Comments By Skywalker

Those are some nice perks!

$ .30 CPM? As a solo company driver?

That is like - really peanuts in comparison to a lot of the other companies.

CM - was there a compelling reason you went with TA?

Best check of $500 on a best week of 3200 miles? Do you have a lot of deductions being taken out?

Rick

Yeah I have a few personal deductions.

I went with TA for the automatics, hometime policies and the perks: APU, fridge, TV and DirectTV standard in all their trucks.

This is the best discussion I have read through in a long time on this site. Was glued to the screen all night catching up. I like Rainy and Brett's ideas put together. Rotate students thru trainer trucks every 7-10 days. Have a minimal set a teaching requirements, backing, city driving, elogs, etc so student can get different perspectives. As a failsafe throw in fellow trainers from different yards or dispatchers or fleet managers to evaluate trainers from a higher corporate level peerspective to make sure minimum standards are set and look for ways to improve. Great debate!

Remember this I will...

The deer thing: If you hit the deer, as most people say it, you can be charged with a preventable accident. If the deer hit you, then it's non-preventable, and not your fault. I know, it's like saying "the door hit my forehead", but this way makes it non-preventable.

Thanks for this Kanelin, And the trainers should be well paid. Company or lease. A couple drivers I talked to called it a suicide run for the added stresses involved and the prospects they were looking at coming through training. Wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I could relate to what they said from my experience working in the Alaskan Fishing Industry. A lot of people coming through the mill there were ill prepared for the climate, cold, stark conditions etc... At some points the companies were hiring homeless off the street just to fill positions. Not sure if this is the same with trucking but with all the ads for big $$ and shortage of drivers I'm sure a lot of characters are coming through the mill.

Good luck with your PSD and TNT runs

And now from the student side: I am currently sitting in a service area on the Ohio Turnpike after my eighth day out driving with my PSD (pre-CDL) trainer. He is a lease operator for Prime and has been a trainer for quite a while. He has been hard on me when I needed it, and is very strict on safety and my driving habits. He is also teaching me many other things I would never learn in a classroom. He has also been encouraging when I have felt like an idiot and when I have felt like quitting. In short, he isn't just teaching me enough to get me CDL, he is teaching me to be a driver. His aim is to make me into someone he will feel safe sharing the road with. This is the goal of the training department at Prime, as I'm sure it is at all the training companies. Are there bad eggs? Sure there are, but Prime is actively weeding them out.

As for your interview, it is both of you interviewing each other. You are going to be spending a LOT of time together over the next few weeks so It is very important that you are both comfortable with each other.

As far as money goes, yes the trainer gets paid, but he or she gets a hefty bonus if you pass all your skills on the first try. So it is in their best interest to do a good job, no matter if they are company or lease.

I think I'd want you as my trainer too Brian! What region do you drive or what yard are you close to? I'm planning to start mid to late September. I'm in California now getting paperwork in order and possibly cdl permit as one Prime driver advised to this then go train through the Salt Lake City terminal because it was more laid back and less hectic than Springfield. Not as many people coming thru each week... Then another driver said I'd have a better experience in Springfield. So not sure... Ultimately I'll be taking my hometime, whenever that occurs, near Albany, NY to see my 2 young girls. I know Prime has the Pittston, PA terminal but not sure they train out of there. Big picture for me is to train during winter for adverse weather experience in reefer, then go to flatbed in Spring and then tanker after a couple of years when I get enough experience. This could all change but definitely want to get experience in all 3 divisions and then maybe heavy haul for ****s and giggles. Though my home will be near Albany, NY I'm not sure I'd want to drive Northeast Region until I have a bunch of OTR experience. I know it pays more and there's reasons why, just not sure I want that added stress on the outset. Though .50+ cpm for a rookie in a lightweight running NE Regional is pretty tempting...

Given all this what would you advise?

