Well ... Change Of Plans ...
Topic 7774 | Page 1
D.B., I did not go over to the Prime side myself. But this is common for nearly all company schools: you still will have that tuition obligation, but you give them a year or so of your life and that will pay it off.
Also the school courses have little slack - they teach you, you practice, you test. You should have some 2nd + 3rd chances, but the pressure's on to pass the evaluations. Many TT members have gone this route. Check out the training diary section.
Focus on what you need to do and you'll do fine. Post your experiences in the Training Diary section. You'll get lots of support there. Good luck, Dirty Bird!
I will be starting Company Sponsored Training with Prime as of March 23rd. Any and all information and advice is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any insight on what to expect from Prime please feel free to throw it my way.
Main thing, get the CDL-A Permit OUT OF THE WAY before you get there . . . don't worry about the details about what state you are from, etc., just study the course and get the permit before you get to Springfield . . . BE ON TIME and pay attention . . . the first week is orientation, no "training" to speak of . . . after orientation you'll get assigned to a trainer and go out on the road for ~70 training in the basics so you can come back and ace the license test . . . pass on the first try and earn a $250 bonus ($750 for the trainer) . . . again, PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL . . . after PSD training (the first part you just tested out of ) comes TNT training which is 30,000 truck miles, often by the same trainer but not necessarily . . . the secret to success in both phases is to NOT cop an attitude, be humble, accept the trainer's style, pay attention and don't get thrown off the truck . . . that doesn't mean you have to accept abuse, but yes it does . . . check out "Old School's" training diary for an explanation if you are confused . . . don't be a weenie and don't be a crybaby . . . it's OK to yell F*** YOU maybe once or twice to your trainer (assuming he/she doesn't kick yer butt for it) but don't make it habit . . . pay attention . . . all the stuff that doesn't make sense will become clear, unless it doesn't . . . there's no explanation for what I just said but IT will become clear too . . . and number one rule, DON'T HIT ANYTHING!! (especially if it is capable of hitting back) and HAVE FUN . . .
Jopa
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
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.
Jopa, does Prime put you in The Octagon for 30,000 miles? With all this yelling any kicking butt ...
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I was initially going to attend TDI in Forsyth GA, but that fell through due to not being able to get a co-signer for the tuition cost. Which I was not advised of by the TDI Recruiter. So after some research here on Company-Sponsored Training and company websites and several conversations with various recruiters, pending verification of employment history etc. I will be starting Company Sponsored Training with Prime as of March 23rd. Any and all information and advice is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any insight on what to expect from Prime please feel free to throw it my way.
Safe Trucking!!!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.