Comments By Etch

So in 2 weeks I leave for training at Prime! Figure I would start this diary now since between now and then I’ll be on a bear hunt for a week so really I only have 7 days of boredom to deal with before I start.

A little about me- I served 8 years in the Marine Corps infantry and then did 22 years as a firefighter/paramedic. I retired this last February. Didn’t take long to realize retirement is boring and expensive. There’s only so much golf one can play. I have family that are OTR drivers and started talking to them. Didn’t take much to convince me to do this. It’s chaotic, ever-changing, and very nomadic. Right up my alley. I started this journey right here on this website. I did all my research and asked a million questions. I compared different companies and talked to different drivers and trainers. I ended up with 3 different offers to attend their training programs. Went with Prime because it more closely aligned with what I was wanting out of this career. I’m not saying one company is better than the other, nor am I saying that Prime is the best out there. I’m saying Prime was a good fit for what I was looking for. That’s why it’s so important to not only do the research, but to also know what it is you want. Got to be your own advocate. There’s more involved than just holding a steering wheel.

So anyways, get to spend the next few days packing for PSD and TNT. I intentionally chose this time of year to begin training. I wanted to get winter driving experience while also having a trainer in the truck. Being from eastern Carolina, not a whole lot of winter driving happening here. My plan is to roll right from PSD into TNT and getting my 50k miles done. I’m making preparations to not be home for at least 5 months. Now that may change, but better to plan it that way instead of planning on being home in a month.

For those who are also just starting this journey- gobble up all the information you can! I haven’t found an instructor or driver yet that wasn’t willing to answer questions or help me. I would say be careful when it comes to the YouTube videos. While there is some very good and legit information on there, there is also some bad gouge that will give you misconceptions about the job or a particular company. Be leery about the people who post videos trashing their particular company. Remember this- it doesn’t matter one bit what your last job was. If you are going to a company sponsored training program then recognize that you bring nothing to the table and be humble. I don’t say that to demean anyone or discount any past experiences. I’m saying that walking into these places acting like you already know everything isn’t going to get you very far. Let your actions speak for you. Be confident, but also be teachable.

I’ll add to this thread as my training progresses. I’m very excited about this next chapter and can’t wait to get this going. Again, to all those on here that have tolerated my questions- thank you. This forum really is an excellent source of information and I encourage anyone looking to take full advantage of it.

Etch

Yes.

Yes, i mean can you take the test on a bus with just the permit?

For passenger you can take the written, but you have to test on a bus to get the endorsement on your license.

You can even do the actual driving parts of the passenger and bus endorsements with a permit?

I can only speak for North Carolina because I literally just went through this, but you can test out on all endorsements. Some companies may require certain ones like tanker or doubles-triples. DMV may try to give you a little grief. Just tell them that you need them to test. Haz-Mat is probably one you don’t want unless you absolutely need it for a job.

For passenger you can take the written, but you have to test on a bus to get the endorsement on your license.

You can even do the actual driving parts of the passenger and bus endorsements with a permit?

I can only speak for North Carolina because I literally just went through this, but you can test out on all endorsements. Some companies may require certain ones like tanker or doubles-triples. DMV may try to give you a little grief. Just tell them that you need them to test. Haz-Mat is probably one you don’t want unless you absolutely need it for a job.

I can only speak for North Carolina because I literally just went through this, but you can test out on all endorsements. Some companies may require certain ones like tanker or doubles-triples. DMV may try to give you a little grief. Just tell them that you need them to test. Haz-Mat is probably one you don’t want unless you absolutely need it for a job.

Hey Derrick, So it wasn’t long ago I was at the same starting point. Best advice- probably shouldn’t put companies on blast right out of the gate. You have to realize that none of these companies need you. They don’t need you, they didn’t need me, and they don’t need the hundreds of people applying every single day. They are in the position of being able to reject anyone on spec. Why? Because they have 100 people just like us lined up right behind us. Next thing is without any sort of driving experience don’t expect to make top dollar starting out. Absolutely everyone on here will tell you the same thing- this is a performance based job. You want more? Then put in the time, the miles, and the dependability to show you rate more.

