Game: If You Are Just Finishing Training..
Topic 19633 | Page 1
1. My biggest piece of advice for someone is to listen, listen, and listen some more to your trainers. Watch what they do when they drive, or get a load, or fuel, or trip plan. These are all things they should be taught. But watch and listen so they can better understand what to do and develops their own system.
2. The hardest part... for me it was having two different trainers. One for PSD and another for TNT. My PSD trainer we and I got along well and I really understood what he was trying to teach me. It then I got a new trainer fir the next phase. And it was like I had to start all over again. Building a rekationship of trust with someone, but also now learning how they want me to do things.
3. Everyday when I'm behind the wheel rolling down the highway through whichever state I'm in and seeing this beautiful country. The little towns, the big cities, the open fields, and the beach side cities. That makes it all worth it.
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.
My biggest tips are simply this. Be patient and realise that you suck. We all learn new things every day out here, and as many say, if you ever believe that you know everything, hang up your keys and turn in your truck.
I just graduated the 3rd of this month. Driving was pretty steady but the backing maneuvers didn't click until the last week where I could put it in the box everytime by myself. You'll get plenty advice from all the instructors and they all are good but your just going to have to stick with the advice that's more relatable to you. So as someone said above just be patient and take your time don't be in a rush.
1) get up an hour before your shift anx stay awake after your shift. If your trainer is driving immediantly. Use this time to ask questions, look at the map book to remember your route. Also google maps satelite view is an amazing friend for seeing hoe to get in and out of a shipper reciever. I swear by it.
2) hardest part is towards the end for me. Thats where you are good enough that your trainer considers you to know everything. But it also is when your new enough that you still second guess stuff. Its also when ypu and your trainer will get on each others nerves quite often. Also, night shift. That sucks horribly as well.
3) i unfortunetely have no sights because ive been assigned nightshift the entire time. However. The worth it times for me is going up and down mountains (the challenge and the rush) as well as meeting all types of people, and tasting the food from the different regions.
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.
Well this game died faster than my sanity during the end of night shift lol
Well this game died faster than my sanity during the end of night shift lol
It needs to percolate...Rainy's true followers tend to come out when there is a full moon and a slight mist in the air.
Patience Young Jedi.
Yes master obi wan. We shall wait. Lol
Yes master obi wan. We shall wait. Lol
You flatter me, thanks, but that's not me... I'm in the band!
As someone about to go into training, my advice to myself is going to be:
1. Try not to get overwhelmed and to clamp down on any nervousness I have going on. It's all pretty new for me. School was school. This is the real deal. So sh*t just got real here.
2. Try to listen and translate that into doing. Sometimes that's far easier said than done, but I want to try to remember the nuggets of wisdom and even the basics that I don't quite have down pat yet.
3. Try to do a little better each day. I know things won't come naturally for some time, but I can't wait for the day when it's not all hard. When I can do a lot of it without having to think it through quite so much.
4. Try to absorb everything my trainer has for me. Whether it's advice on shifting, backing, trip planning, managing my day, whatever. I want to soak in everything I can.
5. Try to be a good guest on the truck. I'm pretty easy going and reasonably polite most of the time, but I want to be mindful that I'm moving into the truck as an invited guest.
6. Be thankful for the opportunity to learn this big wonderful job. And I'm grateful for the company and the trainer willing to take on the challenge that is me!
There may be more but that's kind of how I'm approaching training as a brand new trainee whose ink is still wet on her CDL!
I know I'm rough and I need work. I'm grateful for the practice and patience and understanding.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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What advice do you have for someone about to go into training? What was the hardest part? What motivated you to stick with it?
I know we have quite a few here who are upgrading shortly and I thought a newbie to newbie perspective would be cool for future students.