Profile For Matthew B.

Patrick: Really??! Small world. Maybe I've met you before (??). Hopefully I'll be able to see you on the road one day.

Maybe so, Guess that depends on where you worked or hung out lol.

I worked at Bojangles as a manager, so naturally, I didn't have time to hang out anywhere haha.

Before I begin my account of the day, I'll use this section to answer questions and respond to comments.

Roxanne: Yes, there actually are a surprising amount of women here in Springfield! I've met several female students, and even seasoned drivers. In fact, we have a woman in our orientation class who is a re-hire. Even more impressive, one of our instructors asserted today that the female trainers in this company are some of the best that he has!

Lin: Thanks! I love your feedback!

Patrick: Really??! Small world. Maybe I've met you before (??). Hopefully I'll be able to see you on the road one day.

Day 2

Our wake up call sounded again at 5:30a.m., but I decided to ignore it and sleep in a bit, as I didn't have to report to class until 7:30 today. After I got up and got ready, I went down the hall to attend the Trainer Selection class. Basically, a gentleman who works for Prime's office comes in and talks to you about how the selection process goes, how they look for a qualified trainer that fits your individual requirements (smoker/non smoker, gender preferences, etc.), and how to resolve conflict, if there happens to be any. Another point that he brought up is extremely important: DO NOT SEARCH FOR A TRAINER YOURSELF. I've personally read quite a few forums about Prime which suggest that students are left on their own to search for and meet trainers on their own accord, and some horror stories of students being left for weeks at a time because they allegedly couldn't find one. This is not true, and the selector will find a trainer for you. One of the best reasons for this is because the trainer selector knows exactly how qualified the trainer is, not you. So if you happen to meet someone and request them as your trainer, you may not know just how good of a trainer they are, or how qualified they are. Also, there's a consensus going around that people should refuse to be trained by a lease operator if you're applying to be a company driver. This is also an invalid stance, as lease operators generally know much more about the industry than do common company drivers. They can prove to be your best asset while in training.

After the class, it was time for us to report to the Sim Lab to take our road tests, to make sure that we actually know how to use our CDL on the road. We each sat in a (very expensive) truck simulator and the program began. We were able to do a practice run a couple times to get the feel for the controls, and then it was time to take the test. The test was relatively easy. It began on a highway on-ramp, and consisted of various hazards such as roadside accidents, police, slow drivers, and low-clearance bridges. Another colleague and I passed on the first try, and the ones that didn't were able to take it again. It was actually pretty fun.

I was done by about 10:00a.m., so I had until 1:00 until Operations class began. I took a nap, took a shower, and ate some lunch. As soon as I got back from lunch, I received a text from my trainer! It really was that quick for me; however, my roommate is still waiting on contact. Nevertheless, I called him back immediately, and he said he'd see me tomorrow and we'd talk. He seems like a nice guy and I'm excited to get started.

At this point, it was time for operations class. Everyone going into the reefer division went to one classroom, and everyone going into tanker or flatbed went into another classroom. Basically, the class consisted of an instructor telling us what to do about QUALCOMM messages, how to use it and reply with it, how to operate at shippers, how to secure loads, and how to read some prompts on the QUALCOMM in regard to fuel stops. After this, we went to log class, at which point we were refreshed on hours of service laws, introduced to some logging services that QUALCOMM offers, and how to log certain activities, such as completing pre and post trip inspections, and how to use the sleeper bunk and "off-duty not driving" entries. I just finished this class a few hours ago, ate dinner, and now I'm here, burning time. Tomorrow should be easy: I'll meet my trainer in person, learn about benefits, and get my company card and medical card.

Wish me luck.

I'll tell you about it in about 24 hours.

Day 1

Our wake up call from the front desk occurred at around 5:30a.m., but we didn't have to be in class until 7:00, so the roomie and I slept in until about 6:15. Breakfast was being served at this time in the café, but I decided that I was a bit too tired to attend. I got dressed in a polo and jeans and walked down the hall to the classroom. After everyone arrived, the instructor asked us to get some identification documents out and ready (birth certificate or passport, CDL, and TWIC card, if you have one. We were taken one by one into an office where a representative photocopied our documents and sent us back. After that, the instructor made sure that we had our packets filled out that we were given last night, and helped us with any questions we had. At this time, we also filled out our state tax forms, if it was applicable to us, which in my case, being from NC, it was.

After everyone was done, a representative from Trinity Healthcare came to assist us in filling out a new medical examination long form. He handed them out and gave us step-by-step instructions on how to fill it out and answered any questions that we had. After we were done, we went to the Apex testing room down the hall for the infamous "agility test". Despite some mixed reviews I've read online, the agility test was nothing to worry about. We were asked to do some basic body movements like kneeling and moving our neck and arms from side to side, and then we were asked to lift boxes. The first was 50lbs, and we had to lift it to our shoulders. The second was 65lbs, lifted the same way, and the third was 80 pounds, lifted to the waist. Then, we had to take a tarp off of a shelf, place it on the floor, and then back on the shelf. After that test, we were asked to climb up and down two rungs of a ladder, six times in a row, and the test was done! I noticed that if some people failed to lift heavy items, etc., the examiner would say that they passed the requirements for reefer and tanker, but not flatbed, or vice versa, depending upon which division you had in mind. I happened to pass all, and they weren't anything to worry about.

