Profile For John P.

A bag of rock salt will melt the ice

Ain't nothing fast & easy about throwing iron on super singles!! 🤬

I wasn’t talking about a set of regular chains. STRAP ON TIRE CHAINS. Look them up.

Good luck onwards an upwards

Hmmm, nice, my parents just offered to use their air miles to fly me to Sprimo instead of doing the 30 hour bus trip, I just may take them up on that!

While this may not drastically increase a swift driver's earning potential I'm still happy about it for a different reason. While I was out there training I got the impression that the other drivers from different companies were hell bent on not getting stuck behind a slow swift truck. So a few extra mph might mean a little peace of mind. If I don't have to spend all day with every vehicle on the road aggressively trying to pass me I'll take it.

Good point

Good luck

I am starting this training diary for Prime Incs Prime Student Driver program in Pittston, PA. I start this program on October 22nd, 2018 (Monday). I leave tomorrow (October 21st) at 0845 and I will be on the bus until 2140. It's going to be a long first few days. I recognize that folks are mostly used to the training in Springfield, and there's not a lot of information out there on Pittston, so I will do my best to provide as much information as I can remember.

I started the process in September and was scheduled to start with Prime Inc, in Springfield, MO, on October 1st but I had a few things come up and I had to withdraw from that process. Swift offered me a position in their Richmond, VA academy and I accepted that position. When I got to the academy, we were told that the four (4) weeks we were promised was not going to happen because the academy was short of students and it was looking like more of eight (8) to nine (9) weeks before we complete the academy. I called my recruiter and ended up leaving the first day of the academy because I don't have the financial support to live 8-9 weeks without a pay check (or food).

I immediately went to the Doctor's Office, obtained a DOT Medical and then went straight to the Virginia DMV and obtained my CLP with the Tanker endorsement. My CLP, and endorsement, costed me a total of $4. I passed all of my tests the first time, getting a 100% on all four of them.

I re-submitted my application, to Prime Inc, and contacted my recruiter and let her know the situation. My recruiter was very understanding and got me re-approved to attend the orientation in Springfield, MO. When I told her I had upgraded and obtained my CLP, she asked me if I would like to attend Pittston, PA, as it is closer to my home and a shorter bus ride. I agreed and she stated that the first date they had available was October 22nd, for either Springfield and Pittston, as they are completely booked out. I accepted.

I was not allowed to hold a position, in Pittston, until I paid the $100 administrative fee. Once I paid that, I was booked for my position in Pittston. My recruiter called me last Saturday and told me that they had somebody drop off of the roster, for last Monday, and I could take the position if I wanted. Since we were repairing from Hurricane Michael, I denied her offer so I could stay home and work on repairs.

I will be staying at the Quality Inn & Suites (Wilkes Barre, PA) and I will be taking the Prime shuttle from the hotel to the terminal every morning, which leaves the lobby at 0630. Orientation starts at 0700.

I will continue to update this thread as I progress through training.

Good luck from Denmark 🇩🇰

Hey everyone, my application has been approved and I am on the waiting list for Maverick’s CDL sponsorship program. They say it can be 1-2 mobths wait. I figure I have waited this long to do what I have always wanted, I can wait a little longer. I have been doing the High Road CDL Training Program and have completed the General knowledge and Air brakes portions and working on Combination vehicles now. I’m pretty excited, and scared to death at the same time.

Hey everyone, my application has been approved and I am on the waiting list for Maverick’s CDL sponsorship program. They say it can be 1-2 mobths wait. I figure I have waited this long to do what I have always wanted, I can wait a little longer. I have been doing the High Road CDL Training Program and have completed the General knowledge and Air brakes portions and working on Combination vehicles now. I’m pretty excited, and scared to death at the same time.

On the shower subject:

Every time you or he fuels the truck, a shower credit is earned. That credit is good for his shower, and a "co-driver" shower for you. Getting a free shower at least every couple days shouldn't be a problem. No, technically he isn't supposed to pay for your shower. But the fuel credit should be taking care of that. We fueled so much during my TNT that the credits stacked up faster than we could use them. Never paid for a shower, and I still havent.

Thanks for beating me to it. I’ll just add that I did have to pay for a few showers during PSD as my trainer wasn’t the most hygienic person. Money well spent for my sanity & cleanliness.

Please keep us up to date How it go for you in training etc

Good Afternoon Everybody!

I am leaving for the Prime Student Driver (PSD) program this Saturday and I will be starting on October 1st. I am extremely excited for this new opportunity and I am also very excited to travel and see new things!

I would like some input and feedback from those individuals who have worked from Prime, either as a Company Driver, or in Success Leasing. I am looking for the cost vs. benefit of each program. I have done my research and I have talked to some people, as well as discovered some forum posts here, on TruckingTruth, but most of them are older and I want to be sure I am getting some good information.

I am a young one, well, 22 years old. I am out of Virginia and I have a wife and a son. My goal is to get into the trucking industry to make decent money, it's not my first time driving a big rig (I have been a Firefighter/EMT since I was 16 and I continue to volunteer) and that gave me experience driving heavy fire apparatus loaded with water and other equipment. I have also held jobs where I make well over $18/hr, but they just weren't for me. They say you'll never work a day in your life if you do what you love and being on the road is something I have always loved doing, I am a traveling kind of person.

