Comments By Brian P.

My name is Brian, I am 31 years of age. I am currently writing this from the hotel Prime provided, located in Pittston PA. For now I feel that Prime has been very accommodating with overall everything including me being a day late to orientation, I'll tell that story after the introduction. I was a chef beforehand but even before corona it was hard to make ends meet. I had watched many trucking/nomadic videos on youtube and after having done my own research I decided to become a driver. I don't have kids and the only people back home are my parents so I figured this would be an excellent opportunity for me because nothing is holding me back. That said I'm still a bit home sick and like many have said before me, I wish I could be there at all times to protect my loved ones, but a man has to earn and provide.

So before I tell the story of why I was a day late I want to state that I have no prior experience driving a truck, not even a pickup with a trailer. I am truly a greenhorn. I have nobody helping me or any info outside of what I read online or watched on YouTube. I know some people said they have known a trainer or two and were able to get some information early which helped tremendously. I have none of this, only the drive to succeed, so much so I've created my own diary to keep my head straight, and help those that are in a similar situation to myself.

So let's begin....

Day -1 This was a day before I was scheduled for orientation, a Sunday. I didn't want to take the bus that Prime provided because it was a 16 hour drive, so i decided to take my own car. I got 4 new tires put on by Pep Boys, they had the better deal that day. I left at about 1pm and the drive was about 8 hours from North Carolina. I'm familiar with the drive because I'm originally from NY. I packed all my stuff, looked over the car for any problems, said my final goodbyes and was on my way. About the time I hit the Virgin border, 2 hours into the trip my car started vibrating, I pulled into a gas station and noticed my front driver side tire had grown bubbles in the side wall. I called Pep Boys roadside assistance and got a tow which wouldn't be able to come and get me for another few hours (about 8:45 at night). Since it was Sunday the closest Pep Boys which was located an hour away in Petersburg VA was already closed. I was desperate not to miss orientation or pay for an unnecessary hotel room, so I began looking for any emergency tire place that could help me, I found one and I took a long shot and asked Pep Boys if they could take me to that shop (I already knew the answer but hey it was worth a try). Of course the answer was no, I've already been sitting out in 90+ degree weather for a few hours so I got frustrated about the entire situation and hung up. At about 8:45, the scheduled pick up time came around and nobody showed up so I called roadside assistance again, the agent told me the prior agent I hung up on assumed I was taking it to the other shop and canceled the request on his own accord, I did not say anything about wanting to cancel it, only that I was curious and wanted to see if they could tow me to the emergency tire shop. So I had to reinstate the service. The agent calls me back and says they found somebody to tow me but it would take them an hour to get to me. I didn't get picked up until 11:15. While waiting, a truck driver that was parked at the gas station came over and asked why I was there for so long, I told him my story. He looked at the tire and said it was a tire defect, that the inside belt was ruined and that's what caused the bubbles and vibrations. I forgot to mention I called Primes weekend emergency line and told the recruiter what happened as soon as I stopped at the gas station. So at about midnight I finally get to the Pep Boys and purchase a hotel room for the night, right across the street. First thing in the morning, on Monday, I told them to give me a new tire, about 2 hours later I'm on my way to PA, still a 6 hour drive. I made it to the orientation hotel and let the recruiter know that the hotel threw out my application packet because I didn't show up on time. My new orientation date is in two days, Wednesday. But they want me to come in tomorrow, Tuesday to complete CBT's. I'm still excited to be here, just mentally exhausted.

Cheers, Brian

PS any Prime trainers on here willing to train me? I'd be more comfortable requesting somebody that getting a completely random person.