prime trucking.

I hope the best for you.
This among others, is why it's so hard for me to make up my mind on where to go, or what type of trucking to get into.
I'm a new CDL holder, and I refuse to commit to anything trucking related, until I research top to bottom.
Again, I'm glad to see you stick to your principals, and hope you the very best!

 

Actually you're quite wrong. Prime provides space at a discount to a third party sleep apnea testing facility, and their medical personnel. As part of the deal, we receive a deeply discounted sleep study at $150 as I recall. Many places charge you as much as $2000 - $3000 for the same service. My own family doctor told me it would cost $5000 for the study alone a number of years ago. The company who provides the sleep apnea machines has no financial connection to Prime, but Prime has negotiated a discount on the machines with the third-party company and will allow you to make resonable payments on it through your settlement.

You state that you are 5' 10" and 260 pounds. Well, I'm 5' 10" and if I were carrying around 260 pounds I'd consider myself massively overweight with all of the health complications that much weight brings along with it. If you feel "healthy" now, you won't be soon at your age. Considering what sleep apnea does to your body (you're slowly killing yourself) you did yourself and your family a disservice by not making sure you aren't at risk. For $140 as you state, that's really cheap insurance.

I really don't blame Prime for covering themselves as well... the accident on I44 just south of the Missouri line in Oklahoma last year when a older driver slammed into a line of stopped cars and killed 10 people has been partially blamed on the driver's sleep apnea. Prime has 4500 power units, and all it takes under the new CSA regieme is a few accidents like that to put a carrier out of business. Frankly, with your attitude, I'm just as glad that you AREN'T driving for Prime.

Do yourself a favor - quit calling yourself "healthy." You're just kidding yourself at the age you're at.

 

Can you tell me why you decided to dig up a thread where the last post before yours was 16 months ago?

If you can dig back that far, then you must have come across all your gripes being covered in other Prime threads.

Nothing new here but a guy who didnt do decent research.

Prime, or any company can set their own physical requirements for employment... however they cannot lower the requirements below the DOT mandated minnimum.

Intrest free loan covers the cost of the DISCOUNTED study and equipment. Oooo...$55 a week.

Im on the machine... First impression, on week one, was that I felt just as tired without it, however I slept considerably less. Sometimes 2 or 3 hours less.

10 months later: if for some reason I dont sleep with the machine (hometime and forget it in the truck) I wake up constantly, I sleep longer....I feel horribly tired in the morning.... and usually have a sore throat from snoring. Oh, and its been paid off.

Ive met a few people who have taken the test and the results were negative, and no machine was required.

A high BMI is the quick "ticket" to a sleep study. However the Dr. will take into account someone's neck size, and throat structure on individuals below the BMI threshold... and issue a ticket to test.

 

And yet you are seeking employment with, what is by many, considered a starter company. This is not to say that Prime is not a good company long term, but it is also a company where a noob can get a start. Do tell, why is that the "very knowledgeable veteran driver" is at orientation with a starter company?

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/...ign=G_Health&360cid=SI_148921805_7430108941_1

So you have said that you fall into the category of, "obese"

I wish you luck in finding a company that is willing to give you a truck, that they have paid for, a truck with their name on it, a truck for which they pay the insurance and yet a truck that they will expect not to control.

Maybe you should consider being an O/O. You said that you have the experience. Maybe there is some reason. Maybe the same reason that causes a veteran driver to apply with a training company?

Well, DUH! See the above comments reference them giving you a truck over which you expect them to maintain no control.

You claim to be a veteran, is performance going to be a problem?

I see no problem with expecting drivers to have the qualifications to drive their trucks and haul their freight.

But, you left that company, or they left you.

I se that you claim this is a quote, but you are actually claiming that the doctor said that "I have been pre-determined to have this condition called sleep apnea" Since that is obviously not an accurate quote, I suspect that what he actually said was that you had indicators for sleep apnea. Which, of course you obviously do.

Take my word for it, or do your own research, these prices are VERY low compared to standard market prices. Prime is doing Very good for their drivers.

Pleas let us know how that works out for you. You may or may not have sleep apnea, but you definitely meet the criteria, that should require you be tested.

This has already been addressed.

The sleep study would have been done by a third party. I'm sure that is a liability that Prime does not want. Just because it is done on their dirt, does not mean that they are doing it. After the sleep study, if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you will receive a prescription for one of several different types of machines, CPAP, BiPap, etc. This you could have filled by any provider. Apparenly Prime simply offers that you can have it filled by a provider that they contract at a reduced rate.

This is Prime's fault how?

Prime tries to "play" by the rules, those that currently exist, and those that are coming. But, Sir, Prime did not make these rules.

 

he or she already knew that.

Put on an extra 10lbs before orientation? or the home scale needs calibration?

 

I dont know about anyone else, i was skeptical about the sleep apnea study them charging me money for the cpap machine every week,but since i have been using the machine i am so glad that i have it i sleep like a baby every nite and dont feel tired during the day like i used to b4 the cpap machine.so whoever complains about prime forcing them to buy and use the cpap, you should thank them for maybe saving your life and the lifes of others.no,prime isnt perfect and i really like the company side of things better than when i was leasing(another story another time) just give the cpap time and you will see it will work for you.my .02

 

I was shopping around for a better company than the my former employer. Unfortunately I had to drive up from Dallas to get a bird's eye view. Bono Man seem very happy working for prime.

All that really matters is that Drivers are treated fairly and honestly by these Big Fleets. But they sometime have created so many ways of twisting things that its hard to figure out whats right from wrong. So the proof of burden falls on the Driver.

I bet Thousands of drivers have walked away from Prime, Inc. and I will not be the last one who left after being recruited by them.

 

Popmartian:
Aries (♈) (Zodiac Sign of The Ram) the sign of fire, ruled by Mars the Son of Jupiter (the King) and wife Juno in Greek Myth.

 

no matter what problem i have had at prime i have always been treated with respect. thats why when i chose to get out of my lease i decided to go over to company instead of switching companies altogether.i have always liked it here its not perfect but i dont think the grass is greener elsewhere.

 

So you were at Prime for 1 day of orientation, and all the sudden you know what kind of company Prime is?!?

Those of us who have been around for 2 or 3 days tend to think differently. Heck, those who have actually read a couple threads here would have known everything that you were surprised by.

I've been with Prime for 2 years now. Not only do I have no plans to go anywhere, but I feel like I'm treated very well and have quite a bit of loyalty and pride for who I work for.

You think Prime is over controlling? Now that's funny! I've found that Prime is willing to work with their drivers on just about anything as long as it's reasonable. Need an extra day at home? Ok. Missed your fuel stop and need to fuel somewhere else? Sure, how many gallons do you want? Already used your truck wash for the month, but your truck is disgusting from the recent snowstorm? Whatever, get it washed! Want to drive out of route? If it's reasonable, go ahead! Who cares? Thats just a fraction of what I've actually experienced. Did you experience any of that during your 1 day at Prime? Didn't think so.

As far as your conspiracy theories about the sleep study / CPAP machines, you are about to be in for a shocker. Many other companies are doing the exact same thing. Did it ever occur to you that DOT and FMCSA might be behind all of that? It's the same reason Prime is already on E-Logs. We're simply staying ahead of the curve.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an 1,800 mile run to drive. Good luck to you!