Interested In Prime INC
Topic 14997 | Page 1
Welcome to the forum DP. I got my first major exposure to driving big trucks working in construction. So yes Prime is a very good choice. We have a number of successful and happy home-grown drivers working for Prime. We also have a former Prime Trainer so I fully expect you will be getting mny responses.
In the mean time you might want to take a look at these links as a good way to get a head-start...Good luck!
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
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.
Welcome to the forum, as G-Town explained there are quite a few Prime employees past and present on this forum. I am currently a PSD/TNT instructor with Prime and am extremely happy with my choice of not only starting with Prime but also staying with them as well. The process is pretty straightforward you will spend two to three weeks in your PSD process then when you pass and receive your CDL you will do Your TNT training for a minimum of 30000 miles. If you need any direct questions answered I would be happy to help. Most everything can be answered through the websight and old forum questions. Good Luck Brian
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.
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.
Thank you g-town and brian! I have yet to read through Brett's book and the drivers guide. But have been trying to do extensive research about the program and the company itself. I have read some reviews, seen some youtube videos, went all over primes website, and looked them up on here. So far Im liking what I see.
I do have a couple questions. When it's time for you to go solo do they try an get you to go to a lease truck over using one of theres?
I'm looking at going into the flatbed side, will I have to purchase chain from a 3rd party company or will prime sell me everything I will need? (straps, chains, binders, ect.)
Welcome to the forum, as G-Town explained there are quite a few Prime employees past and present on this forum. I am currently a PSD/TNT instructor with Prime and am extremely happy with my choice of not only starting with Prime but also staying with them as well. The process is pretty straightforward you will spend two to three weeks in your PSD process then when you pass and receive your CDL you will do Your TNT training for a minimum of 30000 miles. If you need any direct questions answered I would be happy to help. Most everything can be answered through the websight and old forum questions. Good Luck Brian
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.
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.
PRIME MYTH 1 you will absolutely not be pressured into going lease. I went thru PSD in sept oct... tnt Nov to feb and got my company truck feb 14th. I was asked one time "do you want to go company or lease... that was the extent of the pressure
Prime has company dispatchers and lease dispatchers. My fleet managers entire fleet is company drivers... so if everyone went lease he would have no one.
Prime myth 2 You will not be forced into a lightweight truck. If you want a condo they expect you to pay your own hotel room while you wait for one. Mine took one night.
They pay 39.5pm for condo and 45.5 cpm for the lightweight trucks
Prime myth 3 You will not get less miles as a company driver than as a lease op. If I can get unloaded before payroll cutoff today I'll have 2800 miles as a 4 month rookie solo company driver. Not bad.
Dispatcher:
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.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.CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
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'm looking at going into the flatbed side, will I have to purchase chain from a 3rd party company or will prime sell me everything I will need? (straps, chains, binders, ect.)
I can help you with this question. Prime will issue you all the required securement equipment. Does not matter if you are a company or lease driver, everyone pays for their equipment. Prime does not expect you to come up with the money up front (at present it's about $3500 for all the required equipment), they will finance it for you and let you pay for it over time.
If you have any further questions about the flatbed side, let me know & I will do my best to help if I can. If I don't know the answer directly, I have resources to ask to get the answer.
Ernie
Ernie, what happens to your chain & stuff when & if you leave Prime? Will they buy it back or do you own 300 lbs. of chain?
Ernie, what happens to your chain & stuff when & if you leave Prime? Will they buy it back or do you own 300 lbs. of chain?
I was just wondering the same thing. Is the $3500 like a security deposit that you get back if you turn everything back in?
Don't know about the tarps but you can turn your chains in if you leave and get your money back (100% if they are still bagged, unsure of the % if used).
You can turn in load locks for money too, although I don't really do that. I leave them in drop trailers when my rack is full.
Prime makes you pay for this stuff so you are invested in taking care of it, and aren't going to sell it at the truckstop, etc...
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I'm wanting to get into the trucking industry, Ever since working for my step dads excavation company and driving his rigs on job sites. I have driven a 1969 Mack R600 with the 5 speed Trans dumptruck, a 1976 Mack with the u pattern twin stick dumptruck (thats the truck I drove the most) and a 1995 Pete 379 lowboy. The Pete I spent very little time in but it was seat time behind the wheel none the less. I was thinking of going to prime to get my cdl as I don't have it yet. Is there anyone out there that has been an done there PSD and TNT program, that can tell me more about what it was like to go through it?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
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.