PSD Starting 8/21 Any Flatbed Instructors/trainers
Topic 20515 | Page 1
Welcome there a lot of good information here. Turtle runs a flatbed for Prime, he with probably comment at some point. I was with Halvor Lines running a flatbed but score a local job driving a gravel train in Michigan
Welcome Jimmy. I don't train so I can only recommend a good trainer. Danny Gibbons was my PSD trainer, and he was great. You may have a hard time getting him though. He typically hand picks his students and he prefers to do PSD only, as opposed to keeping the student through TNT.
The demand for flatbed trainers is very high. But it shouldn't take too long to get one. Remember that some trainers are still learning themselves. Pay attention to what they're teaching but also be open to other methods.
Good luck! Don't hesitate to ask us questions in here.
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 had Danny for PSD backing too. He's one of the top trainers at Prime and gets awards constantly. He really taught me the backing to pass the test.
Of course, no offense...backing with a FB was easier than reefer.
FBers are die hards lol they love it so I'm sure you will get a great trainer.
Prime has a new way of matching students up... Personality and goals surveys. Can't wait to see if it truly works.
Good luck
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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.
Thank you John and Turtle. I'm looking forward to it. Turtle, are you a company, l/o, or o/o?
Thank you for the input. Greatly appreciated.
I had Danny for PSD backing too. He's one of the top trainers at Prime and gets awards constantly. He really taught me the backing to pass the test.
Of course, no offense...backing with a FB was easier than reefer.
FBers are die hards lol they love it so I'm sure you will get a great trainer.
Prime has a new way of matching students up... Personality and goals surveys. Can't wait to see if it truly works.
Good luck
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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.
Thank you John and Turtle. I'm looking forward to it. Turtle, are you a company, l/o, or o/o?
I'm company, and wouldn't have it any other way. From all the research I've done, company drivers make the same or more money then lease ops, especially in the flatbed division.
Sadly, most trainers you'll come across are lease. It's the only way they can make enough money to make it worth it.
Turtle, in your opinion, what are the pros and cons vs. company and lease? What region do you work and approximate miles per week as company driver? Home time?
Also, do you apply for passport during orientation or anytime after?
Also, do you apply for passport during orientation or anytime after?
You can get your passport anytime. Even now. I had one but never renewed it, and don't really need it. They run some experienced teams to Canada but its not as.common as.people think. They also tell you to get the hazmat after you go home and transfer your CDL to home state. I still don't have hazmat and am not.missing anything lol
As far as leasing...DONT do it. Especially not new. I love prime and everyone knows it...but you can really screw yourself not knowing what you are getting into.
We had many discussions on this forum about it and there's a great thread. One of the prime lease ops admitted he makes 2cpm more on average...but didn't add in the company driver bonuses...which means company drivers actually make more. And lease ops LIE about what a company driver can and can't do.
MYTH: company drivers have to fuel/break where told (we park where we want and ask for fuel if different from where suggested)
MYTH: company drivers are forced into lightweights (ask for the full size and you get one)
MYTH: company drivers get no miles
MYTH: company drivers cannot reject a load (you can due to safety, HOS and home time being too close).
MYTH: Prime will search a company truck every 60-90/days ruining your privacy. (I've never been searched. Once they sent a message asking for a "cleanliness and safe living inspection". The mechanic popped his head in the window and said " all good". That's really about people who drive with so much trash they cant see the mirrors or junk rolls under the pedals)
Old School's Leasing Buying thread
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.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Dm:
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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Hello all. This is my first post. I begin PSD at Prime this coming Monday(8/21/2017). Want to go flatbed and am curious if any one out there is a flatbed instructor/trainer. I'm told there aren't many. Thank you.
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