New to Prime INC - What to expect (Springfield edition)

The more i read about Prime i am more drawn to the company. I'm still studying for my permit and hopefullu I'll be ready by mid Sept.
Here is my question, on Primes website it say, " Diabetic: Sugar levels must be well controlled without insulin required". I'm not taking insulin, but does anyone know what the 'well controlled' number is? After reading all these posts about people getting sent home for one reason or another, i just dont want to fall into that statistic. Thanks in advance for all your replies...

 

They will check your A1c I imagine and I think I remember the doc telling me once that it really needed to be 8 or less but I don't remember for sure. This was for a DOT physical in general though, haven't went to Prime yet. You can hold a CDL even if you take insulin but it is a big PITA because you have to have it under strict control over certain period of time and get an exception for it. It can be the same story for high blood pressure too. I am not real sure on that A1c number but you should be able to google it as related to DOT requirements and get a good idea what it will have to be.

 

Was reading back a couple of pages and going to throw my 2 cents worth is and a couple of questions. As for get NE regional to start out as well as a larger truck...If you are willing to do flatbed then talk to your recruiter about going with flatbed and see if it is possible you will be thrown right into a regional position located around your home. Now you have to take this with a grain of salt because after my troubles last week I am having a real time trying to believe anything a recruiter says but I was told by choosing flatbed I will be in both the larger trucks and on a regional run from the beginning. I didn't ask about the regional thing or hometime, just the larger truck because one I want my wife or sons to have room to ride with me once in a while and two, because I wanted the ability to keep the more physical aspect of the job. He volunteered the fact that it would be regional and I would likely be home every seven to 14 days by doing this. I do suggest you read up on this forum about what it is like to be a skateboarder though before you commit to this line of driving. It isn't for everyone.


As for picking your trainer. From what I have read on here it is not possible to pick your trainer but I am pretty sure I read that a trainer can go through during simulator training and kind of meet and greet the trainees and pick who they would like to take on their truck, so maybe one of these other guys could comment on this and if so you might be able to talk to some of them and work out an arrangement with them. Again I am just going off what I read in this forum and the experts will have to comment on this one.

 

For flatbedding there is only the Texas Regional, that includes OK, if I remember correctly. Reefer has the NE regional only, no other regionals than that. Now keep in mind, just because you are regional, does not mean you won't pick up a load from time to time that takes you out of that regional area for delivery.

You are correct, you can't pick your trainer, unless you are married to that trainer and they wish to train you, then Prime allows that. Now that said, I know some trainers that will hang out at the Campus inn during the 1st week of a PSD week and look for a student, heck I have done that when I had the time (truck getting worked on). Keep in mind that while you are going through the PSD initiation phase at Campus Inn, there is also a trainer/PSD class going on there also, so it is possible to meet a trainer at that time. BUT do not count on it, as Prime does not want it's trainers "Cherry picking" trainee's. LOL

 

Thanx for the info

 

I just made an app to Prime schooling the other day. Anyone know how long it takes for them to contact you? I am currently attending Netts trucking school and I am almost done but getting a cdl in CT is very hard and Netts is a horrible school, I wasted my time/money there...

 

Not entirely a waste because it got you your CDL and if it is enough to get you hired by someone that reimburses the school cost then it got you a job and it won't have cost you anything if you stay with a company long enough to get all that reimbursement back. As for the training, being straight out of school is going to land you in a trainers truck with any company you go to work for so just read about the training process at all of the companies for which you apply and try to pick one where they don't run you and the trainer as a team at least for a while and you can likely learn more from that trainer and actually driving than you would have learned from any school anyhow.

 

Anyone here have any info on employee referral $$

 

You i to call them 2-3 days after you apply

 

If you haven't heard back from recruiting in a couple of weeks, call and find out what the status of your application is. If you can afford the time, the best thing to do is camp on hold until you get a person.