Comments By GlamGirl

For Prime's tanker division you only need tanker endorsement. No HazMat. They haul foodgrade only, no chemicals. So milk, orange juice, liquid sweeteners, that sort of stuff. Sorry Anchorman, but the 'stache is incorrect today!

There are quite a few tanker companies that do foodgrade only. There is one by me that does liquid chocolate! Can you imagine hauling liquid chocolate... lol.

I highly suggest you get every endorsement possible. It opens up doors. The HazMat thing depends on your state. I am in PA and I took the HazMat knowledge test the same day I took all my other tests. THEN I went to get fingerprints. So contact your DMV and ask how your state handles it.

Good luck! Very good choice on Prime Tanker division. They were my 2nd choice and I almost went with them. I believe you'll be mostly running NJ and down the I-95 corridor, and east of the Mississippi.

Thanks for the information....it was enlightening....now I have a better understanding....I was wondering what type of substances I would be hauling as a Tanker Driver....Thanks AGAIN....

GlamGirl@ThinkingAboutAnew Career...I appreciate the in depth information on testing and the step process....i really appreciate that!

Well, I decided to give it a shot. I am now the proud owner of a CDL - A Learner Permit with tanker, twin, and passenger endorsements. I have paid my money for the HME background check and will be getting the fingerprints done tomorrow I hope. The ice weather is supposed to move in tomorrow so I may have to wait. If all goes well, I will be able to test out hazmat in a week or two and then off to school.

As for test, it was a breeze. Thank you High Road CDL training. Thank you Brett! Thank you everybody for all the encouragement, support and advice I have received. I would not have passed these as easy without any of you!

The two officers at DMV looked at me strange when I walked and said I wanted to test for my CDL - A learners and every endorsement I could. She said "Well, lets see if you get through the CDL - A first." I said "OK" because I was confident. She said that I had a lot of test and it was going to take a long time. So I sat down at the computer screen around 1215. By 1325, I was done! Both of the officers were surprised I passed them all and only had 4 wrong answers in roughly 150 questions. They said they had never seen someone walk in and pass them all at the same time. As I was taking my picture, she stated, "I will be glad to take you out for the driving part." I thanked her.

Then I told them about truckingtruth.com. They asked me to write down the website so they could tell others about it.

I rocked those test and in a couple of weeks I will rock the hazmat too. Thanks High Road CDL Training!

Congrats! Im getting geared up to test this week as well...wish me luck!

OKAY, Do I need to also study for hazmat and tanker....I'm going with Prime Inc in their tanker division but the recruiter told me to study general knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicles....It just dawned on me...that I didn't ask that question......

Im going to continue studying this next couple days. Whenever the ice storm clears hopefully, I can test on 2/14 Fri and be ready to leave by Sun.....

Keeping my focus!

Accepted PRIME...now I am studying for my permits before I leave......I am thinking on leaving Sat/Sun.......and start training on Mon......... The weather here is what is the determining factor.....

That sounds like a good plan...And call your friends who you are using for references...and tell them how important it is to you to get those letters sent back...they may not know how badly you want this !!!

I receive my call today form Prime....I am checking in with WIA still to see if they can cover the cost of a private school before I make my decision. SOOOO EXCITED.......

CONGRATS! You will do well....I have a buddy that I drove transit with he too is a reservist and was interested in that same job.....

WOW.....STAY ENCOURAGED!

Starcar,

I appreciate that....I will do....Im nervous but excited! I started the practice test and I also went to my local DMV and obtained a copy of the manual....Im going to try and obtain my permit before training. Also, does anyone drive or know anything about PAM transport?

I had the same problem with Prime returning calls but also being a female you have to understand they will usually have a waiting list to be trained. Back in 2012 Primes was a year long for females. Like Brett said Its not so much the attentivness of the recruiter but whether the school/company is a good fit for you. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! I was in contact with 30 companies 12 actively. If I wanted to know something I asked. Now I do admit I did diiss a few due to their recruiting department. Having a background in management before this there are somethings I dont tolerate Well and idiots are one of them. Good Luck

Lol.....Good point! Thanks Redgator

"ThinkingAboutANewCareer" & Brett,

I really appreciate both you guys input.....Im sure it will work it self out. I did talk with Roehl today and got some information about the company and their training process. I am just so excited about my decision that I am truly remaining optimistic about any choice that I shall make. It makes me feel good that I have you all fellow career veterans and rookies alike to guide me with insight, suggestions opinions, and pros and cons!

Thanks Guys!

*Staying Focused

Ok, you guys are making a very common mistake when it comes to choosing a trucking company. You're letting the attentiveness (or lack thereof) of the recruiters affect your thinking about the company. Nothing could be further from the reality. Whether or not recruiters are quick to respond and attentive to your questions has no correlation whatsoever to the quality of the company and how you'll be treated once you start there. To say you're not going to work for Prime Inc because the recruiters won't call you back is like saying you won't buy a Ford because you went to a Ford dealership and the salesman wasn't attentive. The quality of Ford cars and how well they suit you has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the salesperson selling them. If you walk away from a company that suits you well because the salesperson (recruiter) wasn't jumping through enough hoops for you is going to hurt you in the long run. Make decisions based on things like pay, benefits, home time, equipment, types of freight, average miles per week, etc.

Here's a couple of articles that will help you understand how to choose a company to work for and deal with the recruiters. The first one is The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters and the second is Recruiters, Companies, and Schools - Choosing The Right Path Into Your Trucking Career.

Thanks for the insight...I cant ask the recruiter any questions if I can speak with them....I have emailed him, called everything. I am sure he is very busy. I was just stating the facts about him not being able to get my references processed on his end. I am completely sold on the quality of the company(not the recruiter) due to a prior interest which is my reason for being so eager to get my application finalized and moved to the next step. I am not looking for anyone to jump through hoops, rings of fire or climb mountains for me. I was writing only to get advice from veteran's in the industry to see how they may have approached the situation or give me any suggestions.

I am new to this career but I am not a spoiled idiot...I asked questions initially but now it seems that my application is at a stand still.... since we communicated last and that was through email....in which I initiated and have been everyday with calling and emailing.....at the end of the day the recruiter doesn't know me nor do I know him so therefore I have to do what is best for me and make my decisions based on what I am given.

* Continuously being positive.