No Proof Of Employment Problem For Prime PSD

Topic 10177 | Page 1

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Joe L.'s Comment
member avatar

Hey truckingtruth, I recently applied to Prime inc for their PSD program. Everything was running smoothly until my recruiter emailed me today and told me I can not be accepted into their CDL school. Their reason was that I have no previous proof of employment. I am 21 years old and havf only worked under the table since I was 16. I am very bummed out. I currently can't afford to pay for CDL school and my father and his wife won't help me with their credit.. Any advice? I want to be a trucker! Thanks for the help.. -Joe

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

PSD:

Prime Student Driver

Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.

The following is from Prime's website:

Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.

Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days

  • Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
  • Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
  • Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).

On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles

  • Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
  • Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
  • Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.
Daniel B.'s Comment
member avatar

Working under the table really hurts you in the long run. You have a few options though, what you need to is get a notarized letter from family/coworkers stating that you did what you say you did. Get three notarized letters confirming your history and send that over to the recruiter. That might help your cause.

The main thing they want to know is where you've been. This whole employment history thing is a mandated rule by the FMCSA to make sure the trucking companies aren't unwittingly hiring people who want to take a truck and use it as a means of terrorism. As long as you weren't in a training camp in Afghanistan for the past two years you will be fine. Just make sure and fill in all time gaps, even if there were periods of unemployment, just put down that from such and such a date you were seeking employment.

You should mention your entire past to the company. They have many ways of finding out everything about you and if they do find something that you failed to list on your application then you'll be fired very quickly, and they won't pay for your travel expenses to get back home. Honesty is key here.

I wouldn't go to a private school until I have multiple prehires from companies. A prehire is basically a company committing to hiring you upon you graduating. So unless I have many job offers lined up I wouldn't get into private schooling. There's a great chance that you might end up spending thousands and when you graduate and have your license every company still won't touch you.

Truck Driving Schools

How To Choose A School

Understanding Pre-Hires

Lastly, Prime Inc. is one of the most strict major carriers when it comes to their hiring standards. Try a carrier that's a bit more lenient with their new hires. Good luck young man.

CSA:

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle

FMCSA:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.

What Does The FMCSA Do?

  • Commercial Drivers' Licenses
  • Data and Analysis
  • Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
  • Research and Technology
  • Safety Assistance
  • Support and Information Sharing

Fm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

Pre-hire:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Pre-hires:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Prehire:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Prehires:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

Joe L.'s Comment
member avatar

Thank you for the very informative response. I decided to take a shot and submit an application to swift. Received a call from the recruiter and was told I can't attend a school through swift because I reside in new jersey. Ah, such a shame. Seems I'm at a loss. I even went through the High Road twice!

BMI:

Body mass index (BMI)

BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:

  • Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
  • Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit

It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.

TWIC:

Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.

Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

Did you use TT's application "shotgun"? Apply For Truck Driving Jobs It goes to everybody. You never know who'll bite.

Daniel B.'s Comment
member avatar

Thank you for the very informative response. I decided to take a shot and submit an application to swift. Received a call from the recruiter and was told I can't attend a school through swift because I reside in new jersey. Ah, such a shame. Seems I'm at a loss. I even went through the High Road twice!

Swift does not hire out of NJ.

My good sir, take a look at the link below for a list of the companies.

Trucking Companies

Also, what you need to do is apply to every company out there and see who takes you. Kinda of like fishing in a big lake, as soon as you get a bite reel it in. As soon as you get approved by a company, any company, jump right on the opportunity and don't look back!

Using the link below allows you to apply to all the trucking companies with a single application, saving you hours!

Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

BMI:

Body mass index (BMI)

BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:

  • Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
  • Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit

It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.

TWIC:

Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.

Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

Joe L.'s Comment
member avatar

Thanks to both of you. I am getting right on that as I write this. Would these companies be interested in me even if I do not have a permit? I am willing to go to just about any company who will give me a chance to escape my current situation, but do not have the sufficient funds to pay for training. Once again thank you for all the help.

Daniel B.'s Comment
member avatar

Thanks to both of you. I am getting right on that as I write this. Would these companies be interested in me even if I do not have a permit? I am willing to go to just about any company who will give me a chance to escape my current situation, but do not have the sufficient funds to pay for training. Once again thank you for all the help.

Permit not required but preferred. Youll be fine without it, it'll just make it a little tougher on you.

Joe L.'s Comment
member avatar
double-quotes-start.png

Thanks to both of you. I am getting right on that as I write this. Would these companies be interested in me even if I do not have a permit? I am willing to go to just about any company who will give me a chance to escape my current situation, but do not have the sufficient funds to pay for training. Once again thank you for all the help.

double-quotes-end.png

Permit not required but preferred. Youll be fine without it, it'll just make it a little tougher on you.

right on I will keep you guys posted!

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