Prime TNT Question
Topic 27396 | Page 1
It's probably just timing, RD. Trucking is cyclical, and the period right after Christmas is always touch and go. I give it some time and see how it shakes out.
I definitely think the problem is you, RD!
You should quit there and come on over to CFI.
I definitely think the problem is you, RD!
You should quit there and come on over to CFI.
Thanks, Turtle!
Look at that...PackRat is not only churning out big miles and maintaining an awesome diary, he is moonlighting in the CFI recruiting department too! I hope he is fitting some sleep somewhere into that busy schedule.
Just came off home time. Had a 1300 pickup today at Hello Fresh in Newark, NJ for 23:15 delivery tonight in Ohio. Preplan for next load: 1600 tomorrow in ohio. Too much time!
Load ended up being cancelled after sitting in Newark for 6 hours. New load: 0600 tomorrow, picking up in Linden, NJ. I'm going to try to be patient but I wish business would hurry up and get its butt in gear again.
Talk to Teresa about it. She may be keeping you i the northeast for a reason.... but you make no money training doing that. a fast "Maybe training isnt worth it for.me if this is normal".. the threat of not training gives you results. lol
Talk to Teresa about it. She may be keeping you i the northeast for a reason.... but you make no money training doing that. a fast "Maybe training isnt worth it for.me if this is normal".. the threat of not training gives you results. lol
Definitely gonna ask her about it. I didn't want to bug her until I got some feedback from other drivers' about their TNT experience. Last two full weeks were 2,600ish and 3,100ish total miles. Those are solo numbers.
Thanks, Kearsey!
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
Ugh, those are some pretty sad team miles. I imagine your student probably isn't happy about it either.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
This is one of the reasons i stopped training honestly. Because i ran them solo for 1 to 2 weeks before we teamed, i made less than i would have solo....which i accepted. But then i would get stuck in California for 3 to 4 days waiting at shippers.
So going into Cali on a Thurs with 2500 miles and expecting a big check.... but then i dont get out until sunday or monday... pushing it onto next check... means less than my solo pay. I averaged about $1800 per week teaming (yes some weeks were $2500, some were $700, less than the trainee). My average solo pay is about $1500ish... Is it worth it?
I just had a conversation with a dispatcher who said experienced drivers often dont want to share a space after being solo for so long.. they dont need the little bit of extra money cause they have already established themselves. And they usually dont accept attitude from dispatch, so they certainly arent putting up with it on their truck.
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.
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.
My student, who is exceptional btw...I had him for PSD and we hit the road running team immediately, definitely wants more miles.
We were spoiled during December. I dont mind having a student (I get along with). Also, I am making more money than when solo. I wish I could say I was making enough solo to make the difference negligible. $1800 average would be fine with me.
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.
I think it might be freight. Due to the ways the holidays fell, the wife and I ran wild Christmas week and New Year's week and we got several (rolling) 34s in.
Between the blizzards in Nebraska and West Virginia I'm glad to be back on our dedicated route.
We averaged just under 4k miles per week which is no bueno for an experienced team. We did have to stop through Springfield to route home back to our normal route, but other than that I drove through the bad weather and there was nothing else to slow us down. They did give us some equalization pay to make it a bit more palatable.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
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My student and I have been in the TNT phase (team driving with student) since around Thanksgiving. Right up until Christmas we were getting long, country crossing loads. Since Christmas we have been stuck in the Northeast. The loads are shorter and often we get a series of loads that a solo driver can do. There have been many times I haven't had to drive for 2 days because my student was able to get a 10 hour break between shifts.
My question for any of you that are currently in TNT or have been a student or trainer during the TNT phase is, "Is this normal?" Should I be asking why we have been getting short loads with so much time between loads?
When I was with my trainer after transferring to Prime, the majority of our loads had lots of miles on them. I'm just wondering what's going on here?
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.