The Diaries Of Randy @ Prime, Inc.

This thread has helped me so much. I was recently laid off as a web designer and I cannot find work anywhere. I was talking to my uncle over the holiday weekend and he told me I should check out truck driving. I used to have a CDL B when I was younger and have drove passenger with my brother in law a few times, so I was looking for good trucking schools and came across this thread.

I think I might just give Prime a chance.

Thanks for such a detailed thread. Good luck and be safe.

This thread has helped me so much. I was recently laid off as a web designer and I cannot find work anywhere. I was talking to my uncle over the holiday weekend and he told me I should check out truck driving. I used to have a CDL B when I was younger and have drove passenger with my brother in law a few times, so I was looking for good trucking schools and came across this thread.

I think I might just give Prime a chance.

Thanks for such a detailed thread. Good luck and be safe.

Thanks for the feedback. That is precisely what I want people to gain from it whether they choose Prime or another company. Good luck.

Since my last post there is nothing much new. Watched others doing backing maneuvers but only watched as my instructor did not make it there over the weekend. ...too much fun. Yesterday was a very good day of driving, with my performance and comfort level improving. I felt good about my navigation through cities and in traffic on the highway

Still too many students waiting for instructors after a week and a half since orientation ended. The ones waiting end up feeling like kids not wanted on the kickball teams. And some are very good and decent people that would be good students. This is the biggest problem here. One guy is thinking to just go home and many like him quit their jobs to make the change.

Off to breakfast and more driving. ...

Be blessed and be safe.

You seem to have a steady and solid head on your shoulders and should do very well with Prime. I obtained my CDL by going through Prime's training and documented my experience here as well, right up to the point I went home due to my wife having some complications with her pregnancy. I was out of trucking for nearly a year and when I tried to return I tried to return to Prime, but they said no :(. I still think Prime is a great place to get your start, it's not the easiest carrier to work for as they expect you to be a grown adult and make the right decisions but they do not treat you unfairly. I am now driving a flatbed for Swift and enjoy it here just as much. Good luck to you and be safe on the road!

You seem to have a steady and solid head on your shoulders and should do very well with Prime. I obtained my CDL by going through Prime's training and documented my experience here as well, right up to the point I went home due to my wife having some complications with her pregnancy. I was out of trucking for nearly a year and when I tried to return I tried to return to Prime, but they said no :(. I still think Prime is a great place to get your start, it's not the easiest carrier to work for as they expect you to be a grown adult and make the right decisions but they do not treat you unfairly. I am now driving a flatbed for Swift and enjoy it here just as much. Good luck to you and be safe on the road!

Thank you Allan and best wishes to you. Glad to hear things worked out for you in the long run. I am considering going tanker division but have questions about it before I go that route. I have heard that being tanker reduces the ability of the dispatcher to match the driver up to requested destinations, i.e. when I want to take days off in a particular city and need a load to take me there. Also I have heard that there can be more deadheading and more chances of there being gaps in getting loads compared to reefer. But I want to talk to someone here at Prime that is in it and can give me firsthand information.

Be blessed and be safe!

Thank you Allan and best wishes to you. Glad to hear things worked out for you in the long run. I am considering going tanker division but have questions about it before I go that route. I have heard that being tanker reduces the ability of the dispatcher to match the driver up to requested destinations, i.e. when I want to take days off in a particular city and need a load to take me there. Also I have heard that there can be more deadheading and more chances of there being gaps in getting loads compared to reefer. But I want to talk to someone here at Prime that is in it and can give me firsthand information.

Be blessed and be safe!

I see a ton of Prime tankers in the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan part of my route. If I remember correctly, the tanker specific training is in the Chicago area. I have not seen a Prime tanker in the southeast. Does not mean they are not here of course. Schnieder has a huge tanker fleet and I see those guys everywhere. The nice thing about Prime tanker is that it is all food grade though. Oh, have you been to the Millenium Building yet? I do miss that terminal. There is not a nicer one in the nation for any company.

I see a ton of Prime tankers in the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan part of my route. If I remember correctly, the tanker specific training is in the Chicago area. I have not seen a Prime tanker in the southeast. Does not mean they are not here of course. Schnieder has a huge tanker fleet and I see those guys everywhere. The nice thing about Prime tanker is that it is all food grade though. Oh, have you been to the Millenium Building yet? I do miss that terminal. There is not a nicer one in the nation for any company.

Prime has two tanker regions, the eastern one that is pretty much midwest and northeast and then the rest of the country. They do cover all lower 48 states. What I'm not sure about is how much. If tanker is not my best option here and I still want to go that route in the future, I could always search for a company that would be a good match that way. I would like to find out Prime can do it for me.

Yes, I have been to the Millennium and have heard others say the same thing as you. It is a very nice place and quite the layout for their truckers. I feel fortunate to have decided on Prime. As I reflect back......the whole ONE month since I started even looking into this....LOL.......it is amazing how well it's all fallen into place. TT helped so much. The input from the people on here has been a true blessing. And now I am less than 2 weeks from taking my CDL exam. I feel like I'm living an out of body experience because when I took this step I hit the RESET button on my life and that it has been.

when I took this step I hit the RESET button on my life and that it has been.

Randy this gets down to what we are always trying to instill in people's understanding that this is more of a lifestyle than it is a job - you are just getting started and you will continue to find that this is more of a reset than you probably could even imagine at the beginning.

I guess I am just a bit worried about starting something new. The feeling of knowing I will have a massive vehicle that is under my total control is a bit over whelming. Like I have mentioned, I have been out on quite a few runs with my brother in law (he actually did let me drive for about 100 miles, from rest area to rest area) so it was all freeway miles but it was a fun experience.

My other concern is getting into schooling and having to sit there forever until I can get out on my own. I am skiddish to having a trainer who isnt "like me" for example, I have heard stories about trainers who dont like to stop for showers, dont like to stop for bathroom breaks. I do not want to get stuck with one of them types.

I am a recently laid off web designer and at the age of 37 I am going to be honest and say I am a bit nervous to actually go for it. I know I wont have any issues when it comes to the driving part but I know it will be a whole new world compared to what I am used to. Not being home but 2 days every 2 weeks would be a downfall having 2 young children, That would take a while to get used to. Also coming from a small town in TN, I would be a nervous wreck if they sent me to say NYC.. I dont handle going through Nashville in a SUV to well, I would hate to see it in NYC with a semi.

I think I am going to take your advice though and get everything going as far as getting my permit and everything. Maybe go have a few more talks with my uncle who was actually a trainer back in his day. And when and if the time comes, I will take the plunge and just go for it. There wouldnt be nothing like going down the road and getting paid to see the country.

when I took this step I hit the RESET button on my life and that it has been.

Randy this gets down to what we are always trying to instill in people's understanding that this is more of a lifestyle than it is a job - you are just getting started and you will continue to find that this is more of a reset than you probably could even imagine at the beginning.

Not in my case. I was looking for THE reset. This is precisely what I needed.