Heading To Prime Orientation, March 7th, 2016!

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.

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.

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.

Wow, they called you right away?

I applied to Roehl's CDL program yesterday and haven't heard from them aside from a form acknowledgement email. Which also specifically said not to call for updates, lol.

Anyhow, good luck with the program. Reading about the different school experiences here on this forum is pretty fascinating.

I applied to Roehl's CDL program yesterday and haven't heard from them aside from a form acknowledgement email. Which also specifically said not to call for updates, lol.

I would wait until next Monday and if you have not heard anything else just give them a polite call to verify the status of your application.

Congratulations, as a Prime alum myself I think you will not find a better company in the industry to kick off with (biased opinion). Truly a place where they reward good work ethics and care for their employees. At first you may question their program. Just be patient you will be rewarded.

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?

Hey pixel pusher yes I am still with Prime probably finish my career here. I don't believe in moving around too much, people always seem to believe the grass is greener theory. Provided they treat me fair, respect me as I do them and live up to our agreement I see no reason to leave. In fact I believe they go up and above what I expected.

As far as the flatbed deal it is probably some type of dedicated route. Since I haul reefer I'm pretty out of the loop on that. It really makes no difference at this point since they don't hold you to a decision till you finished your training,

In fact after a few months you decide Flatbed isn't for you they will allow you to move to another division. Provided your service and safety record aren't tarnished. Personally I find reefer rewarding enough and asked I tell new students to start in reefer first. There is so much to learn just maneuvering the truck adding load securement brings the challenges to another level. You seem bright enough to handle the extra work load off the bat. I certainly get concerned about others. Anyway good luck, feel free to PM me if you need anything. Maybe I'll see you at the Taj Mahal (terminal).

Thanks for the advice, Brian. I'd probably be happy in any division. But flatbed drivers like Old School have inspired me to give it a go.

The extra challenge involved in securement is actually a plus in my decision. I like the challenge of figuring things out. I also like the more varied locations that flatbed gets to deliver to. And I like the physical demands. Gives me another reason to stay in shape.

All that said, I might change my mind once I get further along. I mean, I have zero experience, so I won't really know my preferences until I try.

I'll keep everyone here posted as I progress. Might even do a vlog on YouTube after I'm hired and go solo.

I had a very good experience myself with a Prime recruiter - Dustin is his name. He stayed in touch with me when I was trying to figure out whether I wanted to go tanker or reefer. Very helpful guy.