Prime Inc Week 2 Of CDL School, Day 1 Of 1 On 1 Instruction
Topic 25721 | Page 1
You got this... everyone starts where you are and feels like you do. Enjoy training.
Well this has been an interesting month to say the least. I got through Prime Inc Orientation and within 48 hours of hitting the road with my PSD Trainer he announced he was going to resign as soon as we got through PSD and TNT. From that point, he was disengaged and three days later, I was in SLC UT, trainerless as he quit. I waited a week and was matched up with another PSD Trainer. After being on the road, 72 hours, he told me he was going to get us routed through Springfield so I could test out on 6/23. Now he's trying to get his freight repowered. And I'm in limbo. He got a citation in ID and basically lost his mind. I'm really questioning Prime as my choice and am concerned for my future. All I can do now is realize that everything happens for a reason.
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.
DON’T GIVE UP! Prime is a great company, but some of the people are nuts, just like every other company has people that are completely nuts. Stick with it and the reward will be well worth it. I know it sucks now, but it’s only a temporary setback, and a tiny fraction of time in the great scheme of things.
Look at it like your third time will (hopefully) be the charm.
Im just waiting to find out whats going on!
DON’T GIVE UP! Prime is a great company, but some of the people are nuts, just like every other company has people that are completely nuts. Stick with it and the reward will be well worth it. I know it sucks now, but it’s only a temporary setback, and a tiny fraction of time in the great scheme of things.
Look at it like your third time will (hopefully) be the charm.
Hang in there it will get better. The trainers you've had to deal with are only temporary and once you're out on your own everything will be different. There have been quite a few horror stories here that make your training look like a cake walk but it could always be worse. You got this, every company has a few "problem children" you've just had bad luck finding them! It's all part of the experience, it will get better. Don't give up!
This may be some of the trainer purge in effect. That sucks man I am sorry. Hate to hear Prime represented that way. Just try to brush those two off, you can't possibly get three bad in a row.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
The way I'm Iooking at it is that I'm going to learn from 3 people and make the most of it. I have my pre-trip inspection down cold. It's not memorized. It's known. I continue to improve my driving abilities. I have had the chance to drive a Peterbilt and Freightliner. All of that is positive. My main concern now is that my backing skills are sorely lacking. Very, very limited padtime and very little real-time opportunities either. When I get back to Springfield I need much more time.
This may be some of the trainer purge in effect. That sucks man I am sorry. Hate to hear Prime represented that way. Just try to brush those two off, you can't possibly get three bad in a row.
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Thorpester, as the others have said, keep it together and things will work out. A company the size of Prime is bound to have a few bad egg trainers once in awhile. Don't sweat it. Soon enough you'll be getting the pad and drive time you need. Meanwhile, stay on top of your pre trip, and go over to the pad to watch the others practice. You may even get to join in with an in-house instructor. Get in front of the problem by asking what you need to do to speed up the process.
Don't let a temporary setback throw you off your game. Instead, let it motivate you to persevere.
Many PSD instructors avoid backing OTR because when you get to the pad you use reference points. Some students try to replicate what they did OTR but the pad has set boundaries you wouldnt have had in large distribution centers. This causes them to fail.
Learn the reference points. I went from failing the backing....to getting no points. Once my 2nd PSD instructor taught me Primes references, I passed backing with zero points. And it only took 2 hours for me to learn all of rhe manuevers after hours of frustration without the reference points.
In general, most learn driving OTR then come back to test. Worst case scenario, they have pad instructors that will teach you with extra help to pass. This was true for me as well as forum member Splitter. Get the nervousness out of your head, that will cause distractions. Think of the backing as a puzzle.
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.
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.
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Today was memorable as all get out. It was the first Instruction with my Prime Student Driver (PSD) Trainer. We first talked late last week and he and I got acquainted a bit during that call. He clearly communicated his "rules for the truck, " as well as the expectations he has for me over the next few weeks. Safety is the first and main consideration. Everything that we do will bear that in mind. Secondarily, we will prepare me for the Missouri CDL examination, consisting of pre inspection, backing and road test.
At Prime Inc., the training program requires 4 hours of drive time with your PSD Trainer, prior to leaving to pick up at the first shipper , or to continue on with an existing load. We already have a loaded reefer so we will finish his run.
So we worked on pre trip inspection this morning. Then late afternoon he had me do some driving through a nearby Industrial park. Following that we worked on backing on the training pad. I did left offset backing and right offset as well. Finally, we went out and drive all around Springfield for quite awhile. Part interstate , some in town and some on Route 66.
I have a lot to do in order to be anywhere near proficient yet we can leave for SoCal tomorrow with me a lot less anxious than I was earlier.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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