highest earning potentials in the fleet. It also means you always have a partner for the long stretches of highway.

Team starting rates are strong across divisions: 69 cents per mile split for reefer, 67 cents per mile split for flatbed, and 70 cents per mile split for tanker. On top of that, company team drivers earn the mileage incentives, 26 additional cents per mile for weeks between 3,000 and 3,999 miles and 31 additional cents per mile for weeks above 4,000, and teams reach those higher mileage tiers far more easily than solo drivers.

Team drivers receive the full benefits package, and many new drivers effectively start as a team during their TNT training before choosing whether to continue teaming or upgrade to a solo truck. Requirements match Prime’s standard driver qualifications, and finding a compatible partner is often the biggest practical consideration.

Independent Contractor (Owner-Operator)

Independent contractors, also called owner-operators, run their own trucks under Prime’s authority and get paid a percentage of every freight bill rather than a set cents-per-mile rate. This path carries more responsibility, since you cover your truck’s expenses, but it also removes the earnings ceiling that comes with company pay. Your income isn’t capped by a per-mile figure or by how long you’ve been with the company.

Prime’s percentage pay is competitive: refrigerated and flatbed contractors earn 72 percent of each freight bill, and tanker contractors earn 71 percent. Prime’s Success Leasing program lets you get into your own truck with no money down and no credit check, and the Start Right program guarantees drivers with at least six months of recent tractor-trailer experience a minimum of $1,000 per week in gross pay for their first three weeks, orientation included.

Owner-operators enjoy fuel, tire, and service discounts through Prime’s buying power, the freedom to customize their trucks, and a retention and rewards program that pays up to $1,500 per year for continued service. New drivers can’t lease immediately; you start as a company driver, complete the training program, and then become eligible to upgrade into a lease. To lease right away, you’d need an existing CDL and six months of recent tractor-trailer experience.

What You Can Realistically Earn in Year One

Your first year breaks into two pay periods: training and post-upgrade driving. During TNT training, you earn a guaranteed minimum of $900 per week while you’re out and available for dispatch. Spread across the roughly three to four months of team training, that guarantee alone puts real money in your pocket while you’re still learning.

Once you upgrade into your own truck, your pay shifts to your division’s cents-per-mile rate. A solo reefer driver at 50 cents per mile running a typical 2,200 to 2,500 miles a week grosses roughly $1,100 to $1,250 in a base week before any bonuses. String those weeks together and you’re looking at a first-year gross that commonly lands in the mid-$50,000s to around $70,000, depending on your division, your miles, and how much home time you take.

Two things push that number up. Choosing a higher-paying division, such as tanker at 57 cents per mile, raises your base, and hitting the weekly mileage bonus tiers adds 26 to 31 cents per mile on top of your rate during your strongest weeks. A motivated first-year driver who keeps their miles high and picks a premium division can outpace the middle of that range.

Keep in mind these are gross figures, and your take-home depends on taxes and your own choices about time off. Still, for a career you can enter in a matter of months with no tuition debt, earning in this range from year one is a strong return compared with most entry-level trades.

Where the Pay Goes After Five Years

Five years in, you’re no longer a rookie, and your earnings reflect it. Veteran company drivers consistently hit the higher mileage tiers, which means the 26-cent and 31-cent per-mile bonuses become a regular part of their weekly pay rather than an occasional bump. Experienced drivers also tend to run more efficiently, take smarter loads, and waste less time, all of which show up in the paycheck.

A seasoned solo company driver in a higher-paying division who runs strong, consistent miles can push well past first-year numbers, and many veteran drivers gross in the $70,000 to $90,000 range or higher depending on division, miles, and bonuses. Team drivers who’ve built a rhythm with a reliable partner can do even better, since two drivers keep the truck earning nearly nonstop.

The bigger jump for many long-tenured drivers comes from moving into the owner-operator seat. Earning 71 to 72 percent of the freight bill, an experienced independent contractor with Prime can gross substantially more than a company driver, though that gross covers truck payments, fuel, maintenance, and other business costs. Prime’s fuel and service discounts, no-money-down leasing, and up-to-$1,500 annual retention incentives are built to make that transition workable for drivers ready to run their own business.

