Rejected By Prime!

I completed the online application last week for Prime. I got a call yesterday from a recruiter, he stated we can't move forward with my application because I haven't worked in the past six months and because I was terminated from my previous employer. I understand this may be there policy, but I persionly think its BS! Any suggestions on where I might try to go next? Thanks for any helpful feed back.

I completed the online application last week for Prime. I got a call yesterday from a recruiter, he stated we can't move forward with my application because I haven't worked in the past six months and because I was terminated from my previous employer. I understand this may be there policy, but I persionly think its BS! Any suggestions on where I might try to go next? Thanks for any helpful feed back.

Well looks like i won't be approved either. I took the last 8 months or so off from work because I wanted to see Colorado and camp out. I guess they are going to hold that against me. That's f'd up.

Well, keep looking. Here's a place to start. Company-Sponsored Training

My friend got turned down by Prime for being terminated at his last job but Swift didn't even blink at his application and they sent him the training information so it looks like they will accept him once he passes their practice test.

That's strange, they pick people up from unemployment offices from what I saw. I was employed for three years previously but saw plenty of unemployed people come through when I was going through orientation.

Be weary of any company sponsored training. I wish I was before I got into this debacle.

They bring 100+ people a week into their programs and it's pretty obvious they can't support that many people. They may have high turnover rates but there's no way. I've seen tons of people turned around once they get to the location for one reason or another for what their recruiter didn't tell them.

It looks like they balance the needs of what they need for what they have once they get you in. I've kept a positive attitude on all of this mind you until I waited for three weeks for a instructor. Then the instructor I was pinned with was a grumpy man with serious anger issues. I'm not sure how many people on this website are recruiters though I'm certain there's more than one. Just be weary is all I'm saying. Prime seems like a good company so far but they have their bad apples just like every other tree in the orchard.

Logically this isn't strange at all. First you have to realize that Prime is one of the hardest companies to break into your career with. I am with Prime and have talked to recruiting about their recruitment and this is what I learned. On average recruiting fields 5000 applications a week. Of the 5000 applications approximately 500 are chosen for phone interviews. Of which they narrow it down to approx. 50 people to go to Springfield and train. So why is it so difficult? Statistically the odds are already stacked against you in the first place. Now look at hiring potential employees from a company perspective. Some people believe the companies investment is only the initial training, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. After they train you with a 6000 dollar CDL license that's only the initial investment. After your training it on average costs a company 20000 to 40000 dollars afterward. So a company like Prime wants to retain you for as many years as it can. It costs a company far more to train a new employee than to retain them and prime is very successful at retaining drivers by giving them excellent benefit and pay packages, and making their terminals a place where drivers can feel like they are appreciated. The Prime drivers don't refer Springfield the Taj Mahal for nothing. So if retaining new drivers is their goal people with spotty work histories become a less than desirable candidate for training. What happens if you decide if you want to take 8 months to see Europe? As far as unemployed candidates I am sure they take them on a case by case basis and look at their overall work history. There is many reasons why someone may be on unemployment layoff, downsizing, or out of business. Unemployed people may have the desire to work, they just may have fallen into a situation not under their control.

I'm not sure how many people on this website are recruiters though I'm certain there's more than one.

It looks like they balance the needs of what they need for what they have once they get you in.

Jeremy, you're making a very common mistake that's going to create all kinds of grief for yourself. You're looking at situations where you can only see a tiny bit of what's going on and you're filling in the unknowns with what you believe must be true. To put it plainly, you think you know a lot more than you actually do. And where the damage gets done is when you take those false assumptions and start mistrusting and publicly insulting the very people who are trying to hire you or trying to help you with the right advice to get your career off to a great start.

First of all, nobody that I'm aware of on this website is a recruiter. I don't get paid to send anyone to any particular companies or schools and I'm not aware of anyone else that does here either. I can say with 100% certainty that none of our Moderators are recruiters of any sort and I've never even suspected that of any regular members. But by making that assumption you're of course determining that we can't be trusted. That would be a huge loss for you because we give nothing but honest, genuine, considerate advice to help people with their careers. That's our entire reason for existing and it's why I named the site TruckingTruth and not TruckingRecruiter or TruckerManipulator.

