Comments By ShortRound

Well, I'm off like a herd of turtles. Got on "the dog" for the first leg of my 20 hr. journey to PA for my orientation.

I'll be in Prime's orientation on the 13th also...but, I'm going to Pittston. Good luck everyone.

It's when you use your post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and the VA gives the veteran a check every month from anywhere to 1000-1300 depending on the benefits you have available for the first year of being a solo driver, a lot of the bigger dry van and flatbed companies use it.

Cody, thank you for your service. What branch? I don't think Prime offers the GI Bill benefits program. It's not advertised on their website but, like you said, double check with the recruiter. Below is a list of companies that offer the GI Bill program:

-Crete Carrier

-Roehl

-Werner

-TMC

-Melton

This list is off the top of my head so I'm sure there are more out there. Keep researching and post your finding. There are a good amount of veterans that view this site. Thanks.

The US Xpress recruiter told me they also have the VA apprenticeship program.

After 20ish years of dreaming about driving truck, I have finally gotten my CDL!!! I have an orientation with Prime on Apr. 13th. I want to thank this site and the people on it for posting their experiences and advice. I have not posted much, but have followed several threads on this forum, that have guided me through the process to this point. Special thanks goes out to Brett for hosting, and maintaining this wonderful site. The High Road training program was invaluable, and set me up to be several steps ahead of my class in school. Thank you also to Daniel B.; you're threads documenting your experiences with Prime were instrumental in me choosing them as my first choice of companies to drive for. I know my education has just begun, but I feel I have passed a major milestone, and am eager to continue to learn and get on the road.

Dave

Hey all,

I am a little over halfway through a local private CDL school, and doing well so far. I have a pre-hire for Prime Inc. for the Reefer side. I was lucky enough to speak with a Prime driver at a truck stop during our lunch break today. He was driving one of the International Pro-Star Lightweights, and what I got a look at it looked very nice (and roomier than I expected).

My question is about how the three different brand lightweights compare; what are the pros and cons between them.

Also is there anyway to stack the cards in my favor regarding assignment of available trucks? I know I will drive what they assign me, but any "insider" info to politic for a preferred truck would be greatly appreciated.

Getting pretty excited about hitting the road, and it feels more and more tangible everyday.

Dave

Week one complete. One more day of classoom, then we start driving on the pad.

Halfway through my first week of school and things are going great.

Getting my permit before starting has been an immense stress reliever. While everyone is cramming information into their heads, I'm relaxing and reviewing.

I'm already scheduled for my license test, but everyone else has to wait until they have their permits to schedule their tests.

Just passed my permit test. I owe much of that success to The High Road program, thank you Brett. I will now be ahead of the game when I start school Monday.

I just remembered a very important scenario I wanted to ask about...

I am a pudgy guy (5'2", 190lbs), not one of the REALLY big guys, but overweight. I know that Prime does sleep studies on some of the bigger fellas. When I got out of the military and got a new Doc (around Dec-Jan), he ordered a sleep study due to my proportions. The sleep study came back totally negative for sleep apnea. Will Prime make me do another study or should I bring along a copy of my previous results? I don't see the need to pay for another study (not to mention I am suspect of the motivations of some of these studies). If they do make me get another study, am I able to put this through my insurance?

My high school ambition of driving OTR is finally coming together after nearly 20 years. I joined the Air Force after graduating HS in '95 because I couldn't drive interstate until I was 21. Ended up staying in the AF for 19+ years until I retired in August.

I started working in manufacturing after the military, and while the work is not real difficult, it's not very satisfying either. Around the holidays they cut our hours WAAAYYYY back. This got me to doing some soul searching, and my wife asked my why I hadn't pursued trucking when I retired (I didn't think she would be supportive of being gone that much). I did some (ALOT) of research and found that I'll likely make as much in my first year of trucking as I am making in my current job (and I'll be pursuing something I have wanted to do for along time). Turns out that having my hours cut was a blessing in disguise...it is allowing me to attend a 4 week local truck driving school by using the 11 days of paid vacation I have available (did I mention they cut my hours). I will be starting school on Feb 23rd. It will also be paid for by the GI Bill. I am going to get my DOT physical tomorrow, and plan to take my permit test sometime this week after getting the physical.

I have applied to several companies, and received a pre-hire from Prime (currently my first choice due to pay, pet policy, and generally positive reviews on this and other forum sites). The other companies I have applied to all asked me to "re-engage" with them after I start school. Before I get blasted over the pet policy...I will not be taking my dog with me until I have had several months over the road.

As I'm sure you can tell by the tone of my post I am REALLY excited to be doing this. I am also REALLY anxious about the total change in lifestyle. I am confident that this is something I can and will excel at, I have enough humility to admit, I don't KNOW for sure until I am "all up in it". I am trying my best to plan out my steps carefully, so as not to burn any bridges I may need to walk back across. I fully intend to give my current employer 2 weeks notice, even though I am sure they can put 2+2 together now. My supervisor is aware of why I'm taking my vacation.

I do have a few things I'm curious about:

Does Prime push their lease program or try to bully it like some other companies I've heard about? i.e. "Sorry you'll have to wait a couple weeks to be assigned a company truck, but we can get you on the road this afternoon if you sign this lease on one of our "gently used" program trucks". I am adamant about going company AT LEAST for a few years to learn the industry before I even consider leasing or purchasing.

When starting TnT with Prime, do they immediately expect it to be a "team" environment, or will there be a couple days that the trainor will be in the passenger seat? I'm not sure yet how big of a deal this will be to me by the time I get out of school and go to orientation, but would be good to know what to expect.

If I drive my own vehicle to orientation (600-900 miles from home depending on the terminal) rather than the greyhound, how can I work out getting my vehicle back home, assuming orientation and training go well? Would it be better to rent a car if I decide to pursue this avenue?

I am sure I will have other questions as I go along, but these are the ones that are currently bouncing around my head.

Sorry if this post is long and rambling, I am just excited and wanted to share my story thus far.

Thanks for any replies, and I look forward to sharing the road with you all in the coming months.