Missed Connections

Yesterday Saturday February 20th,2021. I'm at the Salt Lake City terminal having maintenance done on my truck (APU)

I'm in the brand new amenities building, in the driver lounge it's 5am. At about 6am Aaron came in and sat down. His Peterbuilt is having a wiring harness issue. He's hoping that they can get it fixed today because they are closed on Sundays.

So he's there and we start talking. He's a solo lease driver based out of Springfield, Mo. Has been with Prime 2 years. He lives near Kansas City, he is into restoring classic cars with his uncle, we spend hours talking about our backgrounds and experiences. I'm hoping the NorthStar grill will open so I can grab something to eat. Of course 7am comes and its closed.

I attempt to use the vending machines the food machine has a credit card reader and I'm able to get a snack. Then I move to the drink machine and its credit card reader is not working. I only have a 5 dollar bill and no change, Aaron offers me the 1.50 so I'm able to get a drink, I let him know when the company store opens I will get change and pay him back. Which I do.

Then at 1pm pizzas arrive from Papa Johns and he offers everyone in the driver lounge pizza which includes the shuttle driver. Aaron gets a call around 2pm his truck is ready, Aaron quickly packs up his laptop and he and the shuttle driver head out. We say goodbye.

About 30 minutes later, it occurs to me that Aaron and I have spoken for 7 to 8 straight hours. And I'm saddened that I did not make an effort to give him my facebook name or my phone number to speak in the future. I've always been shy around new people so it's no surprise.

My hope is that I run into him at a Terminal sometime in the future. He was fun to talk to. Yesterday was a perfect example of learning to seize the moment.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Yesterday Saturday February 20th,2021. I'm at the Salt Lake City terminal having maintenance done on my truck (APU)

I'm in the brand new amenities building, in the driver lounge it's 5am. At about 6am Aaron came in and sat down. His Peterbuilt is having a wiring harness issue. He's hoping that they can get it fixed today because they are closed on Sundays.

So he's there and we start talking. He's a solo lease driver based out of Springfield, Mo. Has been with Prime 2 years. He lives near Kansas City, he is into restoring classic cars with his uncle, we spend hours talking about our backgrounds and experiences. I'm hoping the NorthStar grill will open so I can grab something to eat. Of course 7am comes and its closed.

I attempt to use the vending machines the food machine has a credit card reader and I'm able to get a snack. Then I move to the drink machine and its credit card reader is not working. I only have a 5 dollar bill and no change, Aaron offers me the 1.50 so I'm able to get a drink, I let him know when the company store opens I will get change and pay him back. Which I do.

Then at 1pm pizzas arrive from Papa Johns and he offers everyone in the driver lounge pizza which includes the shuttle driver. Aaron gets a call around 2pm his truck is ready, Aaron quickly packs up his laptop and he and the shuttle driver head out. We say goodbye.

About 30 minutes later, it occurs to me that Aaron and I have spoken for 7 to 8 straight hours. And I'm saddened that I did not make an effort to give him my facebook name or my phone number to speak in the future. I've always been shy around new people so it's no surprise.

My hope is that I run into him at a Terminal sometime in the future. He was fun to talk to. Yesterday was a perfect example of learning to seize the moment.

Hay, Michelle.. anymore (since 2020 mostly!) my mantra has BEEN, "Carpe' Diem" as well. That's truly a bummer. Sorry to hear! I might have an idea. Are you familiar with /in contact with Kearsey ?

Hi guys! I am a Prime driver of 5.5 years, and a team trainer. I love my job and company. So many drivers helped me in the beginning that I have dedicated myself to giving back.

truckingalongfun@gmail.com or check out my YouTube link!

That's ^^^ her email address; bounce her a note; she's good about answering quickly so I've heard, and she' got quite the network at Prime.

Just wondering . . . are you still in TNT phase yet, or have you upgraded? KUDOS, either way, ma'am!

Best to you. I know the feeling. Stay safe!

~ Anne ~

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

TNT:

Trainer-N-Trainee

Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.

The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.

The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Yesterday Saturday February 20th,2021. I'm at the Salt Lake City terminal having maintenance done on my truck (APU)

I'm in the brand new amenities building, in the driver lounge it's 5am. At about 6am Aaron came in and sat down. His Peterbuilt is having a wiring harness issue. He's hoping that they can get it fixed today because they are closed on Sundays.

So he's there and we start talking. He's a solo lease driver based out of Springfield, Mo. Has been with Prime 2 years. He lives near Kansas City, he is into restoring classic cars with his uncle, we spend hours talking about our backgrounds and experiences. I'm hoping the NorthStar grill will open so I can grab something to eat. Of course 7am comes and its closed.

I attempt to use the vending machines the food machine has a credit card reader and I'm able to get a snack. Then I move to the drink machine and its credit card reader is not working. I only have a 5 dollar bill and no change, Aaron offers me the 1.50 so I'm able to get a drink, I let him know when the company store opens I will get change and pay him back. Which I do.

Then at 1pm pizzas arrive from Papa Johns and he offers everyone in the driver lounge pizza which includes the shuttle driver. Aaron gets a call around 2pm his truck is ready, Aaron quickly packs up his laptop and he and the shuttle driver head out. We say goodbye.

About 30 minutes later, it occurs to me that Aaron and I have spoken for 7 to 8 straight hours. And I'm saddened that I did not make an effort to give him my facebook name or my phone number to speak in the future. I've always been shy around new people so it's no surprise.

My hope is that I run into him at a Terminal sometime in the future. He was fun to talk to. Yesterday was a perfect example of learning to seize the moment.

Keep looking on the Facebook prime groups. And customers. You will be surprised how often you run into people. A guy helped me when I was new and 3 months later I saw him at the terminal and bought him lunch as a thank you.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.