Got A Pre-Hire From Prime Inc. Today
Topic 3212 | Page 1
Excellent! good luck Bill!
Thanks Tony! It's good to feel 'wanted.' 
Ask about Prime's food grade tanker position. When I was doing my research one year ago they started at $0.42/cpm. No HazMat necessary. They also cross train you on Reefer so if there are no tanker loads you can do Reefer loads.
Prime is definitely a great company to start with. We hear nothing but good things.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Hey Bill...that's good news. I have a application for Company-Sponsored Training with Prime right now...I've talked to my recruiter twice and should have a date for school this week. I'm hoping to be one of Daniels first trainee's from TruckingTruth but I still have to get the everything is OK...My Last Employer uses a goofy automated system to verify dates and pay rates so it's taking a little longer than normal for my approval
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Ask about Prime's food grade tanker position. When I was doing my research one year ago they started at $0.42/cpm. No HazMat necessary. They also cross train you on Reefer so if there are no tanker loads you can do Reefer loads.
Prime is definitely a great company to start with. We hear nothing but good things.
That sounds enticing, seeing that I definitely want to try tanker sometime in my upcoming driving career. But, I believe Prime doesn't let you into their tanker division until you have 1 year /w the company, or perhaps it's also 1 year driving experience?
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Ken - I hope it works out for you!
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
This topic has the following tags:
Prime Inc
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I gave Prime Inc a call this morning and spoke with a recruiter. I gave him some background info and asked when would be a good time to apply. He said Prime keeps apps on file for 30 days, but after I told him I was planning to start my 8 week evening course in May and expected to graduate in July, he told me to just apply now. He took down my name and social security number, in order to 'flag' my app, and he said he'd keep it for me and have it ready for when they'd need it.
I filled out the online app. It's a very easy and straightforward process. Prime only asks for 3 years of employment (non driving history) and they only need a 3 year driving history (if you're not attending their school). Needless to say it was pretty fast.
I gave my recruiter a call after I completed the app and he had me wait on the phone while he ran my driving history to verify. He said I'm good to go (I'm hire-able), that I'd just need to pass my DOT physical and drug test, and their driving test / exams.
Cool thing is that since I'll have my CDL ahead of time, I can go to orientation in Pittston, PA, only about a 2 hour drive from here. I also would qualify for tuition reimbursement. Another interesting bit, was that he asked if I was interested in NE Regional. I told him I thought Prime was basically OTR. He said nope, that NE Regional would have me out on the road for an average of two weeks at a time. Not what I expected, but an interesting piece of info.
At any rate, this was my first pre-hire. It felt good ;) Crete Carrier / Shaffer Trucking are still my first choice for now, but Prime has always been in my top 5 companies I'd like to work for. If I was single, I would've definitely chosen to go to Springfield, MO for Prime's company paid CDL training.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.