I Need Help Choosing Schools Or Training Companies!!

I had the same problem with Prime returning calls but also being a female you have to understand they will usually have a waiting list to be trained. Back in 2012 Primes was a year long for females. Like Brett said Its not so much the attentivness of the recruiter but whether the school/company is a good fit for you. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! I was in contact with 30 companies 12 actively. If I wanted to know something I asked. Now I do admit I did diiss a few due to their recruiting department. Having a background in management before this there are somethings I dont tolerate Well and idiots are one of them. Good Luck

Brett,

It was not just the point of Prime not calling back. I get that they have a zillion people trying to get hired. However, it was the overall vibe I got from the recruiter. Not once did anybody say that Prime was a bad company. It was the way the recruiter came across. It was like she was completely disinterested. It may just be me expecting too much but if I had a company, there would be two people in the organization that I would expect enthusiasm from. That would be the person(s) that were talking to my customers and recruiters. Then I would also be harder on the drivers and how they spoke to others outside the company. Appearance goes a long way. It shows professionalism and that you care. We talk about it on here all the time about have a professional appearance and positive can do demeanor.

There were a lot of other reasons I did not select Prime. It was just the overall feel I got from the company. The recruiter may have been able to sway that. Had they been able to sway me, they would end up with a very dedicated, safe, professional and productive employee.

In the end, had the recruiter just been a very little bit more interested, I may have gone there Not once did I get, "Hey thanks for sticking with me and calling back. I have been swamped." or "I am sorry it took me forever to answer your question. It has been insane around here." Something. Anything to show that you want me there. Did I expect the recruiter to beg me to come work for them? Of course not. I did want to get a feel that they valued me as a person and not a number. I got that from Roehl.

I am headed yo Prine today. I guess I had a great recruiter. My recruiter called me within 30 min of me sending in my app. I have gotten plenty of email's and phone calls from her. She even sent me another email Friday afternoon just to make sure I was set to go this week.

A few of the reasons I chose Prime are Paid school if you stay a year, room and board paid for during orientation. Pay is about tops for a rookie and the fact that it is only about a 2 hour drive for me to get there.

So best of luck to you all on whatever school/company you choose.

Ray,

I agree. The pay is good! I really like a lot of things about Prime. You will do well there. I think the main thing it comes down to, we all have different reasons and for why we are here. Picking which company to start with is a very personal decision. Prime was not for me but they are good for you. None of the companies are bad. It just depends if it is the right fit at the time for each individual. I don't want to give any person the impression that I think Prime is a bad choice or a bad company. It was just not a good fit for me. The point is, each person must do their own research and find what is right for them. Who knows, two or three years down the road, I may be working for Prime. Life is funny like that. Good luck in school! You will do great!

I agree with you Thinking and thanks for the vote of encouragement. I will do my best. I know that the company sponsored training link here is what really helped me with making a choice. Brett has done a great job putting the info in one place.

"ThinkingAbout ANewCareer", what I'm hearing is basically that you'd be working for Prime if you would have gotten Ray's recruiter instead of the one that happen to answer the phone when you called. Same company, same everything - just the luck of the draw on which recruiter answered the phone when you called.

So you say you did your research and made smart choices and all that. But in the end you chose one company over the other because their recruiter made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside like your were important to them and the other company's recruiter didn't. You fell for the oldest trick in the book. A trick that even you said you would use if you were running the company:

if I had a company, there would be two people in the organization that I would expect enthusiasm from. That would be the person(s) that were talking to my customers and recruiters.

Of course! Everyone knows salespeople (including recruiters) are supposed to be enthusiastic, caring, and attentive to people's needs. You're supposed to act like you genuinely care about the person you're speaking with and taking great care of them. But we're adults and we've been around long enough to know not to fall for that stuff. At least we're supposed to know that. You have to look past that garbage and understand that the enthusiasm of your recruiter has absolutely nothing-nada-zip-zilch-zero to do with your success and happiness at any company you happen to work for.