We went to the drug testing room after that. We each had to take the usual urinalysis, and then took the rest of our usual DOT physical including a vision test (letter reading and colors) and a hearing test (forced whispers from a couple feet away). My weight and height were recorded, and my blood pressure was taken. All passed, and I moved on to the final part of the physical, during which an examiner asked me some questions about sleep apnea, surgeries, allergies, and listened to my breathing. Finally, the physical was over. We were told that we would be receiving our medical cards by Thursday.

I was instructed to go to the office room again to begin the file review. At this point, the examiner from our first class simply looked over my file and talked with me about whatever (this time it was motorcycles), and we had a nice chat. He gave me a Prime bag and a student badge, shook my hand, and sent me on my way. I didn't have anything mandatory to do for the rest of the day; however, there are several computer training modules that everyone has to pass in order to advance, and they told us that it had to be done by Thursday, so I went ahead and got started. The modules consist of videos or electronic forms, and sometimes you're required to answer questions about the videos just to be sure that you actually paid attention. It took me a few hours, but I finished all of them, which is apparently pretty fast-paced.

I went to eat dinner after this and talked to a few drivers, and went back to my room, where I am now, writing this, while my roommate is watching TV. It was a productive and easy day, overall. Tomorrow is supposed to consist of trainer selection and some simulator testing, and I'll let you all know how it goes in about 24 hours.

If anyone has any questions for me during my diary log, please don't hesitate to ask.

If you decide to obtain your CDL before applying to a company, you might find help here.

I attended a school in Jacksonville, NC, that lasted four weeks and was technically 160 hours. The class was from 7:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Monday through Thursday, and the first week was deemed "Death by Powerpoint". This will be your hardest week, most likely. Backing and on-the-road driving is much more fun and allows for time to pass more quickly. If you're anything like me, you'll want to be well prepared and refrain from procrastinating to get a job directly upon graduation. I recommend applying to various companies that require no experience during the first day of class, and follow up with your first choices/favorites throughout the next few days.

If you follow up correctly, you should have a couple solid candidates by week two, and you should be pre-hired by week three (in a four week class). My pre-hire was Prime, Inc., and I was very excited to get started. This is my full, detailed account of Prime's orientation and training process, in real time.

Day 0

Thirty hours. That's how long it took me to get here.

I travelled via Greyhound from my hometown of Morehead City, NC to Prime's headquarters in Springfield, MO, and after quite a few stops and layovers, I've finally arrived. Many thoughts have been racing through my mind today as I've just earned my CDL last week from a private school, and this will turn out to be my first OTR job in my life (provided that I'm not sent home during orientation). Since I found invaluable help from this forum before I even applied to a training school to see what to expect from various companies, I've decided that I would like to document my experiences in detail in the hopes that someone who may be thinking about taking an OTR position may be able to be even more well-informed than I was.

Upon arriving to my final destination, I was instructed to call the Prime Shuttle to pick me up and take me to Campus Inn, a hotel-style accommodation which houses all of Prime's students, and what looks to be regular drivers or trainers as well, although I'm not quite sure. After arriving to Campus Inn, I was given a packet of paperwork to fill out by the front desk clerk, as well as a campus map, room keys, and information about when to show up to class the first morning of orientation. I happen to have a roommate as well, which Prime says to expect, although some may be fortunate enough to be able to get a room to themselves. Regardless, having a roommate can be a godsend as well if you're prone to homesickness. He/she may help you to get your mind to a more positive state, and you can also make your first friend.

After arriving at our room, I promptly took a shower and placed my belongings next to my bed. There's a refrigerator and a coffee maker in the room, along with the usual hotel amenities (tv, phone, etc.). After I was ready, I called a cab to obtain my prescription. The driver happened to be a trucking vet of 35 years and gave me some good tips during my ride. When I returned, we went to go get some lunch at the Campus Café. The servers there allow you to get a certain amount of food up to $4 for breakfast and $7 for lunch and dinner, but if you'd like more food, you are able to pay the extra difference.

When I returned to my room, I went ahead and began to fill out the paperwork that I was issued at the desk. The paperwork includes W-4 federal tax forms, information about Prime Shuttle, and a full paper application, much like the one that you already filled out online. We were asked to have all of this paperwork completed before the beginning of class tomorrow, which begins at $7:00a.m.

Although the trip here was exhausting, it has been an interesting day.

Orientation starts tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I'll tell you about day one in about 24 hours.

I just got into a minor fender bender in my personal vehicle, and there was no visible damage to either vehicle, but the gentleman driving the vehicle in front of me collected my info (license, registration, insurance)—he was driving a fed ex van and seemed to be ok, and the cops were not called. I just got my CDL TODAY and am starting my new job on the 13th. Will this appear on my record even though no citations were issued?

Thanks!