Profile For Jonathan T.

I’ve seen the beginnings of this on a trailer I pulled for a while. You’d think it would be a straight forward and simple repair for a welder. Was it really a big job or was the shop just backed up?

I guess good thing you caught it when you did!

I’ve never had a thorough search. Been to Canada a couple of times, been to a few military bases, and I frequent the ports. The searches I’ve had, seem to be more focused on weapons than drugs. I feel like the search comes from a security standpoint and not a drug bust stand point.

I do have some vitamins on the truck. They are all kept in their appropriate containers. Maybe it’s my background and life choices, but I’ve never been worried about being falsely accused of being a druggie.

I’ve seen maybe a handful of guys working out at the truckstop. Definitely manageable if you are devoted. Have you considered a nationwide gym membership?

Giving it some more thought, your friend would be putting a lot on the line by hiring you. If you make a mistake and get into even the smallest of accidents, his insurance could go up. That can be detrimental to a new company. I would not want to put myself or my friend in that situation. I think it would be best to stick with the age old advice of not mixing friendship with business.

I did both reefer and flatbed at Prime. It’s just what you prefer. If you can handle a nonexistent sleep schedule, and are able to stay up all night, you could find success pulling that freight. I wasnt cut out for it, and found myself fitting in better with the open deck trailers. For the most part, it is a day time operation. I do not spend much time driving at night. With Prime, I felt like I got more of an OTR experience pulling flatbed than I did pulling their reefers. Whichever one appeals to you more, I’m sure you’d be satisfied with. I’m glad to have done both.

With your friends new authority...has he verified that his insurance will cover you? That is generally an issue with new operating authority and insuring new drivers. Otherwise, that would be a completely different experience than you would get from Prime. Do some soul searching man. There are so many different opportunities in trucking, something is right for you.

Although it may be inconvenient at times, I think every other day is definitely doable.

I, like a lot of others, went to Prime inc. I wanted the true OTR experience, and also wanted the option to pull different trailer types to see which direction I wanted to take my career.

Assuming its health insurance you are asking about, I am actually using Medishare. It seems to be more cost effective compared to other options. I also do not want my health insurance coverage tied to my employer.

As far as favorite stories, I’m not having anything particular come to mind. When I am in the story telling mood, my favorite ones to tell have to do with what I do in my spare time. Ive been kayaking out in the Pacific Ocean, watched the ball drop on Times Square one New Years Eve night, visited Yellowstone National Park in the middle of my driving shift, and have paid a few different visits to Mount Rushmore. So many truck drivers have spent their careers out on the road but never take the effort to make time to see and do cool things across the country. I feel like its almost a waste.

I was a mechanic prior to this career change. Reading Brett’s book and taking the leap of faith to hire on with Prime, was one of the best things I could have done with my life.

Do you currently have a radio?

I disagree that they are a piece of safety equipment. Defensive driving will do a lot more for you than relying on another person to give accurate and up to date road information. Anybody who has monitored CH19 knows that you have to listen to a lot of nonsense before hearing something useful. I’d say the majority of trucks do not monitor CH19. Try calling for a radio check or reaching out to another driver, often times the target audience is not listening.

Anyway, the CB is limited to 4watts. I have made more contacts after getting a peak and tune from a reputable radio shop. I think they enhanced the receive and bumped my output wattage to between 30 and 40 watts just depending on the radio. Do some research on the radio shop, not all are created equal. Find one that you will trust, take their advice on antennas. The iconic Cobra 29 with a a peak and tune has been enough radio for me, and I use it to communicate with other drivers I run with.

To clarify, I am not anti-radio. I love radios, it is a fun hobby. The truth is, defensive driving does more for you than the CB.

I wouldnt say trucking affects our health. Trucking makes it easy for us to make unhealthy decisions. Its easier to buy fast food from the truck stops. It is easier to just lay down in bed after our shift, vs choosing to get some physical activity. It is all about the decisions we make. We could all choose to make decisions that have a positive affect on our health, but this industry does make it easy to make unhealthy decisions.

Its been a few years since I read it. I remember being very grateful that it was offered to us for free. I was very on the fence about my career change, and it helped me rest assured that I was making the correct decision. Over the years, Ive only met one other driver who has read the book. I really think that is disappointing, but it speaks more to the driving population, not the book itself.

You sound like a good candidate for our flatbed division over here at Prime. It's generally a day time operation and will get you all around the country from east coast to the west coast. If you enjoy a little bit of physical labor I think you'll be happy. We have regional opertunities as well. Can't speak for the other companies but I know what I got going on over here is good stuff. BTW, I went thru the training program here at Prime myself. Been at it a year and a half now, never looking back.