The point is that Prime gives you room to grow rather than a flat ceiling. Whether you stay a company driver and maximize miles and bonuses or step into ownership, the five-year mark is where the early commitment starts paying off in a bigger way.

Your Guaranteed Path From Graduate to Hired Driver

One of the clearest advantages of training with Prime is that a job is waiting at the end of it. This isn’t a school that hands you a license and wishes you luck. When you earn your CDL through the program and meet the hiring standards, you’re eligible to be hired as a Prime company driver, and you actually start earning during your final training miles.

The path is sequential and predictable. You obtain your permit at home, attend orientation, complete your on-road CDL instruction, pass your CDL exam, and finish your TNT team training miles. Clear those steps with a clean record and you move into upgrade review, where drivers are selected for their own truck based on equipment availability, service, safety, and performance.

The employment guarantee is real, but it comes with expectations. You’re expected to drive safely, avoid preventable accidents, and hold up your end of the one-year commitment. Meet those terms and you have guaranteed employment at Prime upon completing your training, with at least a year of work ahead of you and no tuition hanging over your head.

If you already hold a CDL from another school, there’s a path for you too. Recent CDL graduates who make Prime their first driving company may be eligible for tuition reimbursement of up to $1,500, and experienced drivers move through a shorter company driver orientation and trainer period rather than the full student program.

The Real Lifestyle Shift of Life on the Road

It would be dishonest to sell over-the-road driving as easy. It’s a genuine lifestyle change, and going in with clear eyes is the best way to succeed at it. As an OTR driver, you’ll typically be out for three to four weeks at a stretch, which means missing some of the day-to-day routines of home life. The truck becomes your workspace and, for those weeks, your living space.

Prime structures home time around a policy of one day home for every seven days on the road, so a driver out for three weeks earns several days off to recharge. Regional and dedicated positions offer more frequent home time if being gone for weeks doesn’t fit your life, which is one reason it’s worth thinking about your division and driver type early.

The road asks for discipline. You manage your own hours within federal limits, eat and sleep on an irregular schedule, and stay alert through long stretches of highway and rough weather. Loneliness is a real factor for some drivers, though Prime’s pet and passenger policy helps: company drivers can bring along one passenger and one pet, so your dog or a family member can ride with you.

The rewards are just as real. You’re paid to see parts of the country most people only drive past on vacation. There’s a genuine independence to being the person responsible for getting freight where it needs to go, without a manager hovering over your shoulder. Prime backs you with 24/7 dispatch support, an in-house maintenance network, a modern fleet averaging around a year and a half old, and a driver app that keeps you connected to headquarters from anywhere. For many drivers, the freedom and the paycheck more than balance out the time away.

This career suits people who value autonomy, don’t mind solitude, and want their effort to translate directly into earnings. If that sounds like you, the adjustment period is worth pushing through, and most drivers find their rhythm within the first few months on their own.

Benefits:

• Company paid CDL training with $0 due to start – you pay nothing for the training program as long as you drive for Prime for one year after earning your CDL.
• Transportation, lodging, and meals are provided during training.
• Guaranteed employment at Prime Trucking upon driver training completion.
• Guaranteed employment for at least 1 year.
• No payroll deduction for training tuition.
• One-on-one instructor training with a 1-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio.
• You’ll be given an interest-free weekly living loan during your CDL instruction phase.
• You’ll start earning weekly pay after you pass your CDL exam and begin TNT training.
• You’ll earn a guaranteed minimum of $900 per week during TNT training while away and available for dispatch (a minimum of $120 per day applies when home and available).
• A $250 bonus for passing all three parts of your CDL exam on the first attempt.
• Full employee health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) Success Sharing Plan with a company match after 6 months of employment.
• Paid vacation of up to $2,800 per year based on the miles you drive.
• Employee driver bonuses, including weekly mileage and fuel-efficiency incentives and a safety bonus.

