after 9 years back to trucking.. going prime

Understandable.
What's your location.
Is your MVR clean?
Anything on your criminal record? (I'm guessing not but will effect suggestions for companies)
Any health issues?
Or anything else you could think of that may effect a job application?

I am going to tag @Chinatown and he will be along with a list of companies that you may be interested in.

 

What part of TN @Chinatown and my self both are from there I grew up near goodlettsville TN. There are alot of trucking jobs in the TN area especially if your near Nashville or Memphis.
Also are you set on OTR? You may be able to get a better gig that is local or regional if your near Nashville or Memphis

 

If you want reefers, why sign up for flatbed?
R.E. West in Lebanon is looking for flatbed drivers and has their own cdl school with no contract to sign.

R.E. West truck photos.

Prime also has flatbed division:

 

Buddy that passed was on the intervention team, himself. Told me enough stories over the years. No thanks, buddy.....LOL! By the way, he died from cardiac arrest while responding to an officer down alarm while at work.

Getting your license on own, if able, will negate that term obligation to whatever company you might go to. There are grants & aid available in every state to help pay for this, with more programs being established all the time. Several companies will also reimburse you for this, although with similar obligations. Community colleges a very good option with usually universally accepted standards & training for the money.

But, sounds like you might actually want to go for longer training. Not a bad thing at all, long as you are prepared for that & the obligation it comes with.

Prime, indeed, does have a much longer training period than most all others. We have many great long time instructors & trainers, but we also have a lot of "new" relatively inexperienced trainers, too. Never could agree with allowing someone to start training at only 90 days. Something you should be aware of, though I believe much better than many "others" I am familiar with. They DO make sure their trainers have met both performance & safety standards in time period before being certified.

Guarenteed pay while in training is superior, and if you get w/a good trainer that runs well... can get that overage for running over base miles per week most of the time. With the most promising go getter students I had in past, would run far in excess pretty much every week. Some other students, not so much. LOL

In my experience, was a great life changing experience coming here 4/5yrs ago. There is not much I can say bad at all. The fact that I am still here & didn't run off to another place should speak volumes. Some of my former students stuck here after their year, even had a few become instructors and/or trainers when they said they would never consider. (Good feeling to see that giving back carry on....).

But, have seen others on occasion have bad experience. Some made it, some did not. Can actually point you to one or two here on the forum that had bad experiences, but still pulled through & survived.

I always have had the belief that, no matter where you start, it is going to be what you personally make it. Has held true to this day.

 

@Chinatown on the ball, yet again, while I was posting.

Always a wellsource for many options to check out & consider. Been around the block once or thrice. (He drove back when we still had SQUARE wheels.....!)

 

Closer to 33,000 now.

 

Their insurance isn't the best, isn't the worst.

I'm single & on the highest plan they have. Dental & vision added. ( I'm getting old & vision has sucked since I was a kid.)

$31.45/wk.

Do not know what family rates are, as do not have to deal with that.

I also have a couple additional catastrophic add ons to that.

Wish you the best coming on if you go through w/it.

You got that license straightened out, so you aren't looking at that long term obligation as a newbie.

But, has been awhile. My bet is your going to have to do full TNT (no PSD) of 30,000mi, just because of length of time since driving last. Normal would be 40,000mi WITH PSD licensing.

Shouldn't have to do PSD licensing, as you have that. BUT..... it has been over 10yrs since you have been out here. So, don't be surprised if they want you to run the full gamut.

Even if so, limits for licensing portion have changed over last year or so. We used to take them out for at least 75hrs.
That has since changed to minimum of 2wks from the time they obtained their permits.

When they test out & get their license (PSD), they are considered credited w/10,000mi towards next stage of 30,000mi (TNT).

You are already licensed, so should hop right to that 30,000mi, you would think.

All time record I could get most aggressive student through start to finish ( licensing & TNT), that also had B experience 10+ yrs previous, was right at 2 1/2 months. This was also being confident of his skills & ability, otherwise would not have signed off on him. He was on the old rules (75hr requirement & longer, closer to that 10,000 they credit now), and we had to go back out for a short run to OKC from SpringMo & back
because I supossedly brought him in too early. (Prime & myself did not match on where we were at). Still made record time w/him, even with that delay. Know what pissed us both off......? Rules changed exactly while we did that additional run! Talk about pissed! Cost him two days on testing out. It is what it is, eh......? LOL


Ran 5,000-6,000 mi per week while he was with me. Not a typical scenario at all, but gives you an idea of what can be done if both can run. He was, indeed, over miles required when we came in, but just due to runs to get him back.

He had personal business situations he needed to get back to, quick. He was able to show me ability enough to make it happen, with confidence in him.

Though he said he would absolutely not ride w/anyone else, ever... became one of our best PSD instructors. Even specialized on taking up the hardest case situations that everyone gave up on. Giving them one last chance, in case previous instruction had failed. Best feeling in the world, seeing a former student trying to pay ME back by paying it forward & change some more lives.

If you are coming in beginning of Jan, we should hook up & meet. Bringing in my buddy's truck after the new year to get body work done from somebody else "customizing ", and ordering my own new truck from dealer.

Though I am finally done w/training, (Been saying that for at least last two years...LOL), might be able to at least give you a bit of help & advise coming in here.

Peace to you, bud.

Wishing you the absolute best.