Profile For Jason J.

Thank you. I know I’m still in the recruiter phase and they’ll say anything, but getting a few yes’s does feel good. If KEIM TS is sincere I think that’s where I’ll end up but does anyone have any experience or knowledge on the Walmart reefer division of SWIFT right now? Is Walmart contracting some of it out now or something?

Well, I guess my panic was a little premature. I got two offers today and I think for a new driver they’re pretty solid offers.

Fantastic! That's great to hear.

Persistence could be the most important trait in successful people. You can't keep a person down who just won't quit.

Good for you, man!

Well, I guess my panic was a little premature. I got two offers today and I think for a new driver they’re pretty solid offers.

Melton is on my radar as well as they are out of Tulsa which is only a couple hours away

Have you considered Melton? I guarantee you Swift or Knight would be happy to have you on there flatbed division too. You might have to go through retraining since you have been out of a truck for more then a year. Plenty of carriers are still looking for drivers you just can't afford to be as picky right now as the freight market is crap and alot of carriers are either laying off drivers and downsizing trucks or closing doors completely.

Thank you all for the responses. If it's not standard in the industry to have a year exp after a termination then that does give me hope for sure. I'll open my search and just start app bombing around.

I quit my government job and went OTR with TMC. Overall I had a good experience but ultimately after 6 months I had to park the truck to help at home with my two autistic grandsons. I tried to turn in my notice but they talked me into making it a 30 day LOA while they find me a dedicated route that could get me home more. Ultimately they couldn't find one and I couldn't go back OTR at the time. Fast forward a year back at my gov job and nothing has changed here except the family had a big falling out and the grandkids are no longer in the picture. I'm trying to go back OTR flatbed but TMC won't look at me again and now Maverick won't either until I have a year OTR with a company after my termination. I can kind of see where they're coming from because in the end it's a numbers game with the mega carriers but the fact that while I was driving I had zero load claims, zero incidents, zero HOS violations and they still won't even look isn't filling me with much hope that I can find a carrier in this limbo zone I think I've put myself in. Am I screwed? Does anyone know a company off hand that would give me a shot?

Well Prime said they were going to wait to turn my application in internally because they have a 30 day limit on submission to orientation before they have to resubmit everything. Maverick said they'd hear something back on the 13th. TCM has accepted my application and offered me a position pending acquiring my permit. So it looks like it's between Prime and TMC. Both have their perks. I like Prime because I could switch divisions and still stay in the same company plus I like their facilities. TMC seems a little more, for lack of a better word, human. Less likely to just be another driver number and a little more focused on the home time when I want it. Decisions, decisions. First things first though, got to hit the books and schedule those writtens.

Great response!! Thank you Rob. I’ve been reading through your other posts and went ahead and finished my application with Prime. It’s not the only iron in the fire but I’m definitely liking what I’m hearing. Keep up the good work!

Jason asks:

Anyhow, what kind of equipment do the Prime flatbed company drivers run? Have you published your experiences on here anywhere? Did you go into it wanting flatbed work and look at all the dedicated flatbed carriers before choosing Prime?

As far as equipment, you run 48', spread axle, 53' movable axle, and 53' movable axle step deck trailers. Your primary securement equipment is 4" inch nylon straps that hook on one side of the trailer, over the load, then into a winch on the other side of the trailer. You will use chains to secure cargo such as steel coils, skid steers (Bobcats and Caterpillar), and structural steel. For chains, you use snap binders and ratchet binders instead of winches. It's just like it sounds. They load cargo on a flat trailer and you need to secure it so it 1) doesn't come off and become a road hazard or 2) doesn't kill YOU.

As far as cargo, pipe (pvc and steel), sheetrock, lumber, steel and aluminum coils, steel plate, coiled steel wire, electrical cable trays, equipment (skid steers, caterpillar tracks, large caterpillar engines and generators), electrical boxes, large AC units, building materials (NCI, MBCI, and Cornerstone), onions, bass boats, etc. One of my loads of red aluminum coils was delivered to the AB container division that they would turn into red beer cans.

I went into flatbed because there is not the waiting times you have for other types of cargo. In fact, it's the opposite. There is definitely more hurry up than waiting in flatbed. For example, the red aluminum coil load, when I called about their shipping and receiving times, when he thought I was a van driver, he said that I would need to stick to my original appointment time. When I told him I was delivering aluminum coils, his response was "you got red tap? You can come anytime, but we prefer daylight hours." Plus, flatbed freight volume is higher across the board than other types of freight. My average wait time for a new load is like 5 minutes.

I did look at TMC and Maverick, but chose Prime because of the reputation and the other types of freight in case I "washed out" of flatbed. There have been ups and downs, but for the most part I am content. I might explore different options within flatbed to avoid some of the OMFG securements that I've had.

Overall, I am making the money I expected. I have lost 20 lbs, and have seen some really great scenery across the country. I spent the day yesterday at Mt. Rushmore and surrounding areas.

Below is a picture of my truck at a county park delivery and then at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Lol. Love it

I just kind of feel like I’d be drawn into the leasing on my own accord from the delusion of being an o/o someday or having a bit more say in what I spend my days in.

That is an easy fix....i will show you my pay stubs vs the lease guys. Then show you videos of my students telling how shocked they were that may FM responds to all requests with 10/4. 😂 or "ok no prob"

Sounds weird but that’s what what I love to hear. I kind of relate some of the flatbed work to working the flight deck of an aircraft carrier except only a couple hours a day instead of 12 on 12 off for 9 months any weather conditions. Lugging chocks and chains around, securing aircraft, periods of shear terror and excitement followed by a calm while you launch the planes with full ordnance and then wait for the planes to come back and seeing them return empty knowing you did you job. Even the little extra pride of ownership in the finished product of a properly secured and tarped load is enticing. I’m really looking for something more physically and mentally demanding than what the DoD has to to offer me anymore.

Anyhow, what kind of equipment do the Prime flatbed company drivers run? Have you published your experiences on here anywhere? Did you go into it wanting flatbed work and look at all the dedicated flatbed carriers before choosing Prime?

I'm in my rookie year in Prime flatbed division and can answer specific questions you may have.

As for as the physical challenges of flatbed I have had some of the most physically challenging and dangerous experiences of my life in my first year. So be mentally prepared for that.

I have two detailed diaries of training and my rookie solo year.

😂 thank you. I’ll definitely keep you in mind when I start to really look at prime again. I don’t think it’s the company pushing it, I just kind of feel like I’d be drawn into the leasing on my own accord from the delusion of being an o/o someday or having a bit more say in what I spend my days in.

Hi... I am a former postal.worker of a decade and a half...and a Prime company driver of almost 6 years...a team trainer and member of the Driver Advisory Board which meets with all levels of management to improve Prime for the drivers. We even meet with Prime owner Robert Low.

I can emphatically state without any reservation that you will NOT be forced into leasing. The lease push is a peer pressure from trainers and drivers....not Prime. Once you go company...your fleet manager will never ask you to switch because they would loose you as a driver to a lease fleet manager. So do not let that dissuade you from prime. I even use the "in going to go lease" as a threat to get what I want about once every 2 years when something frustrates me. Its a bluff... But efficient 😂

Any prime questions or problems I can help with so just ask.