Yet Another Prime Inc. Journal

Where to begin? I had a few choices when it came to a company sponsored CDL training program, but what sealed the deal for me was reading these same forums along with many others across the internet. It struck me as odd that there were so many good and wholesome reviews for Prime when absolutely every other mega had almost exclusively bad or at best mediocre reviews. That is not to say the bad reviews for Prime don't exist, because they do, but I had to actively search them out. Another oddity that drew my attention to Prime was that they call their program an "Apprenticeship" and, after you receive your Permit, you are immediately sent out with a trainer where you drive with live loads and gather highly sought after hands on experience. After speaking with my recruiter, a few close family, as well as my counselor here at Job Corps, I decided on the 23rd of July for my orientation, which is 13 days away as I write this journal entry. I am steadily working my way through the tools on this sight to prepare myself for the Permit test and eventual Road test. I am beyond excited for this opportunity to begin a career that I am a tailored fit for, being 26 years old with no wife and not a kid in sight. Any words of wisdom are much appreciated, for if I have learned one thing in this life, it's that I don't know everything.

I'm working on that, though.

Welcome

We have many prime drivers here and a trainer. Ask a ton of questions and check out these links. The High Road Training Program is a huge asset.

High Road CDL Training Program

• CDL Practice Tests
• High Road Practice Questions
• Android App: CDL Practice Tests

Best of luck, and I look forward to following your schooling.

Chris

Much appreciated, Chris. I will keep this journal as up to date as possible.

Welcome to the forum Jacob. That's great, we are excited for you as well.

I highly suggest investing time in reading the links Army sent; and focus on studying the High Road CDL Training Program. The links will help establish a base of knowledge, set realistic expectations and prepare you to pass the permit (CLP) exams. Don’t just gloss over this because you have made a decision. Now is the best time to read the links with a clear head and open mind.

So yes, Prime is a great company, however the other companies represented in both Paid CDL Training Programs and Trucking Company Review List are just as viable. I originally trained with Swift, been with them for a long time, quite happy and have no interest in jumping ship. Swift is the darling of the Internet Trolls; maligned unfairly and falsely represented in most everything I have read on other sites. They didn’t become the largest TL Carrier in the world by constantly screwing up…quite the contrary.

Please realize that the majority of negative information was created by people who failed or could not handle the demands of the job. Take a look at this article found in the Trucking Truth blog section... https://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/Article-3863/the-web-of-lies-and-misinformation

Once you have read everything, stop back with any questions you have and we’ll do our best to answer them. I also suggest taking a look at everything available in the blog section. There is tons of valuable information at your fingertips.

Good luck!

Resent the hot link for the blog article: Web of Lies and Misinformation

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-3798/Page-1/pre-trip-inspection-my-way-a-must-see

I didn’t see that link in the other posts. It’ll help you with your CLP exam by showing what the parts look like & it’ll get you a trainer even faster cause it shows your determination & preparation skills are above the majority of other rookies.

I just got my CDL through Prime on 03/29. I’ve been in my own truck now for about 2 months. I have nothing but great things to say about Prime. I hope you have the same experience as most of us Primates. Any questions, concerns, venting, you name it, just give us a shout on here.

All the best to you!!

Welcome and good luck! Others have given you lots of good information, I suggest taking a look at what they posted.

I'm with Prime and currently in TNT phase.

This is a lot of information to take in, but I definitely appreciate the well wishes AND that there are some "Primates" here whose brains I can pick as my orientation date draws near.

I do have one question, though it's not terribly important. I have a preference for manual transmissions, mostly because I don't want to be restricted to just automatics. Now I know most companies are leaning towards automatics in this day and age, but would it be too much to ask for a trainer with a manual? I don't want to seem elitist or anything.

This is a lot of information to take in, but I definitely appreciate the well wishes AND that there are some "Primates" here whose brains I can pick as my orientation date draws near.

BUT,...the information will be of incredible value as you make this journey. You do not realize to what extent it will help you. The Primates and well-wishes aside; not one student who has passed through this forum who took the time to read, fully comprehend and study the contents of the links we sent you regretted their investment. I seriously hope you take full advantage of the free tools we just handed you. They will make a huge difference in your ability to progress and not get "hung-up" on unexpected surprises... Trust us, we know what we are doing, and talking about.

I do have one question, though it's not terribly important. I have a preference for manual transmissions, mostly because I don't want to be restricted to just automatics. Now I know most companies are leaning towards automatics in this day and age, but would it be too much to ask for a trainer with a manual? I don't want to seem elitist or anything.

Leaning towards? Way beyond that point... No Sir, most of the largest TL carriers have totally transitioned their company fleets to full auto-shift trucks. Where I work, there are only two Swift 10-speed manuals (spares) remaining out of 100 trucks assigned to the Walmart DC. You can "ask", but realize trainers are in very, very high demand, more students than there are trainers at most companies willing to train entry-level drivers. Prime is no exception. If you insist on a Prime Trainer driving a truck with a manual transmission, it might protract your wait beyond what is reasonable.

Oh, I'm definitely taking full advantage of the information, and I'm glad to have it. Working my way through the HRTP as we speak and am also reading everything I can on this wonderful website. The manual transmission isn't a big deal, I just didn't want the restriction on my license. It does make sense to take a trainer when I can get one, so I probably won't mention it unless they ask. I'm also leaning towards flatbed because of the physical activity associated with it. Wouldn't want to get fatter than I am now.