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

In reference to your comments on drugs and commerciakl driving... 100% Dittos IP... I'm glad to see someone telling it like it is.

 

Couple of different questions...
1. I' ve read the subject lines of threads related to Prime and have not found anything related to this question so here goes....
Has Prime Inc issued any statements to their company drivers regarding how the "Affordable" Health Care Act will affect the medical health insuarnce provided by Prime Inc?

During my previous 15 years as an OTR driver (1988 - 2003), I drove dry vans for some of the biggest outfits in the US (US Xpress, Crete, Interstate, Knight, Swift, Werner, and JB Hunt as well as some LTL work in TX, OK, and KS). I had a few months of reefer experience with Knight and a very short time of flatbed experience with Maverick. I'm not afraid of physical work but again I am not a "young" young man anymore. Now I am an "old" young man. I have not decided if I want to do Flatbed or Reefers. I live out west, and I remember hearing nightmarish stories about "the market" (Chicago?) and "Hunts Point" (New York?) and I don't really look forward to places like that if the "stories" I heard back then are anywhere near the truth.
I like running hard as often as I can.
So I guess I'm just fishing for some reccomendations... IE reefer vs flatbed
(BTW, I'm 5'4 and I'm not real stocky. A little overweight maybe but not stocky).

(The first time I tarped a load was in the middle of a rainstorm out in the desert between LA and Phx with a load of sheetrock. I got it done but it wasn't pretty.... and neither was I. I looked like Linus after a night wrestling with his security blanket. LOL)

I've got roughly 60 - 75 days left in Iraq (end of contract), then about 21 days in the US and Philippines. Planning to apply with Prime in December and hopefully start orientation with an AZ permit in Springfield the last week of January or the first wek of February. Getting itchy feet for sure.

 

The healthcare situation is in flux. The company side guys will be getting a new plan before December... we were with BCBS of MO, we're not sure where it's going yet. Management isn't either.

 

Mouse I m in prime oriantation now and we just had the class today on heath insuarance and this is how it goes: if your a company driver it will not affect you much more less I'll be the samething only for a few things I think like on your co pay but nothing mayor now if your a lease driver than prime can not provide you insuarance any more I think that goes on afdect on January of next year but what they have is a 3rd party company that wpuld refer you to diferent private insuarances and you pick out what's more convinient to ypu and your family 2: as far as flat bed and reefer well been here and talking to different drivers I got mix opinion on both some flat bed guys say that reefer gets a lot of lay over and things like that reefer driver say that flat bed don't get that much moles because they usually deliver to contruction companies and construction slow down from time to time also they say that flat bed it's more work blah blah blah ect... now it all depends on you personaly you could make good money on both if your a guy who don't like to do much go reefer if you a guy who likes to get down and dirty and stay active go flat bed personaly I'm x military so I don't care getting my hands dirty or been out on the rain, snow, heat, ect.... so I'm going flat bed BUT that's my personal preference but like I said I'm just a student here in oriantation so maybe one of this grwat guys with more expirience can give you more details and perhaps give me more info as well since I'm just starting out

 

Thanks 82nd... Yeah that's my position too for the most part. I'd kind of like the physical activity that comes with the flatbed but when I did do my short stint of flatbed with Maverick, I never got any sleep. It was driving most of the night to get to my destination, most of the morning getting unloaded, the hours arond lunch getting to my next pickup location, most of the afternoon getting loaded, and then driving most of the night again to get to my next destination. Most of the loads were around 400 miles and the only time I got any real sleep was on the weekends and then that's all I did. If I am able to get on with Prime (and I think I will), I'll probably go reefer to start out and see how that goes. I won't have too much of a problem going to undesireable locations such as NY, Detroit, and Chicago (and Canada) as long as it's not frequent. But I'm always ready for more info.... When I put my application in, I will probably start checking TTR more and look for a possible Instructor/Trainer. Hopefully, I can knock it out in about 8 weeks or less. We'll have to see how quick I can pick it back up again. (You know what they say about "old dogs")... LOL

 

I've chosen to go refer,then maybe switch to flatbeds later on..I'm highly considering getting hazmat endorsed also.

 

The flatbed guys really don't know what they're talking about. Yes, sometimes we do get live loads/unloads that take some time to happen. It's actually nice to slow down for a few to catch up on sleep, paperwork, getting in contact with your family, etc. There's really very little long-term waiting if your FM knows how to schedule things. If he doesn't there will be waiting on meat loads since the process at the packing plants are very involved with the FDA. You do need to be able to do overnight runs on the reefer side since so much of the pick up and delivery needs to be done before our customers get the product moved to the stores during the day. If you can't, then you'll have some downtime waiting for your sleep cycle and hours of service to sync up.

Hazmat endorsements... they don't transfer from one state to another. You will have to retake the tests when you transfer your CDL from Missouri back to your home state, so don't bother until you get done with training. DO have your fingerprints taken and the background check done when you get to Springfield for training so it's done when you go to get those endorsements. Texas is a special case (isn't it always?) so if you're from there, you'll have to get your fingerprinting and background checks done in Texas because they evidently aren't part of the same United States as the rest of the several states. DO get your TWIC card so you don't have to deal with escorts at the ports... its demeaning and time consuming to have to deal with that, and the fees charged for the escort service over time will add up to be much more than the fee for the card.

 

Yea boyy, just backed n dropped first load in colorado.....82nd wea you at? Did #### work out? Im going lease bro ima hustla...

 

Yeah?

Read the Lease thread. Pay attention to the part about newbs don't need no stinkin' truck lease. At least if they want to be successful at it.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/prime/182163-leasing-at-prime.html

 

Thats your opinion...im learning from a lease opp. Plus ive ran my own business. I dont go other peoples thoughts or opinion.