Sorry Joe at the present time I have a student that passed his TNT phase that wants a little more time behind the wheel before he goes solo so I am not available. I I plan on taking another student sometime in September at the earliest. ( Going to drive solo a few weeks before someone else hops on)

A small foot note I'm happy to inform everyone my students have earned me a 100% graduation rate so far. Knocking on wood right now!

Thanks for all the replies. Especially from you Brian and Kanelin. Good solid perspectives from a student and an instructor. As with most things I figured the bad cases were 10% or less of the whole story but get the most airtime or most noticed. Brian, that's really good to know about Prime giving one name to instructors. Might show that they are putting a keen eye on the match making service trying to find a best working solution. I don't know about you all but I'd be a little nervous competing for an instructor on the pad or in the halls with other guys. Not sure that's how it's been done, just remembering the stories I read/heard. I'm not a wallflower but not much of a group guy either and usually best one on one anyways. And all about business, in fact you'll probably find me out on the pad crawling thru cabs, engines and carriages inspecting every nook and cranny learning how these machines work and how they can work for me in becoming a professional driver.

I missed that! Funny!

I like how you said the deer jumped out and hit the truck, cause we NEVER hit the deer. Good job sir

Skywalker, your assumptions about lease owner trainers are close. Of course it all depends on the attitude of your trainer. But a company driver doesn't have the money worries of an owner.

I had a company trainer in a company truck when a deer jumped out and hit the truck. Body damage and all, my trainer basically said, OK, let's bring it in, two days off for body repair. Think what an owner would say if that poor, innocent deer had bashed his front bumper!

Hi Folks, I'm almost ready to set a start date for training at Prime Inc. Just got to add a little more $$ to savings to carry me through. I've read some stories on here and from a couple of rookie drivers that had off experiences with lease driver trainers. So I was wondering if it was possible or appropriate to ask for a company driver as my trainer for PSD and TNT at Prime. I guess the thinking would go some lease ops would be worried about wear and tear on the truck from rookie drivers, grinding gears etc... or making truck payments, getting enough miles to make ends meet, focus on bottom line etc... Whereas a company driver wouldn't have those worries. Is that a legitimate summation? I have nothing against lease and really don't know so I thought I'd put this out there.

So questions: In your experience... Is there a difference between company and lease trainers? What is the ratio of trainers at your company? What do/did you look for in a trainer? Did you have a choice of trainers? And any regrets?

I get that at Prime and possibly others the trainers have the pick of the lot as they mill through the pad and have the upper hand during the interview process (because they already have a cdl and a job) but I got to be interviewing them too making sure we are a right fit for the next few weeks or months right? I'm definitely not one to hold up the bus and will likely take first one but just hope he/she is a good solid million miler...

Haha yeah but if I get the house then I'll have a place for the Hemi Dart and a awesome ride for the girls when they turn sweet 16! Thanks for the good advice. Love the big condo's. I'm 6'6" and 180# soaking wet but as long as I don't get scalped I'll be fine. Looking at Roehl too, similar pay package as Prime but longer class training. I do like Prime's fastrak though. One week to pass all tests, get in a truck and go. Think I'd like to do all 48, take the training wheels off and settle into the wolf's den. Gonna be here for awhile so I might as well get use to it...;}

Hello, I've been lurking on the site soaking up a lot of information over the last couple of months. I've read the blogs of Rainy D and Daniel B, Truckermike and a few others. I really like the feedback and guidance from Old School, Brett and Errol. Trucking and the Open Road has always been a love of mine and now I think a necessity. So I thought I'd join up and start studying the High Road Training Program while I search for the best starter company and position for me in this new endeavor.

I recently moved my family from San Francisco to Upstate New York to raise and school our daughters (3~5) in the country. But soon found the wife and momster-in-law had other plans and took the kids to her mother's then filed for divorce. So I am going from a stay at home dad to super trucker in a matter of months. I say that lightly but as I'm reading if you use your clock wisely you can keep the miles rolling. And I tell my kids that so they can be excited and not sad that Daddy's away for awhile at a time now. And I basically just want to work work work to save and stack money and experience for 2-3 years to have enough to put down on a house for the girls and get a local regional job.

