Choose Prime Over Swift

Mason, and all of the other respondents:

Thank you for a very well thought out series of posts, very insightful and informational.

I am in the process of determining the path to start my career as a OTR trucker. My first contact with a recruiter was with CR England, she told me that they can not take candidates from the state of Connecticut because of there rather strict DOT rules/regulations and testing (that figures).

Then I began to search around a little more in the hopes of not becoming discouraged by that news, which is how I landed on those awesome and extremely insightful website, thank you Brett!! Since I would say that Prime is probably at the top of my list with Swift, Knight and Roehl all running close behind. I suspect, and fear, that they will all tell me what the CR England recruiter did that CT folks have to go through state training facilities. This is likely what I will do, and the direction I aim leaning anyway, the only drawback is the upfront funding to do so. The company-sponsored driver training programs, such that Prime offers, were really appealing in that regard for little out-of-pocket upfront costs. But I may just have to swallow that awful-tasting pill and get on with the process.

Lastly, I would like to say that the decision and choice to go the "trucking" route is little unexpected. I am 51, have been in construction for 25 plus years as a manager in one form or another, was laid off in January '14, and am scrambling to find another job. The bright side of this is that I have been getting tired of the construction scene and all of it's irregularities (to put it nicely) so a change toward a career in an industry that I have always had a great admiration for seemed like a good one.

I will hopefully keep you all posted with any developments and "journaling" when I get to that juncture.

Thanks again and Happy Trucking!

Jim

Mason, and all of the other respondents:

Thank you for a very well thought out series of posts, very insightful and informational.

I am in the process of determining the path to start my career as a OTR trucker. My first contact with a recruiter was with CR England, she told me that they can not take candidates from the state of Connecticut because of there rather strict DOT rules/regulations and testing (that figures).

Then I began to search around a little more in the hopes of not becoming discouraged by that news, which is how I landed on those awesome and extremely insightful website, thank you Brett!! Since I would say that Prime is probably at the top of my list with Swift, Knight and Roehl all running close behind. I suspect, and fear, that they will all tell me what the CR England recruiter did that CT folks have to go through state training facilities. This is likely what I will do, and the direction I aim leaning anyway, the only drawback is the upfront funding to do so. The company-sponsored driver training programs, such that Prime offers, were really appealing in that regard for little out-of-pocket upfront costs. But I may just have to swallow that awful-tasting pill and get on with the process.

Lastly, I would like to say that the decision and choice to go the "trucking" route is little unexpected. I am 51, have been in construction for 25 plus years as a manager in one form or another, was laid off in January '14, and am scrambling to find another job. The bright side of this is that I have been getting tired of the construction scene and all of it's irregularities (to put it nicely) so a change toward a career in an industry that I have always had a great admiration for seemed like a good one.

I will hopefully keep you all posted with any developments and "journaling" when I get to that juncture.

Thanks again and Happy Trucking!

Jim

I am now in the decision process myself, both about driving and if so, what school. I am 56 and this is a HUGE change for me and one I never envisioned but have interest in now. I started out by first seeing CRST but I'm not so sure about the long term team driving. They may have the shortest contract time of 8 months, but when that is all with another person inside a truck 24/7 for months on end....that could seem like years!!!

I looked at Swift but they require 2 years in order to get back what is paid in the first year and the training pay is not as good as what I saw with Prime and neither is the pay once done with training.

Prime is at the top of my list right now because I like the overall package of how they handle the upfront costs, tuition, pay, training, and the ability to be solo once the miles are achieved. I have appreciated all of the great info on here.

Tomorrow I will take some of the next steps.....DOT physical, getting driving records, and contacting Prime to see if they consider me an option. I am already studying for the written test and plan to have that before I go.

Talked with a recruiter this morning first thing by calling in to them. Had a great conversation and help from her. She told me to apply online and call her back and she would expedite my application. She is working on it as I type this. She said I could expect an answer very quickly and might be able to start as soon as Monday, if I am ready to go by then.

Will be working on what I need to do before leaving and getting ready to go this week....expecting a yes!

I want to thank those on here that have helped me learn a lot in a short amount of time about this career and the process of getting there.

Brett....I bragged on your site to them. I imagine they will add your site to the list of "how did you hear about PRIME?"

She wanted to see it so she could compare the info.....some of it has just changed. I know one thing is that they no longer are requiring the PERMIT to be obtained before going. Because of the endorsements needed (TANKER included) they have decided it best to be done there. I asked about the DOT physical and that too is being done there at the training site.

The application process was not bad. I was able to complete it fairly quickly.

