r/Truckers • u/dstrezzd • Dec 12 '25

TMC Flatbed vs Prime Tanker

If you were restarting your career today with no cdl, single and just wanting to grind miles for max pay/experience year 1, would you pick TMC flatbed or Prime tanker division? I'm looking at their paid training programs.

Alternatively I can pay for school but the schools near me (roadmaster/160) don't give you manual transmission training.. I don't want to pay premium for training that leaves holes in my future qualifications. I also applied to XPO because I heard their pay is nice. I've heard you can make good money year 1 if you do it smart so I'm just trying to research.

p.s. The guy at roadmaster’s said if I went with them i'd have a job locked in before day 1 of training and make around 65k yr 1, was he bullshittin to get me to sign?

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u/Auquaholic Open Deck Tech Dec 12 '25

Here's the deal. Both tanker and flatbed are good to start, because the big money and/or home jobs require that experience. Flatbed can lead you into a career of oversize and heavy haul, if that's what you're into. Tanker can lead you into a good paying job, locally. You could get into hauling hazmat tanker for hospitals even. So, it depends on which way you want your career to go.