In the Prime Light

Does Prime require a refresher after being out for awhile?

 

I'm pretty sure all the larger companies will require a refresher course.

 

This BMI thing is just another revenue generator for Prime they are setting up their own testing facility and will be selling the drivers the CPAP, a typical CPAP sells for about $600-$750 and the sleep test is about $750 they will do it for you for around $2,000 and take payments from your check weekly so their going to make money doing them, they already own the hotel where they will be doing them. Prime doesn't do anything that won't generate revenue in one way or another. It is now required for ALL Prime drivers once they get their physical renewed if their overweight they have to come in for the test. Like 50% of Prime's drivers don't have health insurance so they will have to pay out of pocket or pick up Prime's insurance at $175.00 a week.

 

Do you have any proof of this claim? You say this is just "another revenue generator" for Prime. I've heard that New Prime Inc. is a "for profit" business rather than a "charity for Vulcan1999" so that would imply that they need to generate some revenue to produce said profit.

I can certainly understand why they would purchase an old motel to support their business operations - with all of the orientation and upgrade classes, people passing through on maintenance issues and getting new trucks, it makes sense for them to try to minimize their costs as much as possible. In case you missed Biz101, you have to minimize costs in order to have some gross revenue left over for the net profit line.

Well, DUH! I suppose that they're supposed to give a free Cascadia to the recipient of every load over 1000 miles??!!

Hmmm... last time I checked my settlement statements, I paid nowhere near that kind of money for my medical benefits. And, by the way, where do you get that figure of 50% of Prime drivers are uninsured? Are you sure you drive for Prime, or are you just pulling our collective leg here?

The last time I had my DOT physical - last August - it was done at the clinic mandated by Prime, a Concentra Clinic, not the company clinic at one of the terminals. In fact, I know of no one who has had a DOT physical done by the company doctor, except during orientation. Concentra is a third party operation not connected with Prime. In addition, all costs associated with said physical were picked up by Prime, that is to say I paid nothing for my DOT physical.

I'm sure that if I allowed myself to be in such crappy shape that I had to have a sleep apnea test performed, that the costs would be covered by Prime. The fact that they are now requiring these tests is more a testiment to the nonsensical and unnecessary requirements being levied industry-wide rather than to Prime's need to levy unnecessary costs on anyone. The fact that they are pursuing this I think is more in line with preventative legal business practice (headin' off the pack of litiginous lawyers at the pass) rather than any attempt to shore up company profits at the expense of drivers, $600 to $750 at a whack. Hmmm, can you buy a lot of Cascadia for $750? I hadn't heard that deflation was a priority at the Fed yet...

 

Dude or U2,

I'm off to Springfield this sunday from NYC and I was wondering:

is there a safe-keeping area at the inn or in your room for a laptop? I get my bearings on the internet at the end of the day.

Also, after getting your CDL do you go home or straight to work? This last one concerns my girlfriend more than myself - you know, they get used to having you around. How's the food?

One more thing, is a hazmat endorsement required or even useful?

Many Thanks!

 

I dont know of any "property room" at the hotel... more than likely you will have a roomate... only thing I know you can do for sure is pay extra and get your own room... I feel secure enough to leave my laptop in the room when I stay there by myself (I put up a do not disturb housekeeping stays out)

They tell you to expect to be gone 6 to 8 weeks initially. This equates to about 4-5 weeks for the days at Springfield and your CDL instruction on the road with your intructor and an additional 2-3 weeks after the test to get familiar with your trainer.

Food is excellent and there are quite a few choices. Hazmat can be helpful in getting loads, but you will have to wait until you transfer your liscense to your home state. Hazmat endorsements dont transfer between states

 

That will certainly be a change! Er... swapping NYC for rural MO!

I never had a problem with anything missing from my room. Put your laptop in a drawer underneath some clothes and it should be ok. The staff at the Campus Inn are Prime employees, and considering employment outside of trucking in Springfield, they probably won't want to risk loosing a job over a theft.

You can take some hometime after the CDL course, I believe. Best thing to do would be to call your recruiter tomorrow, and ask the question. Most drivers want to get their training started and done. Taking home time during training risks changing trainers, lengthening the time you spend in training, etc. Talk with your GF and see if she can deal with about a 3 month separation. It's usually the easiest to take hometime after you get through training, and are assigned to your own truck. They try to get you a load going through your home in order for you to get your personal situation squared away on the truck.

Its good. They have a cafeteria at the Campus Inn where you take classes, get your physical, etc. Breakfast and lunch are there - they will have a couple of things to choose from for a hot meal, plus cold items. If you're diabetic there's enough choice that your blood sugar won't go ballistic. Dinner is over at the main building. Northstar Grille food is really good. If you have enough cash with you to afford something outside of the meal card choices, the steaks are the bomb. Oh yeah... each meal has a set cost - your choices determine if there is anything extra you need to pay for a meal - generally its under a dollar if you go over the fixed cost. There's a couple of C-stores within a short walk of the Campus Inn, and the bank next door has a 24-hour ATM; there's a ATM at the Millenium Bldg too.

Yes and yes. Prime wants everyone on the company side to be hazmat endorsed, have a TWIC card and a passport. We haul a lot of stuff that is on the Feds list of hazardous material, although we don't pull anything really nasty - so far that's against company policy. Just ran a load of photographic materials/chemicals from Jersey down to GA and FL last week. It allows you to pull more loads, especially from areas that are slow. Where I was at after going empty, I'd have probably sat most of the day waiting for a load - got it right after going empty because of my hazmat endorsement. On the lease side, some of the best paying loads are hazmat.

The TWIC credential is the government secure ID for entering port facilities. We pull loads out of secured ports, and you have to have one. Its $132.50 to you, although if you get it at the same time as your hazmat endorsement, they'll cut something like $28 off of the cost because of duplications in the background check. That's something that they'll advance you some money for and take it out of your check in small chunks. Homeland security has an office in the Millenium Bldg so it's easy to get in Springfield.

Finally, they want us available to pull loads into Canada. That will require a passport starting this summer. $95 for the familiar book form, or $65 for the card. Same deal on the fee as the TWIC card. You can get the forms at any post office.

No problem! Good luck with your training and career!

 

Thanks for the reply- kinda expected that. Since Prime has a school, do they provide a refresher course, or how does it work?

 

Well..so far we are unanimous on the food and the hazmat.

I can leave the computer at home if it becomes a drag. You know, I can always read a good book- they still have those right?

Anyway, this is all excellent information. Thank you U2, IronPony.

When we say: "get a MO CDL" we're really saying turn in my NY license altogether and maybe in the future convert it back into a NY CDL if I want to work for a NY-based company?

Many Thanks Again.

 

When you get your CDL thru Prime it will be Missouri (MO) and you will have used a temporary address to get it (the hotel). You will need to switch your CDL over to your home state. Most states say 30-90 days.

It took me 7 months before I finally got mine transferd (I was being lazy). The lady at the WA DMV suggested I may have to re-take portions of the test because I waited so long. I pulled out my test result sheets issued by MO, and she said they were very helpfull in me avoiding any re-test.

BTW it doesnt look good having a motel address on your CDL anyway.