Requirements:

• You must be at least 21 years of age to apply at Prime Inc.
• You must own a valid U.S. driver’s license for the past year.
• You must have proof of U.S. residency or a Green Card.
• Your valid driver’s license must have been issued from the state you declared as your permanent domicile.
• You must meet the Homeland Security/Transportation Administration requirements.
• You must have the ability to obtain a United States passport.
• You must have a stable work history and good references.
• Your previous employers/references must be verifiable.
• You cannot have had any reckless driving convictions during the past 3 years.
• You cannot have had any failed/refused drug or alcohol tests in the previous 4 years.
• You cannot have had your driver’s license suspended for points in the past 3 years.
• You cannot have had more than 2 moving violations during the last year.
• You cannot have had more than 3 moving violations/accidents in the past 3 years.
• You must be able to meet the minimum medical qualifications set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including passing a DOT physical.
• You must repay your interest-free living loan in small weekly installments once you become a paid driver.

Commonly Asked Questions

How much does Prime’s CDL training actually cost me?

You start with $0 due for the training itself. The only up-front cost you handle is obtaining your Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit in your home state and the small state fees tied to it. As long as you drive for Prime for one year after earning your CDL, you pay nothing for the training program, and there’s no payroll deduction for tuition and no credit check.

How long does the whole program take?

From orientation through upgrade eligibility, the program runs roughly four to five months. That includes orientation, two to four weeks of one-on-one CDL instruction, your CDL exam, and about three to four months of TNT team training to reach your required miles. Your exact timeline depends on your division and how quickly you accumulate miles.

Do I need my permit before I show up?

Yes. You must obtain your Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit in your home state before you attend orientation. Prime’s permit prep resources can help you study for the test, and once you have the permit in hand, you’re ready to be routed to the orientation location nearest you.

Where would I attend orientation?

Prime holds orientation at three facilities: Springfield, MO; Pittston, PA; and Salt Lake City, UT. New classes start every week, and you’re typically sent to the location closest to your home state. Prime covers your bus transportation there, plus hotel accommodations and three meals a day while you’re in orientation.

When do I start getting paid?

You begin earning once you pass your CDL exam and move into TNT training. At that point you’re a hired company driver earning a guaranteed minimum of $900 per week while away and available for dispatch. During the earlier CDL instruction phase you aren’t paid, but Prime provides an interest-free weekly loan of around $300 for food and living costs, which you repay in small amounts after you start earning.

What is TNT training?

TNT training is the final stage, where you team drive with an experienced trainer to build real-world experience and log your required miles, generally 30,000 to 50,000 team miles. Every mile counts toward your total whether you or your trainer is driving. It usually takes three to four months, and finishing it makes you eligible for upgrade into your own truck.

Am I guaranteed a job after I finish?

Yes, provided you meet the hiring requirements and keep a clean record. When you earn your CDL through the program, you’re eligible to be hired as a Prime company driver and you start earning during your final training miles. Upgrade into your own truck is based on equipment availability, service, safety, and performance.

Which division pays the most for a new driver?

Among company divisions, tanker has the highest solo starting rate at 57 cents per mile, followed by flatbed at 52 cents and refrigerated at 50 cents (with 5 additional cents available on a lightweight tractor). All divisions add weekly mileage bonuses of 26 cents per mile for 3,000 to 3,999-mile weeks and 31 cents per mile for weeks over 4,000 miles.

Can I bring my dog or a family member with me?

Yes. Prime allows company drivers to travel with one passenger and one pet. Being able to bring a companion makes the weeks away from home far more manageable, which is one reason many drivers take advantage of the policy.

What if I already have my CDL?

If you already hold a Class A CDL, you skip the student program and go through a shorter company driver orientation followed by training with a TNT trainer. Recent CDL school graduates who make Prime their first driving company may also qualify for tuition reimbursement of up to $1,500. Ask a recruiter which experienced-driver path fits your situation.

Prime Trucking School Location:

Prime Training Center
2740 N. Mayfair Avenue
Springfield, MO 65803