So, again, to ensure this forum post stays somewhat on topic (other tips/tricks/advice welcome!!), I am interested in learning about the Company Driver side of Prime and the Success Lease side of Prime.

Thanks for all of your help, everybody! I am really excited to see what I can learn from y'all!

Good Afternoon Everybody!

I am leaving for the Prime Student Driver (PSD) program this Saturday and I will be starting on October 1st. I am extremely excited for this new opportunity and I am also very excited to travel and see new things!

I would like some input and feedback from those individuals who have worked from Prime, either as a Company Driver, or in Success Leasing. I am looking for the cost vs. benefit of each program. I have done my research and I have talked to some people, as well as discovered some forum posts here, on TruckingTruth, but most of them are older and I want to be sure I am getting some good information.

I am a young one, well, 22 years old. I am out of Virginia and I have a wife and a son. My goal is to get into the trucking industry to make decent money, it's not my first time driving a big rig (I have been a Firefighter/EMT since I was 16 and I continue to volunteer) and that gave me experience driving heavy fire apparatus loaded with water and other equipment. I have also held jobs where I make well over $18/hr, but they just weren't for me. They say you'll never work a day in your life if you do what you love and being on the road is something I have always loved doing, I am a traveling kind of person.

So, again, to ensure this forum post stays somewhat on topic (other tips/tricks/advice welcome!!), I am interested in learning about the Company Driver side of Prime and the Success Lease side of Prime.

Thanks for all of your help, everybody! I am really excited to see what I can learn from y'all!

Thanks intresting

Sunday, May 20th

Spent the night at a hotel with wifey, went out to dinner, and got a great night of sleep. Feel recharged and ready for this next week.

Some other thoughts I wanted to share about the school. No matter what anyone tells you about not volunteering information or answering only whats asked, be careful with your paperwork here!

This past week we seen a fella put on the bus and sent home this for failing to disclose a no-seatbelt ticket from two years ago. He didn't think it was important, so he didn't write it down on the disclosure form. And now he's gone. If you have something to list when they ask for traffic or criminal history, no matter if you think it's important or not, disclose that info immediately on the form. This is a multi-million dollar company with a huge amounting resources. If there is something out there on record, IT WILL BE FOUND. So many people either think it's not a big deal or (worse) try to be clever (because they are going to be the one that finally "beats the system") and it always ends badly.

Also, another thing we had to do last week when starting at NADTA (the part of CRST that trains us) was what they call an agility test. Cant remember if I had mentioned this earlier and wanted to make sure I got it in here because I'm trying to list as much stuff as I can about this place.

We received instruction on how to properly climb in and out if truck cab and how to climb in and out of a trailer. And then we went outside and began. First, we had to open and close the hood of the truck to prove we could do it. Then we had to climb in and out of the cab to prove we could so that. Then we had to duck walk under the trailer, from one side to the other. And finally we had to properly climn into the back of a trailer and back out to prove that we could do it if we ever needed to.

If you can't do any of these things within something like three attempts, then you have to go to the HR department here and they will decide if you can stay here to train or not. I don't know why HR has anything to do with it or how that whole process works. Just know that's the current rules here for the agility test.

We also just spent the last week studying and going over something called the Smith system. It's sort of a defensive driving course aimed at helping you to see things better while driving and how to be safer in general around other people out on the road.

We finally took a test on that on Friday, and anybody who failed that test had to show up to the classroom at 5am yesterday (a Saturday) morning to take the test again - yikes! If that doesn't motivate you to study and pass then I just don't know what will.

Finally, the staff and trainers here are fond of reminding us that we are not training for a job because currently we DO NOT have a job. We are training for our CDL and also taking part in one very long interview process right now. Which is exactly what this is... We are monitored in almost everything, from the amount of time we spend studying to how early or late we show up for class. Lots of things go into our training file and all of those things combined are taken into account when the company reviews the original job application we filled out.

It's not like big brother is watching you 24 hours a day, but if you constantly do poorly on exams or like to skip classes, etc., you just might pass the test and get a CDL, but you also might be taking that CDL and a bunch of new financial obligations to go look for a job elsewhere. They only want people who are serious about learning.

So, that's just some more thoughts and notes. Like I said, just trying to post more information than just how my day went. Just in case someone stumbles by looking for more info.

Hope everyone is enjoying a lazy Sunday!!!

Wed mar 14 2018

A few days off from the journal to recalibrate. Less hype, mo money.

Study less…except for the pre-trip inspection. Its your mistakes that reveal where you need to focus, not perfect marks. That has almost nothing to do with real life. My deficit is awareness. Using Mirrors, watching and considering Pedestrians. Looking ahead.

Seeing road signs. Its mostly remembering them a moment or minute later. And listening to my instructor.

I am finally slowing down after 2 and a half weeks. I must see what is happening, and learn to think and plan. I cant go faster, its not a contest. I have to think of all the things, and more: plan escape route, if people change their plans.I gotta relax in order to be able to mange shifting focus, to include shifting the gears. And share that focus by distributing my attention around and back and out around again, the mirrors, tach, traffic, conversation. I find when I get flustered, I go faster and race through the gears.

Try trucker who on u tube he say it how it was

You may have better luck posting in the general categories portion of the forum. There is much more activity over there.