I am thinking about doing cdl training with Prime, going with the featherweight tractor and North Eastern regional runs for extra pay and maybe taking no home time but doing 34 hour resets with my girls near Albany, NY Springfield, Mass or Hartford, CT as needed. My girls live within 90 min of those cities. That should be pretty doable from a company perspective, no? I was thinking dry van/reefer for this scenario but maybe I could do it as a flat-bedder too.

While I've never considered becoming a trucker I think I may be a natural for it. I love the open road, I love trucks and I just love working and being productive. Plus I think I am more of a Journey Man. Destinations are boring after awhile...;} I am an introvert so the solo time I would relish, especially since I still got my VZ UDP so I can stay connected online. And I like being my own boss, king of my castle so to speak but definitely no lease for me! I'm a company man. Got enough troubles already...;}

I've also looked into Jim Palmer trucking and Wil-Trans as I like the bigger newer trucks with fridges, not sure if the rookies get those though but... and maybe more miles through the western states? not sure Looks like they both have the same student pay and training structure as Prime which I really like. I think proper training is key and the one on one structure I would excel at.

I think my biggest worry is staying on top of child support during training and the first year. I have read of a guy getting sent home during training because he was in arrears by a small amount. I am not in arrears and don't plan to be but how do companies handle this issue?

Thanks to all for your blogs and vlogs here and on youtube. They've definitely given me hope and direction for the next chapter in my life...

~Clear Skies

Hello, I've been lurking on the site soaking up a lot of information over the last couple of months. I've read the blogs of Rainyd and Daniel B, Truckermike and a few others. I like the feedback and guidance from Old School, Brett and Errol. Trucking and the Open Road has always been a love of mine and now I think a necessity. So I thought I'd join up and start studying the High Road Training Program while I search for the best starter company and position for me in this new endeavor.

I recently moved my family from San Francisco to Upstate New York to raise and school our daughters (3~5) in the country. But soon found the wife and momster-in-law had other plans and took the kids to her mother's then filed for divorce. So I am going from a stay at home dad to super trucker in a matter of months. I say that lightly but as I'm reading if you use your clock wisely you can keep the miles rolling. And I tell my kids that so they can be excited and not sad that Daddy's away for awhile at a time now. And I basically just want to work work work to save and stack money and experience for 2-3 years to have enough to put down on a house for the girls and get a local regional job.

I am thinking about doing cdl training with Prime, going with the featherweight tractor and North Eastern regional runs for extra pay and maybe taking no home time but doing 34 hour resets with my girls near Albany, NY Springfield, Mass or Hartford, CT as needed. My girls live within 90 min of those cities. That should be pretty doable from a company perspective, no? I was thinking dry van/reefer for this scenario but maybe I could do it as a flat-bedder too.

While I've never considered becoming a trucker I think I may be a natural for it. I love the open road, I love trucks and I just love working and being productive. Plus I think I am more of a Journey Man. Destinations are boring after awhile...;} I am an introvert so the solo time I would relish, especially since I still got my VZ UDP so I can stay connected online. And I like being my own boss, king of my castle but definitely no lease for me! I'm a company man. Got enough troubles already...;}

I've also looked into Jim Palmer trucking and Wil-Trans as I like the bigger newer trucks with fridges, not sure if the rookies get those though but... and maybe more miles through the western states? not sure Looks like they both have the same student pay and training structure as Prime which I really like. I think proper training is key and the one on one structure I would excel at.

I think my biggest worry is staying on top of child support during training and the first year. I have read of a guy getting sent home during training because he was in arrears by a small amount. I am not in arrears and don't plan to be but how do companies handle this issue?

Thanks to all for your blogs and vlogs here and on youtube. They've definitely given me hope and direction for the next chapter in my life...

~Clear Skies