Originally Posted by waterman

You know , after looking at many company sponsored training programs out there , this seems like a pretty good deal for newbies. I also am going to apply with Prime .

Train on site 4 days - Obtain permit.Drive on the road 3-4 weeks with a CDL instructor. Return, pass Skills Test - Obtain Class A CDL. Team with a trainer for 4-6 months with guaranteed pay. NO COST TO YOU IF YOU STAY 1 YEAR! $1750 if you stay 6 months. Maximum note - $3500 - No Interest!

A lot of people including myself who have an interest in obtaining their CDL don`t have 4 or 5 k to plunk down for school right up front and are hesitant about going through a CDL mill and getting thrown out on the road without enough hands on experience by companies that want cheap labor to move freight.

With this program ,from what I gather you can team with a trainer BEFORE you get a CDL which would give you the added benefit of having 1 on 1 behind the wheel training for at least a month before taking the test rather than being pushed through a company sponsored school in 2 weeks where you dont get enough 1 on 1 training. As long as their willing to teach you then your going to get better training than you would at a CDL mill. 6 Months training after that would also be a big help . What about taking the time to practice backing , how do they work that into the schedule ?

The idea of putting people in trucks with little hands on training is a scary thought . Nothing can replace years of behind the wheel experience but at least with this program those of us who want to learn to drive a truck might have a better chance of surviving rather than becoming a danger to other drivers and ourselves . It would be nice if Prime had a way of guaranteeing that you have a professional train you and not some moron . BTW , why is Prime on the bad list on the homepage ? Its important for those of us looking into a career in truck driving to have accurate information and guidance from people that know the business and know what their doing .

Originally Posted by poohgodes25

Well Prime wouldn't take him because Maverick let him go, his recruiter said to drive for another company for about 8 months and come back and apply again. We are looking at a few different places. He talked to Schneider and the lady he talked to use to recruite for the glass side when scheinder owned it but, they wanted to get out of it wasn't worth the money to but new trailers and such, but has said that many Maverick drivers have already switched to schneider. Mavericks turn over rate is 175% now what does that tell you. Also does Prime have woman trainers, I want to get my CDL but hubby wants a woman to train me don't want me out for 6 months with a man, would prefer a woman and in a way I would also.

Thanks

Originally Posted by VIDEODROME

Does Prime have a transportation arrangement to get you to the Training Program?

Also since this sounds like the training could take a while does anyone have advice on managing bills and such? Is it a good idea to get the briefest possible time off just once during training to take care of that stuff? Or should I just setup up direct payments from my account before leaving?

Originally Posted by notarps4me

Sounds like something a recruiter would say!

Originally Posted by Semi-Retired

Most turn over rates are high due to the wonderful grass that is on the on there side...NOT

Originally Posted by No Name 38

got my application approved to prime today. just wondering is this a good place to start. been local driving all my life. ready to see the us. any help is welcome...

Originally Posted by Semi-Retired

I never started there but I wish that I did. They will keep you as busy as you want to be. Make sure that you have a goal and a business plan that you want to obtain and then share it with your DM so that he will know where you want to be as well. If it seems that he is not interested in your plan then get rid of him. If you want to run hard and make good $$$ then I have Cody Foster and he will run you as hard or as harder than you want to go. If you have any ? or concerns that you want to discuss. Simply ask.

Originally Posted by Jarhed1964

I'm a flatbedder with little more than three months OTR. My only problem with Prime is the excruciatingly low starting pay. How do you handle that? Can you get enough miles to overcome the lack of decent starting pay?