Just How Nice Of A Company And The Trainning Of Prime?
Topic 13496 | Page 1
I looked online and this company seems to have great reviews from people who have/did work for them. Better than most! And when I looked at their training regimen it seems fantastic actually. You get a mentor etc. But site really does make it seem they are dedicated to making the training great. But could I get some opinions from people who have worked there? This really is like the #1 company I'm looking at to work for really.
Ask away, I and others that work at Prime will be more than happy to help if we can.
It it's any consolation, I just last month went back to Prime after being gone for 2 years.
I did my training through the Prime program. IMHO is they have a great program that has stood the test of time. The program has changed some in the last 4.5 years, but is basically the same as when I started. You have 1 to 1 student/instructor for the first phase of your training to teach you what you need to know to pass the test to get your CDL-A license. The second phase of training is to teach you what you need to know so you can get your own truck and do the job, this part is working as a team driving/delivery etc.
Any other questions, feel free to ask. I am sure someone will be able to answer them for you.
Ernie
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
I never worked for them, but I considered them. In all the research I did prior to becoming a driver, and based on other drivers' experiences, I'd recommend Prime as my #1 choice for paid-company training to earn a CDL , and a fantastic truckload company running OTR for an experienced driver. Their equipment is top notch, and they pay well. They also seem to have a great driver support network.
I'd also recommend Shaffer Trucking as another company that does pretty much what Prime does (truckload reefer), but they don't have their own school where they have CDL training. They do hire student drivers, and pay comparably to Prime.
For paid-company training, it's really tough to beat Prime.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Not sure what to say -- I'm new & weary but I love it! My adventures so far are in this ... umm, exhaustive ... diary. Good luck with your choice, there are some great options out there.
PSD:
Prime Student Driver
Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.
The following is from Prime's website:
Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.
Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days
- Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
- Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
- Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
- Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
- Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
- Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.
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.
I love it. I intended on leaving after my year is up.... but I wont. I'm happy with them. There is good and bad in every company and good and bad people wherever u go. I have had my own teuck a month ... and what I didn't learn in training... I'm learning on my own... using sone wonderful experienced drivers and trainers at prime. It is easy to meet people at the springfield terminal... exchange numbers and keep in touch. I have a list of drivers I can call day and night to ask for help. I just put in my phone "Brad night driver" or "Brad day driver". Don't want to wake anyone lol.... plus. Having someone to talk to while you are driving helps the day go by quicker and keep u awake if u drive nights. I had my license for 2 wks and flew home when my mom needed energency heart surgery. They didn't hassle me and didn't even ask for a doctor's note. They are very family oriented. Any problems I have had were solved immediately. As far as training.... as with anywhere it depends on your instructor. Soem are awesome and some suck. For serious issues they will allow you to change trainers. It is also impossible to prepare you for every scenario out on the road... so this board is great as well as the drivers put there on the road willing to help 3ach other.
Good luck. I'm not going anywhere else anytime soon.. so maybe we will meet ;)
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.
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I looked online and this company seems to have great reviews from people who have/did work for them. Better than most! And when I looked at their training regimen it seems fantastic actually. You get a mentor etc. But site really does make it seem they are dedicated to making the training great. But could I get some opinions from people who have worked there? This really is like the #1 company I'm looking at to work for really.