Prime Recruiter Says One Thing / TruckersReport Members Says Another?

If you need a sleep study they do it there $150. If you need a Cpap they will give you 1 there and deduct it in increments from your paycheck. If your BMI is that high then you have more things to worry about then a sleep study and I would be surprised if you could even pass the physical. So you probably wont have to worry about the sleep study because you will probably be sent home before that. Your recruiter is probably thinking the same thing and figures you should save yourself the frustration of being sent home from orientation and go get the physical and tests done before you go that way if you fail you wouldnt of have gone all the way there and wasted everyones time.

 

I believe you're asking questions about a specific company and their policy. I have never seen where 'EVERYONE" has stated the same answer to a question. You've got to remember that recruiters are there for the company and not you. Their goal is to get students into school and on to a job. Check around and don't get locked into one company. This is where your research pays off if you do it right.

 

I may have missed it but what is your BMI? Anything over 30 is considered obese. If you don't know, all you have to do is type in BMI on google and the calculator will come up. Input you weight and height and you will have your number in seconds. Good luck.

 

How about you just steer clear of Prime all together as they are one of the worst companies out there to work for. Their pay is terrible, their insurance is not worth even looking at and they will push and push you to lease a truck from them.

Look into Schneider as I know they pay for the test and the CPAP machine.

 

Im sorry I re-read your original post. I thought you said your BMI was 39+ if you are in good health and not obese then you have nothing to worry about.

Prime starts 1st year drivers at .36cpm not to shabby. Their insurance premium comes down after you have been with them for 1 year, but yes its kind of expensive. Pretty much like everywhere in America! Big problem in this country! They do not push leases on people, if you dont want it they dont hassle you about it.

 

Alrighty then. It depends on the division you are in as to what your starting pay is. And the size of your truck. Lightweights get an instant 5cpm raise.
UP TO 80,000k miles, Reefer pays 33cpm, 8 of which is per diem pay. At 80k miles you get 34cpm + the ltwt bonus if that's what you are driving.

Insurance: After going 7 years w/o insurance? Yeah, the premiums are in line with what we paid when JCW was working at Firestone, even with inflation. And yes, after a year there is a significant drop.

Lease: Nope, not pushed. Mentioned, sure. Both of JCWs trainers were L/O. With those two trainers, he was able to see two different ways of doing business. One, was more successful, by all accounts. The other, he's living check to check. Both mentioned that WHEN JCW was/is ready, he could make a pretty good go of it. I did get to read over the 2nd trainer's first lease. AND, you can go by the leasing office and request a blank copy of the lease for your legal representative to go over.

As for weight/BMI/Sleep Apnea. 1. If you are overweight, you can begin the work NOW to start lowering your BMI. In less than a year (which included a wreck that trashed my back for 4 months) I have dropped my own from 42.6 to 36.8. Now, I'm NOT sure what the current state of my BMI is, but if my clothes are any indication, well, it's less than 36.8 now. The diet (and by this I mean the general composition of what you eat, and how the protein/fat/carb percentages relate, NOT an artificial lowering of caloric intake for a short amount of time) you can eat and lose weight is different for everyone. Some people swear by low-carb. Others by low-fat. Drastically lowering either one is counter-productive. Drastically lowering your caloric intake is a recipe for disaster. You send your body into starvation mode, and the second you start eating more calories, they get stored. As fat. A balanced diet, with a small caloric deficit from your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories required to sustain your current body weight at it's current activity level) is the best way (in my opinion) to approach this lifestyle change. That being said, (and if you want information, PM me) it's not just what you eat, but are you eating ENOUGH.

2. The decision to test for Sleep Apnea is based on several factors including your BMI, your neck size and other indications on your health form. Frankly folks, if you have Sleep Apnea, the BEST thing you can do for yourselves is get that CPAP. Sleep Apnea, by definition, is the cessation of breathing more than a certain number of times over the course of a defined period of time. Folks: YOU STOP BREATHING. MANY TIMES. That damages your entire body. The machine, while a challenge to get used to, will improve your sleep dramatically. You will be more rested with less sleep because your body will continue to get the oxygen it needs all night. Yes, they take the cost of the test, and the machine if prescribed, out of your check in increments over a period of time. By all accounts, unless you currently have very good insurance, the cost through Prime is MUCH cheaper than self pay.

3. My BMI rant. You can be 6'2" and 250 lbs of solid muscle, and the BMI index says you are obese. BMI does NOT take into account your muscle mass to fat ratio. You CAN be 5'3 and fluffy at 120lbs, or 5'3 and hard body at 120lbs. Trust me, I know. Now, I'm plenty fluffy still, but a lot LESS fluffy than I was. For every 10% of your body weight that you lose, you decrease your chances of diabetes, heart trouble, stroke and a whole host of other issues. If you are a hard body, does that mean your risks are nil? Hell no. Genetics plays a factor, as does the rest of your lifestyle.

I've seen some fat truckers. I've seen some skinny truckers. Hell, I'm married to one of the skinniest bastidges on the planet. If you want to be healthy on the road, you can be. It takes a commitment, and a little pre-planning.

I think I should get off my soapbox now.

 

@Dragon, I agree on the BMI it does not take into account the muscle mass. I'm a big guy, but have been a lifter for many years and my BMI says I am morbidly obese my health and doctor says I am one of the healthiest people around. I think the BMI was a tool originaly for trainers and not supposed to be used for medical treatment/diagnoses... just my two cents