Comments By Paul H.

From the DOT website:

§ 40.85 What drugs do laboratories test for? As a laboratory, you must test for the following five drugs or classes of drugs in a DOT drug test. You must not test “DOT specimens” for any other drugs. (a) Marijuana metabolites. (b) Cocaine metabolites. (c) Amphetamines. (d) Opiate metabolites. (e) Phencyclidine (PCP).

Also, I can tell you that Prime only does a urine test, not hair.

I'm planning on switching to Verizon as soon as I start getting paid. I've done the research, and they have the best nationwide coverage. Unfortunately, they're also the most expensive. But it'll be worth it to have more dependable coverage, both for phone and internet (I use my phone as a wifi hotspot for my laptop). I currently have T-Mobile, and it's terrible. I couldn't get service the whole time we were in western New York the other day.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining about the simulators. If you have time, you can always go back after you've finished your five (I believe it was five) modules, simulations, scenarios, whatever-you-call-thems, and practice more. I just think that their main purpose in putting you through the minimum five scenarios is to get acquainted with the shifting, and to rattle your nerves. I'm not too concerned with the small amount of time I had on them, because I know this is a great training program and they know what they're doing. I honestly think there's a rhyme and reason to why the simulator instructors did what they did. It was definitely a test of my temper, because they were talking to me like I was stupid, when I asked a very reasonable question while I was driving. But as soon as I was done, they were cool again. I think they're testing your temperament more than anything, because they obviously don't really expect us to know what we're doing yet. I mean, they just taught us how to shift five minutes earlier! Because I spent so much time dealing with trying to get cleared, and because I didn't already have my permit, I didn't get any extra time on the simulators, which is disappointing. But my instructor I'm going on the road with is supposed to be really good. Two-time instructor of the year, if I heard right. So I'll be in good hands.

The last time I was in Missouri was for basic training in the Army 17 years ago. I had flashbacks when the Greyhound stopped at Fort Leonard Wood. I’ve been in orientation here at Prime for a week now, and I just got cleared by the skin of my teeth. At the beginning of the day the head of the student training program said that at the end of the day there would be one student left with him that hadn’t cleared yet, as that’s the way it always is. It turned out to be me. I had hernia surgery about three months ago, so they needed a work release from my surgeon in order to give me my DOT medical card. They faxed what they needed to my surgeon on Tuesday, I immediately followed up with the surgeon (who had already sent it back before I even called), yet somehow it took until about 5:30 Friday afternoon to clear me for medical. So even though I passed my permit test on Wednesday, I haven’t yet been able to go to the DMV to pick it up because you have to have the medical card to get your permit. I’ll be getting it in the morning, and I won’t be official and able to go out for my training until Monday, while most people are leaving tonight with their trainers. But that’s okay, because I can use a down weekend to catch up on sleep (my roommate snores loudly and constantly), and I’ve already got an instructor who doesn’t mind waiting until Monday to leave for my CDL training. So it’s been stressful waiting for medical to clear, but all in all it’s been a good week and everything turned out all right. There are annoyances, but it’s how you deal with them that makes all the difference in the world.

The simulators seem to be used more for the purpose of racking your nerves than actually getting better at driving, because the instructors barely instructed except for showing us how to double clutch. They just sat back and let us figure things out, and acted like we were idiots when we messed up. But when it’s all over and your nerves are frazzled and you’re feeling embarrassed for taking 20 minutes to NOT back into a dock while 15 other students are watching while they wait for you to finish, the instructors’ attitudes change and they say “Don’t worry, it’s just practice.”

Since I haven’t gotten my permit yet, I haven’t been able to go on the pad yet and I won’t until Monday. DEFINITELY come here with a permit from your state if you can. I wanted to, because of course everyone here on Truckingtruth.com says you should, and my recruiter said I should, but I didn’t have the money to get a physical before I came here. I knew I would be at a disadvantage, I just had no choice. And it really did set me behind, thanks to the whole surgery thing. On the other hand, my roommate came here with his permit, but it didn’t show in the system. Apparently because he had just gotten it on Saturday. So he took almost as long as I did to clear, since they had to straighten that out.

Any little thing could be an issue here. They are VERY anal about everything, from background checks to job history to medical. If you don’t list a job, they will know – they can see your work history on a computer. I don’t know where they get the information, but they get it. Someone on another post about Prime said that the interview consists of them checking your written application against your online application. Nope, that’s not what they’re doing. They’re checking your written application against work records and criminal records that have nothing to do with the information you’ve given them. If you’ve worked somewhere or broken a law (whether convicted or not) or even had a ticket thrown out, they will know. And if you don’t tell them before they find it on their own, it’s not a good thing.

