Comments By Michael

Where are you all getting these pictures from? lol

Well, I hate to bust your bubble. Daniel is right, I can count on both hands how many times I have been out west, before and after driving for the company I'm with now. The snow and ice on the flats is just as dangerous if not more coming across Ohio, Indiana, NY, PA, IL and the lake effect, but I enjoy driving on it, guess I'm just weird. The reason I say more dangerous is out west you expect there to be snow, ice what have ya.

But on my way home I had to run I-64 it was cold, windy and I slowed down because of the wind, but I went over the over pass started up a little hill and my tach was slowly climbing but I was not speeding up. I was wanting to go home and was being lazy, many a times out east in PA I would be spinning going up some of the hills.

I don't put this stuff down to be like oh he did that, or what ever. It's just yes, I realize the mountains are nothing to play with especially on the east coast and it's no fun when there is snow and ice involved and there are times coming down them are far worse. It's just when drivers are saying "ah it'll be alright driver" and then there's a jack knife moving at 55 mph on the interstate.

Most importantly, relax, and if you get to the point where you start to feel uncomfortable or an over whelming feeling shut it down, walk clear your mind, talk with dispatch, what ever you have to do and then start all over again. It's been awhile for me and don't really know how drivers are on the radio anymore, I know back then most would help someone out with situations like that, but that could be bad advice on my part being I don't have a radio hooked up yet.

Leaving the company after a month though I wouldn't recommend, talk to people first, the next company could be doing the same thing. But learn it, and if nothing else if you have to chain up ask another driver there to walk you along, heck I had to ask someone how to put the chains on and then when they asked if I had bungy cords, the next question was what for?

If you are already dealing with the mountains, snow, wind, ice. Your already on your way to getting through your first winter and next year you can help someone through there first.

Well, as far as the north east goes, I had to get a load of spices from Manhattan, NY which was interesting, going down my side of the road and if my trailer would have dog legged 6" I would have hit every mirror on the cars parked along the street. Turns are very tight, not to mention to get me backed in they had to wait for cars who would stop so I could take up the entire intersection to get backed in, a car almost hit me while docked and the round trip in tolls was almost $100.00.

Another place in NYC where I picked up potato chips the left turn was brutal and once had to make the police back up, lol that was funny I always did that turn slow just for that reason but they actually just kinda looked at me like what are you doing?

Some states I believe North Carolina will give you a ticket for doing it, not 100% sure though, and with e-logs nothing says you have to stop, you could keep on driving if you don't want to keep your job. Not sure how other companies are doing it, but once you go over it's a point and each time is a point and at 20 points I believe the individual is terminated.

What I always do in the trucks stops that have really tight parking as in very little room to maneuver, I will get as close as possible to the trucks as I can then swing out for my set up and while backing hug the truck on the left side of the hole I want to back into. I will be close enough that it looks like I'm going to take that trucks fender off. I'll look to make sure i'm not, I do that to make sure I have room on the right side to not hit that tractor. Then depending on how close I am to the tractor on the left and how much space I have on the right will determine whether I put more or less angle on the trailer. Then when the trailer looks like its about to hit the mirror of the left tractor I have about 5-6 feet to use to pull forward and start putting a gap between the left tractor and my trailer when using the front space to pull forward. I will be starting into the hole at an angle close enough to the tractor on the left that there is ample room on the right side. GOAL to make sure, and from there it looks bad backing up because you are still close to the left truck. After backing in at an angle and about half way in the hole, I will then do my pull up and start dividing the space up and get it centered best I can in the parking spot.

And to be honest some of the truck stops where it is so tight that when you go to leave and have to pull up as close as you can to the truck in front of you stop, back up, pull forward again and almost jack knife to get out, I will not bother with.

Hope that helps

As far as Prime goes here is what I can tell you of how I see them and each one of us will tell you something different some good, some bad, but you can't go by just what someone says all the time either.

Overall don't believe everything you hear my situation is a little complicated atm. I was living in south carolina, and in the process of moving back to indiana. Not being sure and my fault as well, was told when you get the hard copy CDL just go back and transfer it to what ever state your going to be out of. So I got a TNT trainer from South Carolina and just found out this week that I cannot transfer to South Carolina, Why? I cannot show residency there anymore, no utility bill or rent receipt can be produced anymore which is required to do so. Since me and my Dad have the same name and some bills are still in his name Indiana is going to have to be my choice. Again that is my fault. So next time I get to Springfield I will be looking for a TNT trainer that lives close to Indiana. I have 3yrs experience and my trainer has been driving 1.5 yrs which really limits conversation since I attended TDI back in the 90's, I do not like how the trucks do not have a johnny bar(trailer brake handle) as being able to control the trailer separately could you show you how the trailer would react on snow roads under a hard brake and could make adjustments. So there's a lot I don't talk with my trainer about. I could catch fire for this one, but it's one thing to be a steering wheel holder(as some where called in my time) and a driver.