I'm currently in day 3 of prime orientation for company sponsored CDL training. I elected to drive my own vehicle from South Carolina all the way out to Springfield, Missouri. I got here about 10 Sunday night and got checked in (elected to get my own room). They gave me a map of the campus inn, orientation schedule, and an application packet to be filled out that night. I finished that around 12 and had to be in class at 7am the next morning (Monday). I arrive in class around 6:45 and wait. They went through a program review, etc. After this the nurses office comes in and tells us about the drug test and physical that will be done within the next few hours. We are all taken to the nurses office where we wait, wait and wait to pee in a cup for the nurse. After this we have blood pressure, height, weight, eyesight, pulse and BMI checked. After this is complete we wait for the doctor to take us into the exam room one by one. Off with shoes, socks and shirt (ladies keeps shirts on). We have to have reflexes checked, bend both knees and take a step, then pull down your drawers, turn your head and cough. After all of this you go into the office at the campus inn where all of this is taken place and meet with the office folks for your final interview and get your temporary badge. In between all of this you can go to the 'cafe' for lunch and use your breakfast/lunch/dinner card that they give you to get something to eat. That pretty much sums up Monday. Tuesday we are to go down to the DMV and take our permit test (boy was I in for a suprise). We had roll call at 8am and for those who didn't finish medical or interviews had to get that completed before doing anything else. Have to have temporary med card and temporary residency along with drivers license and birth certificate or passport to take the permit test. Them the folks who rode a bus here got to wait until 1pm to catch the shuttle to the DMV to test, me, I hopped into my car and rode over to test. I get there, they get me set up and I start general knowledge, no problem, I passed. Next was air brakes and BOOM, nothing I studied! I failed miserably. (BTW you can test twice per test)

Next up was combination test and again, not what I have been studying (failed). Prime requires tanker endorsement so I take the test and you guessed it, missed it by one (awesome). I go back out to the lobby and see a random Missouri CDL manual laying on the table. I grab it and take it with me back to the room. At this point it's about 5pm and I start cramming and reading and highlighting and taking notes. The next morning (Wednesday) the highway patrol would be giving the test on paper at the campus inn at 8:45. We attend roll call at 8:30 and then we're over a couple rooms where the instruction is giving on what is about to take place at testing. After waiting about an hour in line, I'm next. I give them birth certificate, drivers license and yesterday's print out from the DMV , he hands me the air brakes test, I find a seat and get started on the 20 question test. 15 minutes later, I received a 95 on that test. He asks if I'm ready for combination, I say yes, he gives me the test, I go back to the same seat. 15 minutes later I received a 91 on the test (80 passes). He then asks if I'm ready for tanker so I grab the test, head back to this lucky chair and score another 95. I take all of my documentation down to the DMV and pay my $32.50 and have my class A CDL permit. The others had to wait until 1pm for the shuttle to take them down their. The rest of the day was to kill until around 4 when we went into the sim lab where we took a series of 7 tests/practice situations on Wally's simulators. We finished this around 6 and we're done for today. Tomorrow morning we are in the orientation room for roll call and an insurance class, those who still need to get their permit will be off to the DMV to test again (they give you 8 tries). I will keep you all posted on how the rest plays out but so far so good as long as you stay focused and remember why you're here. I've noticed a lot of folks like to talk, a lot!!

I have some new info for all of you. I started TnT in August and started solo in November. Not sure exactly from which point Prime times this, but I have been given a 1cpm raise. I now make 0.35cpm.

Additionally, I have participated in two prime programs. The driver health and fitness program and dedicated driving.

First, The Driver Health and Fitness Program is a onetime only $300 program meant to keep you health. It lasts for 13 weeks with weigh in dates on the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks. All 4 weigh ins are done on the road. The only time you HAVE to go to a terminal , Springfield or Pittston is for the orientation. The orientation is a one day event where they explain the program and give you your supplies. The supplies consist of, at the time of my joining, an armband, collection of books & DVD and a watch. Along with the supplies you are told the basics of the program and how you will be interacting with your trainer. the point of the trainer is to advise you on how to make your diet healthy and suggest which exorcises you should be doing. For the diet you are essentially left to your own devices. They will suggest carb/fat/protein amounts but the food choices are your own. As for the exorcises, they are primarily endurance based, which I personally hate. Again, like the diet, you decide what you will be doing so long as it gets you to your target heart rate. For me, I choose to use a thi boxing routine designed by Bass Rutten. You however may choose, walking, running or anything else that gets the heart rate up.

Now for dedicated driving, currently I am working out of Olney IL at the Wal-Mart DC. I believe this Is what is meant by LTL. Here my job is to take a load to 1-4 stops per shift. At each stop, Wal-Mart or Sam’s club, I go on to the dock and count each pallet that comes off. Unlike OTR you have to be on dock to count the pallets and to remove their tracking stickers.

To get a dedicated position you apparently have to live within 25 miles of the DC. However, I asked about Olney IL and Shelbyville TN. There are additional dedicated positions, but I have no idea if they have the same requirements. I just know that if I decide to stay here, I will have to relocate from Oregon. For now I am just helping out.

Pay wise you do seem to make less money. This past pay period I made roughly $470 before taxes. However, that was only 4 days of work. The rest of my pay check was OTR on my way to Olney. This next week will be a full 7 days. Also, you are paid on a sliding scale that ends at 250 miles round trip. At that point you will make $96 preload. After 250 miles you will go back to the OTR pay rate, of roughly $0.40cpm, with no per dium.

