ask your questions about prime inc here

I don't remember my first exam, but all subsequent exams involve a stoplight looking sign with the colors out of order and they ask you to either go top to bottom or bottom to top. It's green yellow red, but not in the order you expect.

Only reason I mention not remembering the first exam is that maybe there is a higher standard that first exam, and once you pass you are given the simple 3 color stoplight chart.

i certainly have done the duck walk and a few other mobility tests each year, though I haven't had to do the weight lifting test since the first time.

no one would know if you could memorize the order of the colors... Like all the Army helicopter pilots that memorize the vision chart. They got to have pretty close to 20/20 that first "candidate" exam. After that they all put their glasses back on.

 

Well, I got a form letter back from Gracie (my recruiter) saying my application to Prime had been denied. I know the recruiters are swamped but I replied to her email (it looked like it was from her personal email address at Prime) and asked her what it was that got me shot down and if I was eligible to re-apply. I wasn't really expecting an answer and I didn't get one.

So I'll ask here: is it worth my while to re-apply and if so, how long should I wait? As I don't really know what it was that got my application denied (when I talked to Gracie on the phone, she seemed to think that everything on my application looked good to go), I'm wondering if I should pursue a career with Prime, or look elsewhere. I really wanted to go with Prime, because of their training program. I know some new drivers complain because of its length, etc but that and the fact that Prime has a tanker division (what I eventually want to get into) was what attracted me to Prime in the first place. I figured learning the ins and outs of professional driving in a real world scenario and having a mentor/trainer for an extended period of time would really prepare me for solo driving.

 

Received word today that Prime needs one more piece of paper from the IRS..and then I will be going to SaltLakeCity. A little help here plz? Any place on the forum here with words of wisdom about SLC? Loads of info about Springfield. Thanks everyone.

 

Most of us don't know the entire process at SLC (or for that matter at Pittston) since we didn't start there- including me. Over time I've run across a number of folks going through orientation at SLC, here's what I've gathered. First, there's no student facility at SLC (or Pittston) so you'll be put up at a local motel at Prime's expense. They'll send someone over to pick you up in the morning, and drop you off in the evening. Meals are paid for... not sure how that works; most likely they'll just take you somewhere, and Prime will pay the bill. I'll bet it's continental breakfast at the motel, and order out pizza for lunch at the terminal though.

Classes are the same as at Springfield. Only folks holding a CDL go through orientation at these locations, so it's the usual company policy stuff, a hazmat class, maintenance class, medical forms, apps, etc. I'll bet the company physical is done off site at a Concentra clinic. As long as there are no further questions about your background, or medical problems it's a 3-day process. You get your fuel card/ID, and its off to a trainer's truck or you get to jump in your own truck as the case may be.

 

I orientated through SLC. When you get in on the greyhound, you call the Baymont Inn & Suites and their shuttle driver picks you up. The next morning you get continental breakfast then the shuttle driver will take you to the terminal. Mary runs orientation there. Around 1030-1100 she passes around a sign up sheet and a menu for Totems. Pretty decent food just right around the corner from the terminal. It's at Prime's dime and they deliver it. Same goes for dinner. They'll deliver it right before the shuttle takes you back to the hotel.

A CNA/PCT and Dr from concentra come in on Monday to do the physicals. Then it's just CBT's and policy classes for either company or lease.

 

They've changed it a little bit from a few years ago I guess... but it sounds about the same!

 

I don't thing about going to prime.I only have my c_d_l permit in the training looks very well put together I was just wondering after the 1 year can I lease a truck through themor possibly buy a used truck I have 25'000 dollars saved up and I would really like to come in owner operator I alsoI have a mechanical backgroundso small break down on my raid would not be too much of a problem for me also I would be able to take care of small maintenance of the truck also. Any information advice would be greatly appreciate thanks .

 

Sorry speech to text on my phone

 

hey information or opinions on the lease to own option for a new driver can you also buy a used tractor from prime

 

My advice to all new drivers is forget about it for a couple of years at least. First, you need to learn about trucking... driving, routing, diesel mechanics, how the freight cycle works, enough business administration to have a clue about running your business. Oh yeah, did I mention? Leasing a truck, lease/purchase or owning a truck means you are running a business. It's not employment on steroids. The margins in this business are razor-thin, so you just have to know what you're doing before jumping in the deep end. Do yourself (and it looks like your family) a favor and do the hard work first.

Second, you absolutely must have enough cash in the bank to make it work. That means two or three months worth of expenses... your personal expenses and what it takes to run your business. What if you have a string of bad luck? A couple of short weeks followed by one that moves most of the revenue into the next settlement because of the delivery dates? Throw a breakdown on top of it, and you can be in the hole so deeply that you can't get out. What about that kid in the picture? She has to eat, but in order for that to happen, you have to pay the bills on the truck first. See what I mean?

Prime will let you lease a truck right out of the gate. The industry overall has 9 out of 10 FAILING... most of that in the first year, and it's 4 out of 5 at Prime. You have about a 1 in 5 chance at being successful. That isn't very good, unless you can lean the odds in your direction. That's why you must buckle down and learn to drive the truck economically first, and get the prerequisite education required of a business owner in the trucking industry. It's also why you have to have enough capital set aside to feed the monster... your truck. Prime won't even let you into a lease-purchase agreement on a truck until you have completed a lease, and there is a $13,000 down-payment you have to make in cash.

Think this through completely. It may sound like you can make a million bucks driving a truck... but it only sounds like that. Many of our company drivers make quite a good living... $50,000 before taxes is nothing to sneeze at.

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