My Prime Journal

Insurance class was put off until tomorrow. So even more downtime today. I didnt waist it. I spent the morning in my room watching videos of everything from pretrip inspections to how to move the fifth wheel. Endless stuff to learn. Sim lab today 1-330. After that I think Im hoppin the shuttle downtown to catch a bus to the bass pro shop. Get me some sanity time. Dont have my poles so cant fish but can go look and daydream at bass pro. So far feeling really good about my choice to come to Prime.

Tested out of my sim class a day early. Good thing, that thing was starting to make me sick. Was getting dizzy and nauseous. As soon as I tried to take a break and collect myself the trainer comes over to test me out. So I passed the final probably about 5 minuted before I decorated the machine with my lunch. Couple meetings today at 8 and 330 than that's all on the schedule. Just wait for a trainer. I think we are going to the millennium building tomorrow.

Long day. Insurance info this morning. Sounds like pretty solid benefits. Than spent an hour and half in the sim lab. Still felt a little ill from it from yesterday, so I just hung out and help a couple other people. 330 we had the closing meeting. Got our vest and prime cards. While waiting in line for the id badge a trainer approached me. asked if I had a trainer, I did not so we went to his truck to talk, His first question was going to be mine. He ask do you smoke? Sweet a non smoker. Second question was showers. He tries his best to get one everyday. Has to skip a day some times but mostly everyday. That was a big one for me. I don't want to be in a little box for a month with a smelly slob. He took me over to the millennium building and showed me around. Amazing place. Than back to the room to wait out tornado warning. It got nasty here. Than the sim trainer steven picked me up. We went to a place called the tyme out to watch the Rangers lose to the lightning. Not the highlight of my trip. It does solve my problem of how do I watch the rangers in the finals. Off to the pad in the morning for my 4 hours driving before we hit the road. Should be fun after the terror subsides.

Sounds like your getting it! Keep us posted!

Sounds like your getting it! Keep us posted!

Packed up and ready to roll. Waiting for my laundry to dry. Than shuttle over to the millennium building to meet my trainer. 4 hours on the pad than we're picking up a load and going somewhere.

My trainer says the only time he will drive is when Im too tired or struggling getting into a doc. I will be his fifth trainee and four before me all passed their cdl test. So I think I got a good one.

Next update from the road.

Good luck man, stay safe.

I'm with my trainer now hanging out at the terminal. First stop, Dallas. And I forgot to pack my swimming trunks...

Good luck man, stay safe.

I'm with my trainer now hanging out at the terminal. First stop, Dallas. And I forgot to pack my swimming trunks...

Always can go skinny dippin. Good luck in Tx

We went over to take care of something with the logs and get a load and couldnt get the log deal fixed so got put off to 7am. My trainer got up at 1am to find the fix they did yesterday wasn;t fixed. Still leaking. No apu and I use cpap so really need it. He didnt want to go without ac at night either. So we wait again to this afternoon. Guess I might as well get used to it now.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

CPAP:

Constant Positive Airway Pressure

CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Good luck man, stay safe.

I'm with my trainer now hanging out at the terminal. First stop, Dallas. And I forgot to pack my swimming trunks...

Always can go skinny dippin. Good luck in Tx

We went over to take care of something with the logs and get a load and couldnt get the log deal fixed so got put off to 7am. My trainer got up at 1am to find the fix they did yesterday wasn;t fixed. Still leaking. No apu and I use cpap so really need it. He didnt want to go without ac at night either. So we wait again to this afternoon. Guess I might as well get used to it now.

Did they start you on the CPAP there or were you already using one prior to applying? I'm wonder how you pay for them if a sleep study says you need one. I don't have insurance at the moment.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

CPAP:

Constant Positive Airway Pressure

CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Did they start you on the CPAP there or were you already using one prior to applying? I'm wonder how you pay for them if a sleep study says you need one. I don't have insurance at the moment.

I would ask your recruiter if Ricky doesn't have the answer but, as far as I've read and understood from other vague posts on it, it's one where the company pays and you pay it back in installments like other stuff.

Hope all is well, Ricky! My trainer and I have been in Texas since we left. Down in La Porte near the Gulf now after seeing Dallas twice, as well as Waco and Austin.

Driving through Houston was MY first city experience... Pretty dang intense, but now that we are sitting still I can say it was fun.