Coming To Prime As A C-seat
Topic 30511 | Page 1
So, I thought I would include everyone in the process as it stands right now if you come to Prime as a C seat. Which means with a CDL but with little to no experience.
I got my CDL with a DOR Skills Test Waiver. Basically, I drove trucks in the Army for 12 years and I qualified for this program. I took the written tests and paid $100 to get my CDL A.
I came to orientation as a C seat so everyone who had their CDL already were separated from those going into PSD.
The first day we had some introductions, paper application and general rules and pay info. Then we got bussed over to the main terminal for a DOT physical. We did our file review after lunch. After that we were free to go to our rooms or classrooms to complete the CBTs. I completed mine that day.
The second day we did a driving simulator evaluation. Very easy. Just watch the signs. Then we took a logs class and automated transmission class. I also did the flatbed agility test which consisted of lifting a tarp off the ground, putting it on a 6 foot shelf and then putting it back down.
The third day we had our clearing meeting and got our badges and benefits info. It’s worth mentioning that as a C seat the requirement is 40,000 truck miles before you can upgrade. Apparently that changes from time to time.
They found a trainer for me the second day so I was already in contact with him. He’s from my area and we know some of the same people. We left out for Oregon with my first load the next day. Which brings me to my current situation. Stuck at a truck stop in Indiana waiting on my appointment time to drop my second load. Oh well…
Congrats, Lew !!!!
You DID it~ you MADE it !!!!
Did you end up going flatbed as you were aspiring to???? I'm following!
~ Anne ~
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.
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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
- 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.
Anne, I did go flatbed and it’s going well. I’m learning a lot of new stuff.
It was a trial by fire so to speak. Having only driven military vehicles to driving through the Rockies with a load of metal planking. My trainer gave me a crash course on the Jake brakes and I made it through unscathed. I made my first rookie mistake and bumped a curb with the deer guard at SLC. My trainer said not to worry about it but it was pretty embarrassing. Other than that, things have been going well. I’m learning a lot about securement and the nuances of truck driving. My trainer and I are getting along well so far and he is very good at this job so he’s teaching me a lot. Living in a truck with someone sucks but I’m pretty much driving or sleeping so it’s not bad yet. One week down!
So, I thought I would include everyone in the process as it stands right now if you come to Prime as a C seat. Which means with a CDL but with little to no experience.
I got my CDL with a DOR Skills Test Waiver. Basically, I drove trucks in the Army for 12 years and I qualified for this program. I took the written tests and paid $100 to get my CDL A.
I came to orientation as a C seat so everyone who had their CDL already were separated from those going into PSD.
The first day we had some introductions, paper application and general rules and pay info. Then we got bussed over to the main terminal for a DOT physical. We did our file review after lunch. After that we were free to go to our rooms or classrooms to complete the CBTs. I completed mine that day.
The second day we did a driving simulator evaluation. Very easy. Just watch the signs. Then we took a logs class and automated transmission class. I also did the flatbed agility test which consisted of lifting a tarp off the ground, putting it on a 6 foot shelf and then putting it back down.
The third day we had our clearing meeting and got our badges and benefits info. It’s worth mentioning that as a C seat the requirement is 40,000 truck miles before you can upgrade. Apparently that changes from time to time.
They found a trainer for me the second day so I was already in contact with him. He’s from my area and we know some of the same people. We left out for Oregon with my first load the next day. Which brings me to my current situation. Stuck at a truck stop in Indiana waiting on my appointment time to drop my second load. Oh well…
Congrats! If all goes well I'll be starting flatbed TNT next week.
I've heard its against their company policy to have the trainee drive nights? Is that true? Because I've also heard that most trainers make their trainees drive the night shift.
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.
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
If that is a policy I haven’t been made aware of it. One of the Prime veterans might know better. I drive mostly during the day but that’s because that’s what works best for my trainer and I. He’s training me but it’s still a team drive so we have to do what’s best for the team.
If that is a policy I haven’t been made aware of it. One of the Prime veterans might know better. I drive mostly during the day but that’s because that’s what works best for my trainer and I. He’s training me but it’s still a team drive so we have to do what’s best for the team.
If that is a policy I haven’t been made aware of it. One of the Prime veterans might know better. I drive mostly during the day but that’s because that’s what works best for my trainer and I. He’s training me but it’s still a team drive so we have to do what’s best for the team.
Gotcha. Yeah I'm just hoping I don't go straight into the night shift right off the bat... that would be pretty rough.
Did they give you a hair follicle test by chance? I took a couple puffs about 7 months ago and I stupidly put that I used an illegal drug in the past two years on my med card, so I'm stressing hard that they might hair test me. I know I would pass a urine test though.
So, I thought I would include everyone in the process as it stands right now if you come to Prime as a C seat. Which means with a CDL but with little to no experience.
I got my CDL with a DOR Skills Test Waiver. Basically, I drove trucks in the Army for 12 years and I qualified for this program. I took the written tests and paid $100 to get my CDL A.
I came to orientation as a C seat so everyone who had their CDL already were separated from those going into PSD.
The first day we had some introductions, paper application and general rules and pay info. Then we got bussed over to the main terminal for a DOT physical. We did our file review after lunch. After that we were free to go to our rooms or classrooms to complete the CBTs. I completed mine that day.
The second day we did a driving simulator evaluation. Very easy. Just watch the signs. Then we took a logs class and automated transmission class. I also did the flatbed agility test which consisted of lifting a tarp off the ground, putting it on a 6 foot shelf and then putting it back down.
The third day we had our clearing meeting and got our badges and benefits info. It’s worth mentioning that as a C seat the requirement is 40,000 truck miles before you can upgrade. Apparently that changes from time to time.
They found a trainer for me the second day so I was already in contact with him. He’s from my area and we know some of the same people. We left out for Oregon with my first load the next day. Which brings me to my current situation. Stuck at a truck stop in Indiana waiting on my appointment time to drop my second load. Oh well…
Did they not have you do a "preliminary driving skills evaluation" since you already had 12 years' Army experience?
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.
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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 did an evaluation on the simulator and then I went out with a trainer right away. Started driving the interstate my first day. He sat with me for a few hours to make sure I was good but that was it.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Also the best thing to do about the drug test thing is be honest with your recruiter and get advice from them directly. If you try to hide something and they find out you’ll not get hired. I believe most companies aren’t looking for perfect people as much as honest people.
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So, I thought I would include everyone in the process as it stands right now if you come to Prime as a C seat. Which means with a CDL but with little to no experience.
I got my CDL with a DOR Skills Test Waiver. Basically, I drove trucks in the Army for 12 years and I qualified for this program. I took the written tests and paid $100 to get my CDL A.
I came to orientation as a C seat so everyone who had their CDL already were separated from those going into PSD.
The first day we had some introductions, paper application and general rules and pay info. Then we got bussed over to the main terminal for a DOT physical. We did our file review after lunch. After that we were free to go to our rooms or classrooms to complete the CBTs. I completed mine that day.
The second day we did a driving simulator evaluation. Very easy. Just watch the signs. Then we took a logs class and automated transmission class. I also did the flatbed agility test which consisted of lifting a tarp off the ground, putting it on a 6 foot shelf and then putting it back down.
The third day we had our clearing meeting and got our badges and benefits info. It’s worth mentioning that as a C seat the requirement is 40,000 truck miles before you can upgrade. Apparently that changes from time to time.
They found a trainer for me the second day so I was already in contact with him. He’s from my area and we know some of the same people. We left out for Oregon with my first load the next day. Which brings me to my current situation. Stuck at a truck stop in Indiana waiting on my appointment time to drop my second load. Oh well…
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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