Thus far it has all been night work, although not very concrete shift wise. By that I mean, I could be leaving the DC anywhere from 1700-2300. For me, this plays hell with my sleep schedule and is a definite advantage of OTR, granted dedicated has far less paperwork. I am the type of person who can sleep for 4-5 hours and then be up for the next 12 fairly easily. However, I don’t know which load I will be getting till the afternoon and that makes it difficult for me to plan my sleep efficiently. Therefore, I am actually finding it harder to sleep doing dedicated. And I prefer night work!

Now for dedicated driving, currently I am working out of Olney IL at the Wal-Mart DC. I believe this Is what is meant by LTL. Here my job is to take a load to 1-4 stops per shift. At each stop, Wal-Mart or Sam’s club, I go on to the dock and count each pallet that comes off. Unlike OTR you have to be on dock to count the pallets and to remove their tracking stickers.

I have really enjoyed reading these posts. I too worked for SuperWalmart/Sam's but I was operating out of the Tomah, WI DC. Everything you described is exactly what I remember it. Odd hours that you're receiving your load. Driving to locate your trailer in the herd. Mostly night driving. Finding sleep difficult between the fluctuating hours and reefer running.

I also remember many times at the dock where there'd be more than one fork lift driver and I'd be chasing down pallets that were already taken while I was removing the stickers from another pallet. It was okay work, but I was bummed that only the senior drivers were getting the real miles. Sometimes I felt more like a shag driver because I'd have multiple stops per trailer and all for a total of maybe 400-600 miles.

Still fond memories. Thanks for posting and sharing your story.

I would have gone with Prime also. Too bad my work history is spotty. They actually train.

Can you elaborate on the food situation....like what to bring, size of the fridge, etc?

Now which training are you referring to here? Because Prime used to send students on the road with a trainer for several months at a time. So I'm not sure what this portion of the training is.

As noted by Roadkill, the training I was referring to was my Prime Student Driver training (PSD). This is the pre-CDL stuff which Ernie explained very well. Thank you for that. If you like, you can look at PSD as consisting of 2 parts. First is the 1 week of class room work. Second is the actual driving where you should get your 10,000 miles. This should last 2-4 weeks before returning to Springfield to test for your CDL. After you obtain the CDL you move onto TNT. As my instructor puts it, in PSD you learn to pass the CDL test. In TNT you learn how to actually be a truck driver.

Thanks for all of the information here. I'm hoping to get started down at Prime in the next month.

So it looks like you could be done with the classroom portion in as little as a week however could be another week or two? During those added days its just hoping you are lucky enough to get out there and practice if the later staged groups aren't using the pads?

I'm trying to prepare as much as possible to start this journey. Because I'm limited on funds I want to get to the second phase of training as fast as possible to become a paid employee. I have saved up a good chunk so I should be fine even having to wait a little longer. I took my permit tests last week and got it and all endorsements taken care of. I'd rather not train with a smoker but I can sacrifice for a while to get out there sooner. I will probably need a sleep study, so my guess is that will add some time. Is there anything else I can do to get myself ahead of the game?

The class room stuff will only take 1 week. By that first Friday you must finish your computer based training, get the sleep study done if needed and receive your permit. I do know of 2 exceptions to this that are both medical related. First, I know of one guy that had to wait for his doctor back home to fax his previous sleep study paperwork to Prime. If Prime wants you to have a sleep study, and you have had one previously, ask if you can just have the paperwork from the previous study faxed to Prime. Remember, you pay for the sleep study, not Prime. The second involved some guys that had to wait for some military medical paperwork that Prime wanted to look at. If I remember it involved relatively recent surgeries they had while still in the military. Now, the reason I stayed longer than 1 week is because I was not lucky enough to get an instructor. If you are also lacking in luck, it will be as you said "During those added days it’s just hoping you are lucky enough to get out there and practice if the later staged groups aren't using the pads."

From the sound of it you're really well prepared. I don't know what else you could really do at this point. You've gone through our High Road Training Program, you've gotten your permit and endorsments, and you've researched the various companies. All that's really left is to pull the trigger and go for it.

Ill add something to this. Plan out how you will be handling your finances. Develop a budget, meal plan and even arrange for someone to pay your bills. I’ve actually got myself in a bit of trouble and had to ask my mother to pay my bills. The reason is that I use Wells Fargo and, at this time, Wells Fargo does not operate in Missouri. Also, most shippers, receivers and truck stops are not near any banks. Therefore, I was not able to deposit my pay advances into my checking account. Not in any way I could think of anyhow. if the people you owe money to accept money orders then you can get some at walmart. however, if your landlord, for some odd reason, will only accept checks, then plan ahead. I also suggest making a cook less meal plan. remember, you are on the instructors rig, you will be traveling during their schedule, will likely not have a lot of time to cook and most truck stops are not filled with healthy or cheap food.

I have a cdl ,but it's been a few years, would I have to do the 10,000 miles with Prime or the 30,000 with the trainer? Thanks for all great info.