I got sick at orientation and didn't know who to talk to over the wknd and you are told if that happens stay in your room, so that is what I did aside from letting the instructors know and they can pass it on. I was starting to get a little worried called my recruiter and she told me who to get in touch with and all she told me was I needed to let her know everyday if I was going to class or not. I had streph and would just send her an email every morning and she would ask if I was going or not. I let her know when the doctor appointment was so she knew I was getting it taken care of and was not given a hard time and when I started to feel better let her know and was informed of what to do.

While at Prime East while everybody else would be huddled in a group talking or whatever I would go out on the pad and talk with the trainers not to chit chat, but to find out what they were having there students do to maneuver the trailer. I always watched the back of the trailer when I was backing and wanted to find out what the students were being shown.

Orientation was awesome, they have a truck/trailer at the campus where students stay so going over pre trip is anytime you want to practice it when you have free time. The 1st week will want to make you pull your hair out, standing in line for 3-4hrs, asking people to hold your place so you can get something to eat before they go home at 5pm, then taking all the CDL tests, getting to the DMV before they close and so fourth. I had everything done in 3 days some where still working on getting everything done on the 5th day(Friday).

Next is either getting a trainer to complete the PSD portion and moving onto the TNT portion. I took the first trainer I could get there really was no interview I wanted to get TNT done and over with, but since SC will not work and thought I would give reefer a try again after doing that for 2 years am so bored with it it's not even funny. The miles started off great, 6500, then 5100, and now 2200. I am not going to be running reefer when a team is running solo miles. I have always wanted to go flatbed and that also helped with making my decision.

Also interview the trainers as they will be observing you as well, mine use to pay a little extra on top of what prime pays during the TNT phase, but instead will only be buying the starter kit for his students after completion of TNT. Some of the trainers run the trucks 65 and some run them 55.

The only negative thing I have to say is concerning dispatch considering I made the call to let him know that I didn't want reefer anymore and was going to switch to flatbed and there was a little bit of an attitude that started to come out and after mentioning a few things he dropped it, not to mention when you start asking whats going on with only 2200 miles. I didn't get rude or anything of the such, and the call ended with cracking a few jokes.

Thats about all I can offer and even though Prime isn't what I remember back when they were considered left lane trucks and some I got to know 15 years ago are still there and it great seeing them and talking with them again, it does make me wish I would have come to them back when they were twisting my arm.

But overall, even though now I consider them to be a starter company everyone there has been helpful and you will just have to talk with them and see if it's a company that will work for you.

Good luck

To put it into perspective if a car cuts you off and you have the cruise set at 62 and say a car comes off the shoulder at 45 mph 150 feet in front of you will become one with the steering wheel.

now a car passes you and slows to 60 mph there will be a gentle slow and your truck will only do 60 mph maintaining distance behind the car.

And as I found out in Oregon going through a big water hole messes with it and it was not enjoyable have to foot the throttle for 3 hrs. I guess Prime has it set up yo where if onguard isn't working the cruise doesn't either or maybe his is just messed up.

Yes, there are many things I think about concerning the new technology that is being used and the situations it can put us in.

Well, you get paid to see the country, the pay is enough for me to go back into trucking instead of being a network engineer, starter companies are just that (to me anyway). After you have a year experience it opens a whole bunch of doors, for example a company I wanted to drive for but didn't have 3 years exp so they couldn't hire me, but they would have got me to the house twice a week and on wknds. Some company drivers make over $900 a week others more or less depends all on what you want to do and talking with more than just the recruiters if possible to see if that company fits what you want to do.

As far as the best company no one can answer that for you what do you want to make, haul, and hometime.

Good luck

Yes, that's is exactly what is. I didn't have the cruise on, but maybe a test in real life scenario would be the car that passes and just past your bumper gets back over and if they slow down that close be prepared, with the cruise on it'll be a hard brake applied almost immediately. I can see the benefit of it and even then still strongly dislike it, for the drivers not paying attention yea it may stop them from hitting something, but for that car drafting you that may hit the icc. Many times I question what safety and the police at the scene would be thinking.

I remember when I went through CDL school and loved it, I also had no job.

When I started though I went in with the mentality of taking the bull by the horns and that's exactly what I did. I knew why I was going there, I knew what I was going to do after completion, and I knew what I was going to do later on down the road. Still trying to complete later on down the road lol.

No matter what your not always going to remember everything right off the bat, but still do the best you can in class and yes I know how hard school and work can be. Also another thing to remember is are there any other students you can talk with if you have time to have a study partner or group .

Oh and this may sound stupid, but after working and going to class if that is how you are doing it. A voice recorder will be a big help for you especially on days when your tired and it's hard to concentrate. Something to remember as well when you do go to a trucking company from every company that I have been with, what I learned in that classroom was very seldom ever mentioned by any trainer that I had to go out on the road with. Good luck and best wishes