One of the most important aspects of making good decisions is knowing what data to consider and what data to leave out. If you make decisions on where to work based on feelings and hunches you're not going to find the right company for you. You have to make decisions based on quantifiable measures - pay, benefits, home time, types of freight, future opportunities, average weekly miles, home time - things like that. Do not fall for the oldest trick in the book - the "salesperson that truly cares". Ignore that garbage and stick with the facts.

Ok, you guys are making a very common mistake when it comes to choosing a trucking company. You're letting the attentiveness (or lack thereof) of the recruiters affect your thinking about the company. Nothing could be further from the reality. Whether or not recruiters are quick to respond and attentive to your questions has no correlation whatsoever to the quality of the company and how you'll be treated once you start there. To say you're not going to work for Prime Inc because the recruiters won't call you back is like saying you won't buy a Ford because you went to a Ford dealership and the salesman wasn't attentive. The quality of Ford cars and how well they suit you has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the salesperson selling them. If you walk away from a company that suits you well because the salesperson (recruiter) wasn't jumping through enough hoops for you is going to hurt you in the long run. Make decisions based on things like pay, benefits, home time, equipment, types of freight, average miles per week, etc.

Here's a couple of articles that will help you understand how to choose a company to work for and deal with the recruiters. The first one is The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters and the second is Recruiters, Companies, and Schools - Choosing The Right Path Into Your Trucking Career.

Thanks for the insight...I cant ask the recruiter any questions if I can speak with them....I have emailed him, called everything. I am sure he is very busy. I was just stating the facts about him not being able to get my references processed on his end. I am completely sold on the quality of the company(not the recruiter) due to a prior interest which is my reason for being so eager to get my application finalized and moved to the next step. I am not looking for anyone to jump through hoops, rings of fire or climb mountains for me. I was writing only to get advice from veteran's in the industry to see how they may have approached the situation or give me any suggestions.

I am new to this career but I am not a spoiled idiot...I asked questions initially but now it seems that my application is at a stand still.... since we communicated last and that was through email....in which I initiated and have been everyday with calling and emailing.....at the end of the day the recruiter doesn't know me nor do I know him so therefore I have to do what is best for me and make my decisions based on what I am given.

* Continuously being positive.

I agree GlamGirl! We are not making decisions solely based on the recruiter. Roehl has a lot of things I really like. They seem to be more family oriented. The hometime options they have are great. I am on the fence in regard to the insurance but it is on par with other companies. The pay is a little lower at the start but after a year it is a wash. The safety record at Roehl is amazing. If you do a search at inneedofajob.com, most of the people that worked for Roehl were pretty happy. Not as much for Prime on that site. I know those reviews are very subjective.

With all this said, if you have two companies that were identical and one had a good recruiter and the other had a not so good one, which company would you choose? I did not fall for a car salesman tactic. I did my homework. Luckily for me, I still have income so it allowed me to be a little more selective for training. As I said in a previous post, it is a very personal decision that each person needs to make for his or her self. If the recruiter does not have time for you, will anybody else in the company? Is it strictly pass or we send you home type of school? These are all questions that have popped in my mind as I have done my searches. I don't want to be at a company that just sees me as a number or dollar sign.

"ThinkingAboutANewCareer" & Brett,

I really appreciate both you guys input.....Im sure it will work it self out. I did talk with Roehl today and got some information about the company and their training process. I am just so excited about my decision that I am truly remaining optimistic about any choice that I shall make. It makes me feel good that I have you all fellow career veterans and rookies alike to guide me with insight, suggestions opinions, and pros and cons!

Thanks Guys!

*Staying Focused

I had the same problem with Prime returning calls but also being a female you have to understand they will usually have a waiting list to be trained. Back in 2012 Primes was a year long for females. Like Brett said Its not so much the attentivness of the recruiter but whether the school/company is a good fit for you. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! I was in contact with 30 companies 12 actively. If I wanted to know something I asked. Now I do admit I did diiss a few due to their recruiting department. Having a background in management before this there are somethings I dont tolerate Well and idiots are one of them. Good Luck

Lol.....Good point! Thanks Redgator