Frequently Asked Questions

Team truck drivers have a higher earning potential since they can run more miles than solo drivers. At Prime, teams have the opportunity to earn bonuses each week. View our Pay & Benefits page for details.

Team company driver rates:

• .56 cpm split refrigerated
• .54 cpm split flatbed
• .57 CPM split tanker

Team bonus:

• Earn .26 cpm bonus split for miles between 3,000-3,999 per week
• Earn .31 cpm bonus split for miles over 4,000 per week

Prime pays owner-operators, or independent contractors, by percent of linehaul. You’ll earn a percentage of the revenue for the freight you haul. Find more information on our Pay & Benefits page.

Independent contractor rates:

• 72% of revenue refrigerated
• 72% of revenue flatbed
• 71% of revenue tanker

Dedicated and intermodal driving divisions pay rates vary. Contact a recruiter for more details.

Prime provides a $200/week loan to all students during the first phase of training with the CDL permit. The loan is paid back to Prime in $25 increments once you start getting paid.

Once you obtain your Class A CDL, you are paid a guarantee of $700/week as long as you are available to drive.

Learn more about the Driver Training Program.

Prime drivers are paid weekly based on the previous week’s work.

The driver is paid to unload the freight, but a driver may use that money to hire a lumper if they prefer. The scale for payment is as follows:

• $2.50 per thousand lbs.
• 3 cents per piece
• The amount we bill the customer OR
• $60 minimum

You may be reimbursed $20 for using a pallet jack and allowed up to $35 to assist in unloading (when loads are not floor-loaded).

Yes. Prime pays 100% to the contractor of what it invoices to the customer for all driving divisions.

If Prime does not collect from the customers, Prime pays contractors 28% of the actual expense for highway and bridge tolls in the refrigerated and flatbed divisions. In the tanker division, Prime pays contractors 30% of highway and bridge tolls if it does not collect from the customers.

In refrigerated and flatbed divisions, contractors are paid 72% of the revenue billed to the customer for stops made. In the tanker division, contractors are paid 71% of the revenue billed to the customer for stops made. For the intermodal division, rates are evaluated frequently.

No. Success Leasing pays a $300 first-time lease bonus when you lease a truck from Prime, which is treated as start-up capital for the driver.

Yes. Prime pays a referral bonus plus a residual income that is paid as long as both parties are drivers at Prime. This can add up to a lot of money over the years! Prime’s referral bonus is subject to change. For full details, contact our recruiting department.

How the referral bonus works:

• Earn $100 when the referred driver hauls their first load.
• Earn $500 when the referred driver stays for 6 months.
• Earn ¼ cpm on every mile referred the driver runs after 6 months.
• Earn $1,000 when 3 referred drivers stay for 6 months.

Yes. Direct deposit is available. Bring a voided check or your banking information to orientation to sign up for direct deposit. You can also have your earnings loaded to your ComData card.

Yes. Prime’s innovative “Fuel Surcharge” program protects you—the independent contractor—from fuel market fluctuations.

Fuel surcharge is calculated based on Prime’s fuel cost minus $1.20 divided by 6 mpg to come up with the weekly amount paid in fuel surcharge. The fuel surcharge is paid for all authorized dispatch miles.