I’ve tried to give the aspects of my experience that maybe aren’t described in other posts about Prime training, or to expand on things other people have said. Other people have done great jobs of describing minute details of what orientation is like. I don’t want to get into every little thing, like the food and the rooms and stuff like that. If you’re overly concerned about the food you’re going to be eating for one week or the room you’re going to be staying in, you’re not focusing on the right things. I really thought this post would be much more organized, but I haven’t slept well this week so I’m REALLY tired. So you get this rambling account. Sorry. But I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life. I’ve read so much great advice on this site, and I can’t wait to start putting it to use and eventually offering some of my own.

Daniel, that was a GREAT post! Thank you. I saved it to my computer so I won't forget it.

So all these ideas bring up the question: What's the story on washing dishes? Is there a way to do it at truck stops? I'd try to have as little as possible that needs to be washed, but there are going to be some things.

That Pizazz thing reminded me of something my old roommate had, that would be great for the road.

http://www.amazon.com/NuWave-20329-Black-Digital-Nuwave/dp/B00BHW142I/ref=sr_1_12?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382221910&sr=1-12&keywords=nuwave

He would do everything from a whole pork shoulder to individual cuts of steak in it. It worked fast, and the food always tasted great. And I have high standards. I'm old school, so I didn't usually use it myself, but one time I cooked perfect medium rare NY strips that were frozen solid in that thing. I was amazed. His wasn't this exact model (I just did a quick Google search to find one), but it was the same brand.

Dave, I'm sure you've researched this more than I have considering your needs, but I would be careful with dehydrated soups. In general, they have a lot of sodium, probably more than canned soup. Salt is used to preserve them. But if you've found some good low-sodium dehydrated soups (you did say you've been reading up on it), I'd love to know what they are. I don't have any special dietary needs, but like I said earlier I'd like to make sure I eat somewhat healthy on the road.

One thing I think would be great for you is microwaved vegetables. Microwaving a vegetable in a plastic bag is the same as steaming it, but faster. You retain all the nutrients because you're not cooking it in a liquid, and it's up to you if you want to add salt or any other flavorings. There are bags of frozen veggies that are designed just for this purpose, but I would imagine it's probably cheaper to buy fresh veggies and microwavable sandwich bags and portion them yourself. I don't know microwave cooking times for all vegetables, but broccoli takes about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave and how soft you like your broccoli. I think most veggies will probably take about the same amount of time, provided you cut them into small to medium-sized pieces. The veggies I've personally cooked this way are broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Most veggies should work the same way.

Food is one issue that's definitely been on my mind as I prepare for this new career. For both financial and health reasons, I don't want to eat truck stop food all the time. I've been a chef for the last 13 years, so I figure I should be able to come up with some good ideas for how to eat well on the road. Right now I'm thinking a microwave and a George Foreman grill or something similar will be the most important things to have. The grill will obviously be good for meat, and microwaves are great for cooking vegetables and heating canned food. The thing I'm trying to figure out is how to cook a variety of starches without a stove. Potatoes can be done in the microwave, and there are brands of rice that can be cooked in the microwave (though I doubt the quality of microwavable rice is going to be all that good). Of course I could get a rice cooker, but I want to have to wash as little as possible (the grill can just be wiped off and reheated). Since they make microwaveable mac and cheese, I would think that means other pasta should be able to be microwaved. So I'll have to do some experimenting on that.

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts on road cooking, not having actually done it yet. I want to keep it simple, because I know that with cramped quarters and limited resources I won't do it if it's too much trouble and makes a mess. I love reading other people's methods and ideas. This is something I'll probably write a lot about once I start driving.

Yeah, I didn't see anything about breed restrictions with Prime, just the weight limit. I guess a muzzle would be good if we were in a sketchy place and I wanted to make her look scary, like Hannibal Lecter! She's great with other dogs, but I would never let her run around off leash unless it's a dog park (which I've read a lot of truck stops have now). That's terrible what happened with that dog, Starcar. People with dogs like that shouldn't be driving around with them, and definitely shouldn't be letting them run around off leash. Ridiculous.

Thanks for your input, everyone. Every single reply has been a great help!