New to Prime INC - What to expect (Springfield edition)

I am scheduled to start on 3/5/2013 and was thinking about doing a Vlog on my Youtube channel in regards to my experience.

 

So I arrived in Springfield, Missouri on 2/11/13... New life.. New Career... Arrived Monday night @ 11:30pm... Class started Tuesday 2/12/13 @ 7am... Make sure you get the gold packet when you check in and try to fill it in that day... You will have time to fill it in Tuesday morning, but if you can get ahead, do it !! Didnt know what to expect... First night was the hardest.. No roommate that night... Along ways from home....
tuesday morning went quick... Paper work, drug test, physicals & interviews... Please dont try & cheat the drug test... They will find out.... Had a guy try to use fake piss....he was escourted off Prime property with his trashbags of clothes... Dont try it!! You will slow down the process for everyone.... Make sure you are always prepared for class & be on TIME 10 minutes early !!! The week will fly by !!!
TIP** go to the Millinium building for food !! Trust me !!
Pass your CDL permit the 1st time around so you do not have to deal with the stress of trying to pass it again.... Make sure you bring your state birth certificate with ur DL !! DO NOT pack important paperwork in a suitecase... Pack these in your carry on and do not lose (we had a guy pack his important paperwork in his suitecase & Greyhound lost his suitecase for 2days... Instead of having multiple times to take the test, he only had 2 times to pass it... He did not pass and was sent home). Once Friday is there, you will meet your instructor and talk and train... Depending on when your trainer has a load will decide on when yall will leave Missouri & be on ur way.... I struck out and have a great flatbed trainer !! Really awesome guy and very smart !! DO NOT BE NERVOUS when you drive... Ur instructor is there to help you and teach you.... Listen to him & trust him... Talk to him & ask question...
The people who apply themself and study and pass and put their 100% into this will do just fine... The people who ##### off & dont study or dont take it seriously will weed themself out.... Either swim or drown... Make sure all your CBT is done by thursday night (you will learn what CBT is) if it is not done, you will delAy yourselfon the leaving time... Watch the videos & take each test !! There is a lot of information to retain throughout the week, so keep up, keep notes, be 10 min early to class & pay attn to Terri when she talks... She comes off kinda mean, but she needs to be that way... Trust me, you will understand... She is a nice person, but dont mistake that for you to act up with her or in class...


I cannot stress how important it is to pass ur CDL permit & complete ur work on time.... It will all pay off when you leave on ur trip with ur instructor... Pack light... Light as in 5-6 pairs of pants, 10 shirts, 10 underwear & socks.... Fold tight... Bring a sleeping bag & pillow, and items to keep clean.... All ur stuff will fit in a normal size duffle bag... I keep everything nice & neat on the top bunk... Be organized & clean...this is your instructors house... Take off shoes when u get on the truck... No smelly feet...
have fun, but learn & be safe !! I will post more as the days come.... I drove almost 8 hours in the past 2 days... Its a big change from driving a car & shifting on a car.... Not knowing how to shift is the best way to come here.
2/17/13

 

Can anyone tell me is prime has the navigation option available via their Qualcomm system

 

Not yet. They evaluated it a couple of years ago (and may have again for all I know,) and decided that it didn't work well enough to spend the money on it. Better learn how to read a map grasshopper!

 

No worries there was just curious if they were still using the older version of Qualcomm I worked for cr England I leraned real fast how to read a map because my trainer was sooo preoccupied with all his sleeping and not teaching me how to trip plan all he ever told me was where we were heading

 

That's the throw 'em in the deep end with the chummed water 'n sharks method!

 

Lol that's for sure then I went in to all shippers and receivers with the deer in the headlights look. Hence why I'm now in the market for a better company

 

LOL, WRONG.

We have it and have had it for the last 3 weeks, I think it is now, Maybe 4 weeks. It is only installed on the MCP2000's (I think that is the name) models of the QC.
Thats us company drivers have it. When u get your fuel routing it loads into the nav system also, to include all fuel stops. Pretty slick. I have been comparing it to my Garmin, and its not bad.

 

Lol why thanks for the info friend maybe I'll see you around I'm looking into prime but I'm also looking into Werner and western express any info would be awsome

 

I have a question in regards to fuel costs as a company driver. who pays for the fuel?