(Prime TNT)What Or How To Go About Changing From Reefer To Flatbed Divison
Topic 11519 | Page 1
Talk to your fleet manager and let him know you are interested in changing divisions. It will help if your trainer is supportive and provides positive feedback about your driving skills and work habits.
I will say that this is a tough time of year to go flatbed, since freight is slow and a lot of flatbed TNT trainers take Thanksgiving and Christmas off. On the other hand, we all know we'll get priority dispatch with a student on board, so that's in your favor this time of year.
Fleet Manager:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
Hey Bud,
I've heard alot of references to slow season for flatbed, but don't know as much about it. Can you talk more about that please? Like when it is, duration, effect on freight, causes, etc. Thanks you
Hey Bud,
I've heard alot of references to slow season for flatbed, but don't know as much about it. Can you talk more about that please? Like when it is, duration, effect on freight, causes, etc. Thanks you
In my limited experience and from talking to more experienced drivers, it generally slows down in early November and picks up again in March or April. The cause is pretty straightforward: construction slows down during that time because of weather. So, there are fewer loads of building materials like roofing products, structural steel, rebar, lumber, etc. When construction picks up again, so do those kinds of loads.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
When the construction slows down and freight pertaining to construction slows as well, what are the flatbeds hauling during that time frame to keep them moving?
Pipe, equipment, oversize type loads that can't be put into an enclosed trailer, etc.
Yes it slows down, but you can still do pretty well with other types of loads. That is why it is advised to get into flatbedding in the spring so that you can capitalize on the loads when it is hopping and bank a little cash to help with the slower times.
Ernie
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I am currently in the middle of my TNT program and thought I would like reefer divison being I have 3yrs xp with reefer. After TNT for 3 weeks on the reefer side have no real desire to continue with the reefer side at all and would like to know if it is possible to switch?
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.