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Do training companies make accommodations for those who have a hard time with simulators?

I've never been on a simulator. And I have enjoyed some of the video games, but some of them bring on motion sickness. And it takes more than an hour to recover. I've been on the video driven rides at Universal, but may take a Dramamine prior, otherwise have to close eyes before ride is over. Also not good in back seat of cars, so I typically do all the driving. Like have driven straight through to/from Milwaukee to Raleigh a few times, I just get in a driving zone and get r done.

Hi ,I am a student driver at Prime. On there simulators I had a couple of times when taking a turn on a city street a had a little stomach flip. This is very unusual as I have never had issues of motion or car sickness. I am close to testing out for my cdl and have had zero issues when driving the truck. Just my 2 cents. Good luck

Nice new wheels. Congrats, well deserved I am sure

It's official. You're now a member of the gopher truckers club.

Those caves are pretty cool aren't they?

it still baffles my mind that those 25 foot pillars of rock is all that's keeping the outside world from collapsing on you. I liked the challenge but I'm thankful I had a daycab, and it'll probably be a while before I decide to go back

Pretty neat. I have just been at the entrance to the caves near Prime in Springfield

Let’s say you are in the 9.25 mpg for a 5000 mile week, what would that amount to?

That would amount to a miracle! Solo drivers don't turn 5,000 miles.

Sorry Old School I was following her example of a team that drove 5000 miles in a week. Sorry for any confusion.

Yesterday the announcement came regarding pay and bonus changes for company teams. They are as follows:

Team Truck split of 55cpm up to 3000 miles

3001 to 4000 miles is paid at 80cpm 4000+ miles is paid at 85cpm

Example of 5000 mile week:

55xpm x 3000 miles = $1650

80cpm x 1000 miles= $800

85cpm x 1000 miles = $850

$3300 ÷ by 2 drivers = $1650 per week per driver, as brand new drivers.

PLUS fuel bonuses ranging 50% to 100% of the savings. Plus OTD and safety bonuses.

Yes, they are encouraging teams. And team trainers got an increase too.

The new fuel bonus structure is as follows:

Currently we get 50% of the fuel savings after 7.75 MPG average for the week.

New:

50% of savings 7.75+ MPG

60% of savings 9.25+ MPG

70% of savings 9.75+ MPG

80% of savings 10.25+ MPG

90% of savings 10.75+ MPG

100% of savings 11.25+ MPG

Hey Kearney, I have a question about the fuel mileage bonus. Let’s say you are in the 9.25 mpg for a 5000 mile week, what would that amount to? Thanks

Hey Pack Rat, I have to ask a newbie question. How were you able to drive the trailer back with a broke off air fitting?

I little bit back in your diary you had a trailer air leak, you had called road service and they broke the fitting off in the air tank. Memphis area I believe. Then you said you just drove it back to the lot. Just wondering how you could do that with out being able to build air?

???

Do you have an example?

Welcome Jack, I am 61 and in Student driver at Prime right now. So far I have been complemented on not having to have a phone in my hand, and actually listening and retaining what I heard

