My First Few Weeks Solo With Prime Inc
Topic 17474 | Page 1
Hello and welcome to flatbed. Excellent choice company wise. That worry feeling shouldn't ever go away honestly. You may worry less eventually but I over secure my loads every time, especially coils and bars. If it can slide or roll it's getting extra. Taping takes a little while to get used to. Lumber and bars are easy for me, coils take a little more practice. Occasionally you get a grocery list of stuff from a shipper and your tarp will be ugly, like camel humps on your trailer. Do your best and keep it dry and secure.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Welcome to Prime! ;) and congrats
I drive reefer but I'm sure the nerves will go away just as it does with the backing. Our Prime app has a bunch of training videos and I bet they have one in FB securement if youbever have questions.
When in the terminal talk to some of the other drivers and get phone numbers. Put in the contacts whether they drive days or nights and you will have round the clock support lol
I'm sure one of the guys will encourage you here.,...bit sounds to me your FM is a great guy and you'll be making lots of $$$$ hahah.
Good luck
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.
Fm:
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.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
While those feelings of nervousness do get better it is my opinion that you should always be thinking about what is sitting on that deck and watching it. You might not paralyzed by fear so much but as the driver you are the one responsible for making sure what ever is on that deck stays in the same spot the shipper set it in when you arrive at your consignee. I haul steel mostly coils and even though i have what is refered to as a covered wagon I am constantly worried about what is loaded on my trailer. It is also good to stop and do your in route securement checks because depending on what you have loaded you may find that every time you stop there is something that needs tightening.
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Covered Wagon:
A flatbed with specially fitted side plates and curved ribs supporting a tarp covering, commonly referred to as a "side kit". Named for the resemblance to horse-drawn covered wagons.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
Hey there I am back with a new chapter in my story. I completed my PSD and TNT training through Prime and have been solo now for a few weeks. After I upgraded out of TNT I was assigned a truck. A 2014 Cascadia Evolution the detail shop had done an amazing job on it as it is completely flawless inside and out. They had me do a thorough inspection on it and off I went into the world on my own.
The first few weeks have been trying at times but honestly not too bad. I did have 2 back to back loads which delivered to Queens New York, however my fleet manager called me and asked me was I okay with taking them. He said I will not force you too if you do not feel you are ready yet but if you do I will give you an extra $100 for taking it. That times 2 made an extra $200 on my check for this week so that was nice and he was true to his word and it was on my pay when I got it no questions asked. He seems to be a really good guy who keeps me rolling and busy. Coming out of the gate as a new solo flatbed driver my average miles for the week are about 2,800.
I am still very happy about my decision to come to work for Prime and would recommend this company to anyone in a heartbeat. Everyone so far has been true to their word about what they told me and they take very good care of their equipment. I have even came through driver lineup with trailers in which I thought the tires were okay and they change them anyway lol so this is a huge plus in my opinion.
The only issue I am having right now and maybe some of the veteran flatbedders can give me some input on this. Being a new flatbedder I am overly paranoid I feel like about my load securement. Like yesterday I picked up a tractor and secured it and even asked 2 other drivers how my securement looked and they were like that thing isn't going anywhere, however, I still stressed about it the whole way. Does this feeling eventually pass. I am so worried about my securement that at times yes I do oversecure things because I am stressing out about it so bad. Also my tarping to be honest still sucks. Will this get better???
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.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.