As far as the Company-Sponsored Training Programs are concerned they all bring in way more people than they're going to keep because at least 1/2 - 3/4 of those people will either lie on their applications, will fail the physical or drug test, can not drive a vehicle worth a lick, or do not have the personality to handle an intense, high pressure, highly dynamic environment like trucking. They're not bringing in 100 perfectly qualified proven people and sending most of them home. They're giving 100 complete strangers an opportunity to get trained and hired based solely upon what they've put on their application and what shows up on their background checks.

I highly recommend you figure out what it is you really know or don't know before you make any poor decisions or insult anyone else publicly.

Well looks like i won't be approved either. I took the last 8 months or so off from work because I wanted to see Colorado and camp out. I guess they are going to hold that against me.

Yes, they are. Prime doesn't hire anyone who has been recently unemployed because over the years they've found those people have a much higher rate of failure in this industry. Trucking is one of the most difficult and demanding jobs you'll find anywhere. It's best suited for people who are highly ambitious and eager to make things happen. People sitting around for month after month on unemployment aren't doing so because there are no jobs to be had. Prime would rather have people who want to work, even if it isn't their preferred job at their preferred wage. They want "movers and shakers" you could say.

Now obviously there's nothing wrong with taking a break from life and going camping for a while. I've done it myself many times. In fact I saved up a bunch of money one time and took 6 months off from trucking and stayed in an apartment on the beach in Florida and had a blast. Great fun. And Prime wouldn't have hired me after that either but I totally understand why that is.

I got a call yesterday from a recruiter, he stated we can't move forward with my application....Any suggestions on where I might try to go next?

I would just apply to all of the company-sponsored programs and see who is willing to give you a shot. Then you'll know what your options are.

I'm not trying to insult anyone I apolagize if it comes across like that. What I'm saying is they bring alot of people in and turn them away quite a few once they get to Springfield.

So far I'm happy with Prime, but there's a few more things they need to work on.

Be weary of any company sponsored training. I wish I was before I got into this debacle.

They bring 100+ people a week into their programs and it's pretty obvious they can't support that many people. They may have high turnover rates but there's no way. I've seen tons of people turned around once they get to the location for one reason or another for what their recruiter didn't tell them.

It looks like they balance the needs of what they need for what they have once they get you in. I've kept a positive attitude on all of this mind you until I waited for three weeks for a instructor. Then the instructor I was pinned with was a grumpy man with serious anger issues. I'm not sure how many people on this website are recruiters though I'm certain there's more than one. Just be weary is all I'm saying. Prime seems like a good company so far but they have their bad apples just like every other tree in the orchard.

Jeremy hang in there man. Prime is a good company, being as diverse company as they are they have all types of drivers. Unfortunately you just have someone who has a negative outlook on life, which is sad. One of the problems with Prime and I am sure many other companies is they have a hard time finding quality drivers with great teaching skills and good attitudes. To meet the demands of drivers for the future they rely on some drivers with great driving skills and less than adequate people skills. I had one such trainer myself. Rise above his personality and learn. You will be surprised how much you will learn what not to be like in the future. As long as he is giving you the tools you need to be successful in this journey than that's all one can hope. I know prime is looking how to expand their stable of trainers. One issue I know for sure is that Prime has far more lease and owner operator drivers then they do company drivers. This being said many of the drivers that fit this category that have all the tools to be great trainers won't due to liability issues. If a student wrecks their truck not only are they out income during the downtime of the rig. They are also responsible for the damages to the truck and injuries. With deductibles that can reach 10000 dollars it is understandable why so many great training candidates don't want to train.

I'm not trying to insult anyone I apolagize if it comes across like that. What I'm saying is they bring alot of people in and turn them away quite a few once they get to Springfield.

So far I'm happy with Prime, but there's a few more things they need to work on.

Hudsonhawk, I think you are looking at it entirely wrong. First I think Prime just like many other companies that train drivers have every intension of training you and retaining you as an employee when they sent you that bus ticket. The problems arise solely on the candidates that come to get trained. Some of the background checks and orientation objectives cannot be accomplished until you are physically at the training school. Candidates that are less than truthful in their applications, have Health concerns, cannot pass the idiot test ( drug test ) or do not study for their permit test prior to arriving and fail it are weeded out from training. It's the lack of truthfulness and preparation of the candidate that gets one sent home not the company. Why would they want to waste all that money to send anyone home, it doesn't make sense!