Prime: Orientation and Training?

TruckerMike, LOL, I appreciate your honesty! I probably should just call a recruiter. I had planned to go with Swift several months ago, but I ended up not going to orientation 2 separate times (long story). I tried to get hold of my recruiter recently and she does not answer the phone or return my calls. Don't know if she is on lay-off or just not interested in talking to me. I guess maybe things happen for a reason.

I filled out an online application with Prime a few days ago, and I was going to call a recruiter, but as luck would have it, I ran out of prepaid minutes on my cell phone. So now I will be phoneless for a few more days until I can afford to buy more minutes. Prime sounds interesting so I intend to follow up. Thanks again for your reply and good luck out there!

 

A bit of advice: Due to the volume of calls (which I understand is even worse these days) you may be on hold for quite awhile... lets say 45 minutes. The recruiters have been and are even more so now - swamped. Leaving a voicemail probably won't get your question answered, so that puts you on hold for as long as it takes. Find a landline, and don't use prepaid minutes. Your gonna run out!

 

Thanks Ironpony!

 

TruckerMike... some advice, and this depend on how you want to get your home time.

I took my upgrade test and held off getting my truck until after I took my hometime. I got through all my training before I took hometime and they were very understanding about letting me take some time off.

They didnt tell me this but they didnt expect me back to work for at least 2 weeks. They told me to call ahead and make sure I was good to go before coming back. I took 10 days.

If you pick up your truck first and then go home, you may feel the pressure to get on the road earlier than you expect... If you are going company, and I would hope they wouldnt do this to you, but they may throw the 4 day at home rule at you.

The dis-advantage: is getting to and from home. I rented a car home and drove my car back. Ive met some guys who caught a ride with another driver who had a load headed that way.

You could even hold off your upgrade until after your break.. that way your trainer could drop you off at home.. then make your own way back or hitching a ride with another Prime driver passing through your area.

 

Sure is funny, i have worked for 3 differant MAJOR trucking companys, and not ONE OF THEM has told me i need to get finger printed.

The only time i have had to have finger prints on file was to get my hazmat, (thats a fed law, not company policy)and in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, because i was inside the secured area , in order to perform my job.

 

I stand corrected... You will be fingerprinted at Prime... that is a fact.

 

Well, that's a change! I don't recall that happening when I went through orientation. Of course it's not a big deal either - there are a lot of different jobs that require you go down to the local police station for a fingerprint card before they'll hire you.

You're going to get a digital fingerprint recorded when you get a TWIC card, as well as an electronic copy of all ten...

 

Then do you know if you can go ahead and apply for hazmat, that would save some time.

 

They took all ten of mine for the Twic.

They took all ten of mine for the Hazmat.

 

From what we learned you could save a few dollars (keyword few) by having your Hazmat done before the TWIC because TWIC could reference the Hazmat prints, but not vice versa. Which stinks because he decided to go and do his TWIC and wasn't going to renew his Hazmat, so we paid full price for that, then he decided to go ahead and renew the Hazmat...soooo yeah, anyway, check with where you're getting your TWIC, you may be able to save a few dollars.