Gotta be humble. These recruiters aren’t going to beg you to join their company. Honestly, you aren’t bringing anything to the table. I retired after 22 years in the fire service and you know what? I didnt bring anything to the table. Be humble and get your foot in the door. Be humble. Be humble. Be humble. Really can’t stress that enough. Nobody is saying grovel or beg, but recognize you aren’t holding the high hand right now. If this is something you really want to do then go in knowing you’ll take a financial hit, but be determined to make it a short term thing and work to make that top dollar.

I’ll be going to Springfield

Good luck! Any idea on which terminal you are headed to?

So after a month of research, asking questions, talking to various trainers and drivers from a long list of companies, I’ve decided to move forward with Prime. I’m not saying they are the best company out there- but they are the best for what I am looking for. To those that are asking what the best company to go to, this will always be the answer. You have to figure out what it is you want and then find a company that matches that the closest. After a lot of homework I narrowed it down to 3 companies. Had offers from all 3. I had to dig in even deeper to find out what would be the best fit for me. It is exhausting and at times disappointing, but I know I’m making the right choice and because of the work I’ve put in- Prime will be getting a very hardworking, loyal, driver. To those on here that took time to answer my questions- thank you. To those who took the time to put together all the resource material on here- thank you. To those that are either looking for or considering a driving career- DO THE HOMEWORK!! Just because you may know someone who works at a particular company doesn’t necessarily mean you will like it there. You have to figure what you want out of this job and then study the different companies out there. And I mean dig into them. Really scrutinize the information. Don’t just rely on the YouTube videos trashing a place or the word from a disgruntled former driver. Talk to the recruiters. Ask them a million questions. Ask questions on here. It could very well be that by the end of that studying you realize this may not be the job for you. Better to find that out now than wasting your time going through training. Take advantage of all the free information on here. It is current and it is VERY helpful. Oh, and be prepared for these companies to do just as much, if not more, research on you. Prime pulled my driving record and asked about my Texas drivers license. This is a license I haven’t had in like 30 years. I had to call the Texas DMV ( on a scale of 1-10, I do not recommend) and get the license number and expiration date. This license is so old that they don’t even have a record for it anymore. I called my recruiter and she said don’t worry about it, they got the info. What? How the hell did they get it and I couldn’t?? 😆 Just goes to show the resources they have and how deep they will dig on a potential student. But Nov 21 is my start date and I’m pretty excited. Now to spend the next several weeks studying pre-trip!!

So I remember when I was a kid my pops drove OTR and regional. I also remember the teamsters being a pretty big deal. This was back when Hoffa Jr was running for teamster president. I’m just curious about what happened. Teamsters don’t seem to be such a big deal anymore. During my 20+ years with the fire dept I was in the Union until I was promoted to supervisor level. I’m not going to say I’m 100% pro-Union. I’ve seen where it has helped as well as where it slowed things way down. In the fire service the Union can be a powerful tool for both firefighters as well as management who often find themselves caught between the crews and political minded city councils and mayors. Pt looking to start a whole debate on it, just curious about where the Union went.

After a LOT of research and irritating people on here with endless questions, I narrowed down to 5 companies I wanted to talk to. In each one the respective recruiter was very upfront with me in regards to the cost of the school and the length of the initial contract to repay that loan…..and it is essentially a loan. If you feel a particular recruiter wasn’t upfront with you, then there are 50 more out there to talk to. Many of these companies spell it out on their websites when it comes to requirements during and after training. Beyond that, things are constantly changing like Kearsey said. Required miles for TNT, pay while in training and on the road, length of time in class before you actually get on the road, hell the time it takes to even get a trainer to ride with changes. Just gotta stay vigilant and find the company that more close,unaligned with what it is you are looking for and what you want to get out of it. If all you want to do is drive then be prepared to get very limited information from a recruiter. These guys get hundreds of applications a week (info I recently learned) so they are pretty tuned in when it comes to first impressions when talking to an applicant. Write out what it is you want. Research these companies and write a pro/con list if need be. Ask your recruiter specific questions beyond how long do I have to drive? That just comes across as someone who plans on bolting before the ink on their CDL is dry.

Just don’t suspend hiring in NC!