Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Flatbed LIFESTYLE vs Tanker LIFESTYLE. (detailed questions inside)
Thank you for that detailed response and the links! I will look at them closely!
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Flatbed LIFESTYLE vs Tanker LIFESTYLE. (detailed questions inside)
One last thing: I prefer to sleep at night and drive in the day, just to keep my circadian rythyms healthy. I am also not much of a people person, so id prefer the one with the LEAST amount of human interaction. Thanks!
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Flatbed LIFESTYLE vs Tanker LIFESTYLE. (detailed questions inside)
Hello,
I am shipping off to Prime CDL school this saturday and though I asked for tanker division, I want to make sure my decision fits the kind of lifestyle I prefer so a few questions.
1.) Between the two, what times are normal pickup and dropoff hours?
2.) What are the deadlines like, between the two choices? Like does one give a "three hour window" for delivery and the other is pretty much just "the soonest you arrive?"
3.) I like to pray about 5 times a day, and each prayer takes about 5 minutes. Which division would allow for five ,5 minute stops scattered throughout the day with maybe 3-4 hours between them?
4.) When docking and unloading and picking up material, what is the process like? For flatbed how does it generally go? is there downtime? For tanker, how does it go? what kind of downtime?
5.) I am a fitness nut, and exercise 6 days a week, with one day of rest. Which division would give me about 30 minutes to an hour each day for a run, or weight lifting, inside or next to the truck?
6.) Please give an example of the day of a life of a tanker, and a day of the life of a flatbedder, and tell me what you liked and disliked about each division.
I know this is a lot, but all of your inputs will be REALLY HELPFUL! Thank you!
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
Of course Swift decides to throw me another IMMEDIATE option to come with them next week for the flatbed division. As if my decision making wasn't already confused enough.
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
Well it looks like Prime Flatbed is where I'll start and then move over to Tanker at a later time. Thanks all!
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
Thank you. I may indeed take you upon your advice and simply go tot he flatbed division with prime this December, or wait for maverick to call me in jan/feb, as I do not wish to sabotage my career by crashing a tanker lol. Your advice has been thoroughly helpful either way. I will likely just go to Prime, because I really need to kickstart my finances and can't afford Maverick's waiting period.
Thanks for everyone's input!
Indalecio,
I very much respect an individual who actually follows their beliefs. Too many people pick and choose what they want and don't want to follow which is very wrong. Its a shame.
I wouldn't ever recommend tanker for a rookie. I think you'll be fine no matter what trailer you have. Companies do respect the drivers personal religion. I have met plenty of muslims who refuse to haul pork and/or alcohol for example.
It will hurt your wallet and you may have to pass a load here and there which may result in sitting for a day until a load becomes available. But don't let money become your goal.
Either way, Prime's tanker division rarely does alcohol. They do a lot of cooking oil, syrup, chocolate from what I heard when I worked there.
Good luck my friend.
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
I talked with a guy in the Prime tanker division and he said those west coast runs for wine are very rare, and that by staying regional I could avoid those deliveries if they know ahead of time, about my beliefs. I have considered flatbed just to have 0% chance of carrying anything like alcohol, but then people say that if volume for flatbed is slow, they put you on dry van, which may very well contain it.
So it's like I can't win for losing. Tanker is a lower chance it seems like, but flatbed is an option. Ultimately as long as my creator sees me making an effort to do the right thing, he will forgive me if I have to deliver it once in a blue moon and "take one for the team."
Such is life.
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
I am scheduled to start with Prime tanker CDL training in december, is what the recruiter told me.
One last question:
Is the tanker division of PRIME robust? Will I get plenty of miles or is it one of their less focused divisions? I don't want to ever have to pull a dry van, for any reason. Thank you!
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
Trucking company that hires for tanker directly out of CDL school?
Such good advice. I will go ahead and apply to Roehl and Swift flatbed, and just go with the soonest option. Coincidentally, stevens tells me I can come to school RIGHT NOW, but they don't allow flatbed. Sigh.
Roehl has their own school. Actually in the Atlanta area and they DO have a flatbed division.
If you chose to attend a private school, McElroy is an excellent flatbed company, but they don't have their own school. You have more options than you may realize.
I highly encourage you to be more open to other companies if the school waiting list at Maverick is too long. For funding for school, it might be as easy as visiting your local unemployment office to get funding for a private/community college course using WIOA (federal) funding grants. Company Sponsored schools are awesome, but a quality private school may expand your options.
Posted: 6 years, 4 months ago
View Topic:
New to trucking and started with Prime inc.
Did you have to fill out a more detailed application and add references and emergency contacts when you arrived? More detailed him history etc