Posting Prime Week 1 Orientation

Howdy Folks, sorry I haven't posted yet but I've been spending as much time training as I possibly can.

Day 1 6:30 am --- Arrived at Campus Inn directly from Greyhound Station total trip time 45 hours after 2 breakdowns and a driver who quit. No time to eat or sleep and the campus rooms are filled at this time so I can't shower before class. Also they hand out a packet of paperwork you need to fill out before and during class.

7:00 am--- Orientation Meeting -- They do a roll call to see who is there ( don't miss any roll calls ). Missing roll call is like being late for a delivery. If you can't make roll call you will be on the Greyhound back home really quick. After that they explain the days events which is broken in a few sections. Security speaks about the new application you will have to fill out and the importance of correcting anything you may have missed on the online application. If you did not disclose something you must put it on this application, they aren't joking they do a thorough backround check. They then broke us up in two groups.

9:00 am --- Apex - Basically run by Prime physical therapists they test you on range of motion, lifting, and climbing. The whole test lasts 5 minutes but like myself I had to wait in line for approximately an hour.

10:00 am --- Blood Pressure and drug test-- Since there are so many students the line was extremely long blood pressure needs to be at least 140/90 I passed with a 138/88. Then the urinalysis for drug testing and diabetes. (This takes quite a while so be patient). The student before me had a problem and his sample was too small. The nurse called security and they removed him from class, I saw him later and he was being sent home. They gave him till 6:00 pm to collect a sample and said he couldn't. I see many people on TT about the drug test and whether a failed test can be reported to DMV as a prehire and here's the answer. If you already have your permit YES. If you don't NO, but it does state on any application you fill out for any trucking company have you ever failed any prehire drug screen on all applications. Also if you can't pee it goes down as a refusal.

1:00 pm --- Nurses station check weight and height, eye exam and hearing exam. This is also where you will find out if you have to do a sleep study for Apnea. Unfortunately I fell in the range so I will have to do a sleep study on Thursday.

2:30 pm --- Doctor eyes ears and throat, small range of motion, reflexes, hernia, and records review.

4:30 pm --- Not enough time for my interview they close at 5 and there is 35 people in line. I decide to see if my room was ready ( it was ). So I check in, the rooms are ok, kind of like a clean older Motel 6

5:30 pm --- Dinner all your meals are paid during orientation nothing fancy but a very nice meal Chicken Cordon Blu with rice and green beans and an Oatmeal Cookie

6:00 pm --- Homework in the Lab, In the packet you get at checkin they give you 8 videos you need to watch and test afterwards. These need to be done by Wednesday so I knocked them off today. No better time then the present. Your score also needs to be 100% on all the tests to pass.

9;30pm --- Shower and Bed Goodnight

Day 2 6:00 am --- Breakfast ( yogurt, 2 turkey sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and a banana) I was 22 cents over on my allowance darn! This is only what I had, they do have a wide variety of food you can chose from. You get an allowance for each meal, and you can get more than enough to eat with what they give you.

7:30 am --- Logging Class with Lisa) Basically Lisa hands you a new paper log book and shows you how to fill it out during your Orientation. The reason you need to fill your log book out id because you need the last 7 days before you go on the road filled out.

8:30 am --- Roll Call

9:00 am --- Brooke talks to us about what we need to finish , also explains the procedure for the DMV. Since I already have my permit all I need is my interview, DOT med card and change of residency to go and get my Missouri Permit. Since I was able to finish my physical I only have my interview left. Brooke explains she needs the people that need to take their permit test to do their interview first thing if they haven't already completed it. Which means I have to hang back a bit until I can do mine.

10:30 am --- They hand out the first Med Cards and residency form. Mine was in there YEAH

12:00 pm --- I noticed the line was getting shorter for the interview so I jumped in it ( sometimes you need to be a little proactive and just figure those who wanted to go test at the DMV today would already be in line). Took over an hour to get to see the interviewer, some people take 45 minutes and some 5 depending on their record and backround. Mine was around 5 minutes no problems. You need to give them 100.00 at this time for administration cost and fees at this time. Had to lone a guy $2 so he could pay for it

1:00 pm --- Lunch ( spaghetti )

2:00 pm --- Noticed a small group of 3 doing a pre inspection in the parking and asked if I could watch, which of course was fine. I finished everything I needed to do today since I missed the 1 o'clock bus to the DMV. I learned a little watching him, a real nice trainer he gave us tips and pointers.

3:00 pm --- I had a choice to make sit back and drive a simulator at 4 or go to the DMV. Which did I choose and why?

Drum Roll

Simulator it is and here's the reasoning- First driving a simulator is cool but important is the only people able to complete this task are the people who completely done with everything and as long as you had a permit which was only about 10 of us. Tomorrow the lines for simulators will be super long. Their are 90 or so people still here and who knows how long it will take to finish whereas they permit is a quick stop at the DMV.

4:00 pm Started simulator training, a little stressful in the beginning. Trying to get used to double clutching , scanning mirrors and the length of the trailer. I improved as the program went on then I finished. Brad was nice enough to let us stay as long as we wanted after everyone was finished. So I was able to practice till 9:30 and with each time I was able to do things a little better.

9:30 pm Back to the room writing this and its really late need sleep Good Night

They do a roll call to see who is there ( don't miss any roll calls ). Missing roll call is like being late for a delivery.

Great tip Thanks for sharing

Wow what a marathon bus ride

Look forward to your new posts

Don

Day 3 --- 6:00am Breakfast ( Yogurt, turkey sausage, and 1 scrambled egg )

8:00 am --- In class for roll call, they also handed out med cards for people who finished their physicals on Tuesday.

9:00 am --- After they finished, anyone who did not finish Physicals, Interviews or there permit exam were sent to finish that portion. People that did finish were able to attend the classroom portion of the Pre Trip Inspection. Ray ( the man in charge of training went over every aspect of a full pre inspection and each part of it.

Note) Before class started I explained to Ray I didn't transfer my Florida Permit yet and asked when would be the best time in which he said 1300 hrs.

11:45 am --- Broke for lunch ( Salad )

12:30 pm --- Went back to pre inspection class to watch a pre inspection video

1:03 pm --- Class broke, 5 of us ran to catch the shuttle bus to DMV (watched it drive away without me). I wasn't going to let this stop me so I sprung for a cab ride for all 5 of us. I now have temporary residency and a permit from the State of Missouri and one more objective done. The transfer was only $7.50

3:00 pm --- Review Class on the Pre Trip

4:00 pm Dinner ( Beef Brisket, broccoli, and Peas )

5:00 pm Study for pre trip and Sleep on to day 4

Hi Brian. Your diary is super awesome. I have a question. Did they ever give you results of your drug test. My son completed his 3rd day and given med card, even changed his permit over to MIssouri. Can we assume he already passed his drug test