Comments By Nomad Novelist

Thanks, Brian.

I'm definitely going to stay humble, and work my ass off.

This is a big change for me. I've been a pixel-pushing desk jockey for far too long. And I've finally come the realization, it's not for me.

Whatever they tell me to do, I'm going to do it, as best as I can. It will be so refreshing to earn money in a way directly tied to performance. Do the miles, deliver the freight, and do it all safely... Not easy, but simple. An honest way to make a living.

Maybe you can answer this, since you are/were at Prime... On the app they made me choose a division. I chose flatbed. But there was also a "south central flatbed" option. I didn't know it was, so I stuck with flatbed. Any idea what that is, and how it differs from the other options?

So much gold in this post. Thanks! Favorites:

"The first thing you should remember is not to let negative emotions get in between you and what you are trying to reflect."

"Second, stay in contact tell them your status as your going along " Hey JW I am a couple hours away from my 90 we sure are making good time" or " JW this window looks pretty tight would you please take another look at it". Here I informed him of my concern and left the ball in his court without just telling him I'm going to be late."

"A big mistake some people make is perhaps communicating to much."

"I try not to contact my fleet manager in the morning."

[BTW, you meant "too" a few times when you spelled "to."] Not being a ****. I hate it when people correct my grammar, but you strike me as a stand-up guy who wants to come off as eloquently as possible. Your writing is solid. Thanks again.

5) After a three days of no reply, I followed up with two emails, one last night, and one this morning.

6) The squeaky wheel got greased.

This is the key point! ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS call and verify the status of your application if you have not received a response. This will keep your name at the top of the list and prevent your application from being lost in translation.

You're so right, Anchorman. And I learned that tip here on the forums!

I also forgot to mention that I called and left a message on my recruiter's extension, letting her know about the consulting gig I had (which lasted a little over a year). I had only left it off the app because I was confused, and I didn't want Prime to think I was holding back on them.

Will anyone else be starting at Prime Orientation on the 7th of March? If so, I'll see you there!

I'm super happy. Thanks to TruckingTruth, I was able to put Prime at the top of my list. Thanks to everyone who contributes here. So much good information.

Here's how it worked for me:

1) I applied online. They only asked for 3 years of employment records. I've been self-employed for over 10, so I just listed my business as my employer. The wording was a little confusing on the app, so I didn't enter the part-time consulting (1099 IRS) I did a couple years back.

2) Within three minutes of hitting "submit," a recruiter called me.

3) She asked me about my self employed experience and requested 3 years of tax returns. I asked her if it was okay to just send the Form 1040s that had my business information on it (and not my wife's info, since we filed jointly). She said that was fine. I emailed her copies and waited.

4) And waited.

5) After a three days of no reply, I followed up with two emails, one last night, and one this morning.

6) The squeaky wheel got greased.

I might be forgetting some things, but if anyone is considering Prime and has questions, I'm happy to answer as best I can.

Pixel Pusher, the self employed will be required to show tax returns. You wont have to line up clients. I had to get ten years of tax returns together.

Thanks, Old School. Ten years. Guess I'll have to call the IRS, special. I don't save them for more than seven... I just used a link on the IRS.gov website to request returns for free, and they only let me select back to 2012 using their web form.

Ah well. Good to know.

Seconded. Thanks a ton for sharing.

I'm looking to start training with Prime around the same time you are. Having been a self-employed web designer since college, I was also concerned about the job history requirement. I'd have a hard time tracking down clients from that far back.

But if it's just 5 years, it won't be near the hassle.

Good luck!

Lastly i think this post is so long that most people will glance at it and move on.

To their detriment.

I'm new to trucking, but I've been a small business owner a long time, and advised other small business owners as well. Old School is speaking truth. Sadly, too many who Lease, aren't, or simply don't understand the underlying math which shows that the profitable, are exceptions.

Me? I'm getting into trucking precisely *because* I'm tired of the burdens of running a business. I'll be a company driver and proud of it.

Pure. Unadulterated. Gold.

This is why I'm glad I found TruckingTruth before any of the other trucking forums.

Awesome post, Old School. Thanks so much for articulating your thoughts on this issue.

Good reads, Errol. Thanks!

One thing I love about TruckingTruth is the positive attitude exuded and encouraged by longtime members.

And it turns out, a positive attitude is something your company pays attention to, too:

People are also emotional, and it turns out an unhappy truck driver can be trouble. Modern routing models incorporate whether a truck driver is happy or not—something he may not know about himself. For example, one major trucking company that declined to be named does “predictive analysis” on when drivers are at greater risk of being involved in a crash. Not only does the company have information on how the truck is being driven—speeding, hard-braking events, rapid lane changes—but on the life of the driver. “We actually have built into the model a number of indicators that could be surrogates for dissatisfaction,” said one employee familiar with the program. SOURCE: http://nautil.us/issue/3/in-transit/unhappy-truckers-and-other-algorithmic-problems

I recommend reading the entire piece. It's fascinating.