Good luck to you

Part 9 Next morning just east of Chicago we are 563 miles east of SPrimo. We grab a bite and I start driving. Lots of construction. Drive all day, and into the night. We get very close to Springfield, trainer says exit number and Branson. I slow for exit and take it, couple more turns and into Primes Plaza building. All traffic inbound and outbound pass through here for trailer inspections. This is the first time I get to drive through the front gate and into a shop lane. I must be getting better. Trainer looks at me and says congrats. I asked what for and he said well first off you drove 10.5 hours for 563 miles. That is the longest time and miles for you so far. Second you didn’t drive by the exit like most of my students do. I said well my butt is tired of sitting and I am hungry. So I go hit the rest room and come back and they are writing all over the trailer tires and installing new ones, whatever that means. Only took a bout 15 minutes. Then we proceed to the truck wash and wash the truck and trailer. This the the city that never sleeps (SPrimo) we drop the trailer and head to the cafeteria for late supper. Some kind of fish and sides. Hit the spot. They go out of the way here to baby the drivers, good folks. We found a spot to park off the end of the training pad. Has its own bbq area , rest rooms and free great WiFi. I was out like a light. Next morning we sleep in a little. Then my trainer realizes he needs to renew his dot health card. Lucky Prime does that on site. He heads off to that, I eat breakfast, hash browns, scrambled eggs, biscuit and gravy and sausage. $3.00 Coffee tea and water are free. Can’t beat it. So then shower and I run into one of my class mates Eddie. He is getting close to testing out. Initially my trainer said we would be working on pretrip daily. Not so much. But not complaining, we get showers every other day, breaks when ever I ask , meals when ever and I think an excellent instructor on backing in a way I can comprehend. So I ask him how I’m doing and how long before testing out. He says your driving is fine , we need some pad time to work on backing and what ever questions you have on pretrip. So we set up a pad time 7 pm. We spent 4 hours on the pad, seemed like 2. Straight back no problem, offsets either direction no problem. Parrallel park, took some thought but is really just an offset back. Got here in the box first time and pretty straight. Then my first try at alley dock. Now that was a struggle. I had a time getting the arc down to turn sharp enough to get the back inside the cones. Tried some different things, got the arc too tight and hit the drivers side cone slightly. Ok now we are getting some place. Try again. , center between the cones, back in some more and struggling with it. Finally my trainer looks at me and says how have you been moving the trailer where you want in the other backs. Bingo offset back, still a little off. Offset a little more, I’m straight and just back it in, jump out run back to see the rear bumper centered in the spot. Yeeeeeees. Now I got it. Then since we missed time driving around town as it was storming last week we do it now. First stop down into the caves where they have cold storage. We just went down and made a loop and drove back out. We saw a yard dog come out of one of the cave openings pulling a Prime trailer and head up the hill some where. Then we just made a loop around town for a while and made lots of right turns. Came back and dropped the trailer and to the cafeteria for late supper. Buffet was shut down but grill is open 24/7. They make a mean cheese burger and fries. By now it’s almost 1 am as we walk back to the truck. All the trucks parked out around the building, apu’s purring in the night outside the mother ship. We go back to our night parking spot and pass out. Woke up about nine. Come in for breakfast, ran into my Classmate Eddie. After breakfast went with him and recited pretrip for about an hour. Then he wanted to go to the pad and watch another trainer work on the pad so I tagged along. The student was struggling with straight back. Man that was painful to watch as he is wanting to test out in a few days. It started getting hot on the pad so I walked back to my truck and grabbed my laundry to catch it up why I am waiting. Took a bit to get a washer. Visited with some other truckers and watched Top Gun’s Maverick do some of that pilot stuff for the 50th time. Still a tear jerker. Grabbed some dinner and ready to call it a night. We have a truck appointment at Monday 1600. Hoping it’s something stupid and we can get rolling again. Trainer is thinking of having me test out next week Monday. I am fine with that. Not sure if I am ready ready yet. Hope folks are enjoying reading my journey. Cheers

Part 8 After our drop in Detroit we are having an electrical problem with the trainers truck. Hill climb indicator stays on which in and of itself is no big deal, but we have no 4 way flashers and most of the in cab switches the same row as the Fraser switch are not working. So we asked for a load to get us back to SPrimo to get it looked at. We had to go about 120 miles to Reed Point,MI. As we were getting close the trainer says ya we haul a lot of yogurt out of here. Says there will be a few prime trailers on the lot. We pull in , they want to wash out our trailer then we get ready to drop it. While they are doing paperwork the trainer gives me a trailer number and says go track it down and call me. So I start looking I couned over 150 trailers (all Prime) on the lot. I found 2 rows, about 50 trailers with the refers running in the dark. Now we are getting somewhere. I finally find the trailer and call my trainer. He is dropping the other trailer then comes and hooks up this one. We were told to make sure it will scale for CA. We check it out, look at the air scales and are sure it’s fine but leave the yard, will stop at a scale to double check it. Just down the road is a small truck stop. We stop to get something to drink, I count 8 tractors, and 4 tractor trailer units at the pumps all prime. Ya we hall just a bit of yogurt out of here. I have driven a couple hours so far today and we head toward Chicago to stop so we can make it in to the mother ship tomorrow. We hit a scale, our math was fine. On a couple more hours and we stop for the night. More later

Hey Pack Rat, I have to ask a newbie question. How were you able to drive the trailer back with a broke off air fitting?