Issue appears resolved after service call. the tech came out and installed a 10db attenuator on the cable line going into the modem. now my signals are more in spec with what they should be 
And no more T3 time out errors after the modem reboots. I still notice my speeds are slower than with the DOCSIS 2.0 modem i replaced but the tech said he's seen that before where on the preferred package, the 3.0 modems sometimes dont operate as fast as the 2.0s. but are obviously needed when upgrading to the premier package.