How long after getting hires can I expect a check, broke as a bloke

The company assigns you 3 tarps and you keep them with you on the truck. My advice is to start watching YouTube videos on tarping and flatbed load securement. You can get a head start. Don’t watch them for lifestyle advice.

Yes, Melton is a pretty good company for new drivers. You get good basics and you get assigned newer equipment. You won’t get rich in your first year but I earned $59k. I stayed 2 years and don’t regret it.

 

It is not fighting it, it is warning these people that this is dangerous and can be life altering.

On top of that many would like to see this as a profession and not just a job. When it comes a profession, then there is a little bit more of a possibility that we can stop being targets by the government and public and earn more respect.

 

I wouldn't call us targets. It only seems that way because of the regulations. We are held to a higher standard since we get paid to do this, but take away a few idiot truckers, then there wouldn't be as many regs and people wouldn't look at is as "targets."

 

I say do it. I don’t work there anymore and I’m happier with better paying and smaller company now. But they only hired me because I had 2 years with Melton. That’s the facts.

 

Sorry, I just wanted to chime in here. I will admit I did not read the full thread here....

I think it depends on how the company you hire with operates. The company I hired on with had my first direct deposit in the bank 10 days after my trainer picked my up from home. Others I looked into were weeks before you saw any cash flow. Best of luck to ya!

 

I'm currently on the tail end of TNT Training with Prime Inc. I've less than about 10k miles to go, before I upgrade.

Yes, Prime will pay for your one way bus ticket to which ever terminal you decide to go to, or selected to go to. Either Salt Lake city or Springfield, Mo.?

No cost there

They'll put you up, I the case of going to Springfield, at the Campus Inn. Upon arrival, you'll have to pay approximately $110 (?) This is your admission fee. Generally up in arrival you'll have to fill out another application package, similar to the one you filled out on line, except a little more detailed

The next working business day, you'll go through orientation with different individuals covering various topics. And then you'll process through

Drug screen
Medical screen
Agility Test
A one on one Back ground screen

The first one is self explanatory. It's a urine test. A two part . One with the test strip there on sight, and I SUSPECT the second is sent off to a lab for a Spectrograph Analyser test which tests in ppm (Parts per million)

Sooooooo, if you've any doubt, take a good 90 days to flush your system naturally.

During the 2nd day, you'll be given a meal card for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. $5,75 for breakfast , $7.25 for lunch and dinner. There's a cafeteria right there at the inn. The meals are adequate, but you'll have no worry about going off your diet. I always used the full amount l could and would take a piece of fruit back to the room with me, or a Ahab of chips or a candy bar? Coffee and iced tea is free throughout the day everyday in so long as the cafeteria is opened. (Ditto with the Millieum Building, once you've been "Carded " ~ that is to say you've passed your CDP, Commercial Driver's Permit, you'll go from having a plain white card ID badge with just your last name on it, to having a magnetic striped, Prime Student ID with la green stripe around it. Once you've got this you can go to the Millieum Building. More on that later.

You'll also have to have a face to face interview about your back ground information you've submitted and went over with your recruiter. DO NOT LIE NOR WITHOLD ANYTHING . IF you've any doubts? Go over it with your recruiter before you board the bus.

If you've any medical issues which might hinder your getting your medical card, get it cleared up BEFORE you get on the bus! (Vision, blood pressure, prescriptions, etc)

Ditto with legal issues.

You've got a no questions asked walk a way, with no contractual obligation, if you do so the first seven days. After that you sign a contract obligating yourself for approximately $4,000 Or to work for Prime for 1 year, (9 months if your a veteran and provide a copy of your DD214 ~ aka your discharge papers)

You'll go down town to the Springfield DMV to test for your Missouri CDP. Prime will give you a temp address paper work for doing so. Your expected to have studied for such BEFORE you arrive .

The test is (?) The permit itself is $66. You'll get it on the 2nd floor, do it while your there. Prime provides a shuttle bus there and back. BUT you can catch the city bus ($1.25 One way) Uber ($12)) One way or Taxi ($22 One way)

Along the way your expected to complete 32 or so CBT's (Computer Based Training) modules covering various topics.

At this time, $200 a week will be loaded on your Prime ID automatically which is also a ComData card, that you'll have to activate. The money is available around Wednesday after noon, sometimes Thursday, when you get "hired " you'll repay it in $25 weekly increments until paid off.

More to come..................

 

The $200 loaded automatically whether you use it or not. Some don't, sone do.

On the Medical side if you meet the criteria for sleep apnea, you'll have to take a sleep study upstairs at some point. IF you fail, you ll have to go on a CPAP mask which will be deducted from your net pay moved hired.

You'll then go out with a PSD trainer 2 -3 weeks. This is to prep you for your final part of getting your CDL's. But it's also an evaluation

It's important you understand that your being evaluated from the time you enter the the program until you complete TNT training and upgrade to your own TRUCK.

Once you come back from PSD you'll practice backing up, then test out, where you'll be evaluated on

The 108 ~ 9 item Pre Trip Inspection

Backing up

Left or Right hand off set
Left or Right hand parallel
Alley dock

Road Test


If you "Trifecta" pass all three you'll be paid $125 (?) bonus if you do so your first time.

Then you'll go back down to the Missouri DMV to get your CDL'S (Side note ~ Your current license will be punched with a hole punch with the words VOID once you get you get your CDP's)

Once you've got your CDL'S you'll go out with a TNT trainer which may or may not be the same trainer as you had for PSD.

At this point you'll be paid. 12 cents per mile up to 2,000 miles and 14 cents per mile for anything OVER 2000 OR a minimum of $700 a week gross. This is for 30,0000 miles (unless there's a safety incident or other REASONS that may arise during TNT training in which case you could have tagged another 10,000 miles tacked on

Durning this period Prime will deduct the $25 a week for the $200 weekly advances you received durning TNT training as well as any taxes and payroll deductions. Durning this period you'll also be given 90 days to sign up for medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D insurance

 

There are trainers that only do PSD, and others that only do TNT, and some that do both. Sone are company drivers, most are lease operator's for the most part.

Prime tries to match you up. Non smokers with non smokers, women with women. The more "picker" you are? The longer you're going to wait to be assigned a trainer? Potentially you could end up being trained at Prime in Springfield.