Comments By Garrett J.

I did the agility test last week and am now on TNT. It’s separate from the DOT physical. All they made us do was pick up a tarp and put it on a shelf then take it back down. No box lifting or anything else. Everyone did it no problem. Hope this helps.

Are they currently doing hair follicle tests?

Most of your reasoning is not based on reality.

In theory, flatbed would get fewer miles because of the securement. However, and if Kearsey jumps in, she can verify this, but, on average, you spend a lot longer waiting at the shipper and receiver with reefer than it does to take me even my longest securement.

As far as busy or slow season, if you look at the DAT load boards flatbed ALWAYS has more loads per available track in any other division. And it completely went off the charts during the covid pandemic. So, while there is a supposed Slow season in the winterhave never slowed down in the past year at all in any way shape or form.

Good to know... interesting too. Thanks for that Chief.

Hey, on a really unrelated note... this scary scenario just popped into my head: driving for 10 hours in almost total silence.

For the vast majority of TNT, you're driving while your trainer's back there sleeping- then you trade, correct? So since one person is always sleeping (or trying to) the driver cant play music/podcasts/audiobooks/whatever though the speakers. Can you listen with your headset?

I'm a musician and music is a pretty big deal for me. Not being able to listen to anything while driving for about 10 hours sounds pretty unpleasant.

Not asking Chief in particular, asking anybody. Didn't want to start a brand new topic for such an insignificant topic, so I figured I'd just ask here.

Best to err on the side of caution, instead of throwing it to the wind.

Yep, my thinking exactly.

Yes, already got my class A. Went to a private school.

Prime does $1400 in tuition reimbursement as long as you get to orientation within 45 days of getting your license. Unfortunately, looks like I wont be making the deadline. :(

WE does up to $6000 in tuition reimbursement. Pretty badass huh

Just wondering how Garrett was going to be trained, if he went with Western. Appreciate your input. They are a 'saving Grace' in this industry, even if it's just IMHO....!

~ Anne ~

Having my cdl already, it would be 3-4 days unpaid orientation and 1-4 weeks teaming with a trainer. How long it takes depends on you. $650/week gross. There's a road test between orientation and training.

I'm still wondering if Western Express is back to 'training' again, since the tornado ( any intel? ) . . . Garrett never 'did' say. Hmm..

By 'training' do you mean paid cdl school, or cdl but no experience training like TNT as prime calls it? They're doing "TNT" for sure. Not sure about the other. Just emailed my recruiter.

Damn voice-to-text.

Flatbed is a lot cooler to pick that.

Seriously, Garrett . . . I agree, as does my other half. It just wasn't for us.. we liked tanks better, back in the day.

Flatbedders are a 'breed' of their own; the camaraderie still exists; and he's (we've) noticed that fact... even HERE!

WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK?

SweetLew just left 12 years driving in the Army, and went Prime C'seat TNT...flatbed!! If the price of the 'tools' are spooking you.... quit thinking on that!

Just my 2 cents, as always! If I were you, I'd go skateboarding!!

Less wait times, better scheduling, idk... on and on and on.

Again, just me.

~ Anne ~

No, the tools isn't holding me back anymore. I suppose what's holding me back is:

I think refer might just be the better start for a rookie. Brett has an article on here where he says dry van or refer is definitely the better way in over flatbed for rookies... just more simplicity, less dangerous & less stress on top of an already very stressful experience. Its his opinion of course, but it makes sense and I agree with it.

Plus, for Prime, refer drivers get more miles on average and see a little more of the country apparently. From what I've gathered, at Prime all the divisions make about the same at the end of the day...so that means more hard work and stress doing flatbed for just a bit more if not the same I'd make doing refer.

Also, if the economy crashes hard soon- that would have a pretty dramatic effect on flatbed work, but not so much at all on refer. *Has the increase in the prices of building materials lately and these mysterious "product shortages" already had an effect on flatbed work, by chance?

I would be starting out in flatbed moving into the slow season for that division.

What's interesting though is that I'm definitely feeling "pulled" toward flatbed for some reason, despite how logic is telling me to go refer. Like its a gut feeling/intuition thing. Maybe its just that flatbed sounds more exciting and stimulating whereas refer sounds pretty boring. I've always done better at jobs that were exciting, dynamic and non-routine. Routine and complacency destroys me. Its that quality that inadvertently led me down the path to become a chef- something I NEVER thought I'd become. Just the thought of having an office cubicle job has always depressed the s*** out of me.

Im having such a hard time choosing between refer or flatbed. Its ridiculous.

I feel like I'm never gonna be able to decide and am gonna have to just flip a coin

Can anybody on the inside at Prime confirm if part of their DOT physical for the flatbed division currently consists of:

Picking up a box that weighs 100 lbs and lifting it to your chest, and taking a rolled tarp off a 6 ft shelf, putting it on the ground, then putting it back on the shelf?

How much does the tarp weigh?

Garrett, allow me to play a little game with you. It's just for fun and maybe we can both learn something.

Assume you are the owner of a flatbed trucking company. You are having trouble with your drivers calling the terminal and claiming they need to be routed in to a terminal to pick up a new set of tarps. Somebody stole theirs off the truck last night at the truck stop. Or maybe their straps keep getting stolen. It's really starting to irritate you, because it is costing you a lot of money. How do you handle that situation?

Ohhhhhh I see....

...I would make them pay for the equipment so they stop selling the free stuff on the flatbed securement equipment black market. Lol

Ok. It all makes sense now.

There are other companies that do. Look at r&l carriers for city p&d I’ve heard they make them buy there own pallet jack. Just what I’ve heard.

Pretty shady on Prime's part if you ask me. But hey, I guess that's one way they get away with paying a little higher than the average. Always a trade-off.

What's shady about it? I'm not seeing anything I'd call shady.

Laura

Referring to how they make you pay for the equipment. No other company does that. I guess it's not too shady to make you to pay if its brand new, but if they already own it they should just give it to you and make you pay for any lost or damaged items.

Just the pallet jack? Well, that's not EVERYTHING the driver needs to perform their job.

I just think a better way to go about it would be: each flatbed trailer has its own designated set of equipment that stays with it and if any additional equipt is needed for a job, the company provides it. If the driver wants additional equipment that isn't necessary, they provide it. If any of the equipment is damaged or lost, the driver pays for repairs and replacements.

I don't think there should be any costs to an employee to perform a job they were hired to perform other than the time the job costs them. Different story for independent contractors and O/Os of course. Just my opinion.