Oh How I Despise Team Driving

Oh and I hope not all trainers at prime act like that cause right now Prime is my #1 choice.

also does prime MAKE new drivers use the light weight trucks? I thought it was a choice, I can deal with the 5 cents less per mile to get a full size truck. Not that big of deal.

Oh and I hope not all trainers at prime act like that cause right now Prime is my #1 choice.

also does prime MAKE new drivers use the light weight trucks? I thought it was a choice, I can deal with the 5 cents less per mile to get a full size truck. Not that big of deal.

No they don't. I have a condo. I couldn't do it man. They tried to persuade me but I wouldn't budge. Just be adamant about getting a condo

Even though tnt sucks it's not bad enough to make me quit. All it does is motivate me more to get in my own truck. I've spoken to other who came in the same class as I did who say the same things. No showers, non Stop, filthy truck with trash everywhere. We've already agreed to not be that way when we get our own trucks lol. I know I'm not alone with my situation so that makes it easier to deal with. I get a weeks worth of home time this Tuesday so I can suffer a few more days of filth. I also know that I'm getting back on this truck more prepared after my home time. 1 of my biggest gripes is the fact that he refuses to stop by a Walmart so I can get groceries. Instead it's eating out everyday. I swear I burn through 150$ a week just in overpriced fast food. I've already told him I'm getting back on with groceries and a crock pot. I only have 4 to 5 weeks left on this truck, God willing, then I'm in my own. So I can suffer through that to get where I need to be. The funny part is that he keeps pitching me to stay on the truck. At first he offered a whole 16 cents per mile but after his friend offered me 900 a week minimum he said he'd give me half to stay. Funny thing about half is he doesn't know what that actually means. He said he'd give me half of his net take home. I argued that net isn't half. I understand that you can't count the truck payment into income but fml he pays 900$ a month in child support and spousal support and doesn't think that counts into earned income. Same with breakdown expenses, they shouldn't go against me when I'm not getting half of the lease completion bonus. Side note, the way it was explained to me is that unless you are overweight, over 6 foot, or running teams you Do NOT get a condo in reefer. You are stuck with a lw

I'm 6ft 1 I'm curious if that would work. I'm trying to run teams.

But who knows things may fall apart on me shortly. Got in a argument with dude and it ended badly.

Even though tnt sucks it's not bad enough to make me quit. All it does is motivate me more to get in my own truck. I've spoken to other who came in the same class as I did who say the same things. No showers, non Stop, filthy truck with trash everywhere. We've already agreed to not be that way when we get our own trucks lol. I know I'm not alone with my situation so that makes it easier to deal with. I get a weeks worth of home time this Tuesday so I can suffer a few more days of filth. I also know that I'm getting back on this truck more prepared after my home time. 1 of my biggest gripes is the fact that he refuses to stop by a Walmart so I can get groceries. Instead it's eating out everyday. I swear I burn through 150$ a week just in overpriced fast food. I've already told him I'm getting back on with groceries and a crock pot. I only have 4 to 5 weeks left on this truck, God willing, then I'm in my own. So I can suffer through that to get where I need to be. The funny part is that he keeps pitching me to stay on the truck. At first he offered a whole 16 cents per mile but after his friend offered me 900 a week minimum he said he'd give me half to stay. Funny thing about half is he doesn't know what that actually means. He said he'd give me half of his net take home. I argued that net isn't half. I understand that you can't count the truck payment into income but fml he pays 900$ a month in child support and spousal support and doesn't think that counts into earned income. Same with breakdown expenses, they shouldn't go against me when I'm not getting half of the lease completion bonus. Side note, the way it was explained to me is that unless you are overweight, over 6 foot, or running teams you Do NOT get a condo in reefer. You are stuck with a lw

That's just wrong him not willing to stop at walmart. And I'm five foot ten and I promise you I have a condo. Not only that, but the first truck I was assigned to had over 400000 miles. Drove it for almost five months. Never broke down. I've never been late for a delivery and zero citation s. So about a month I was told I had to go the yard cuz I'd been assigned to a different truck. Beautiful condo with only 150000 miles on it. I love this truck. So I've got 2 condos in 6 months. You do prime right they will for sure take care of you. I'll get a load assignment for 1300 miles let's say. I won't hear one word from my fleet manager for 3 days. He doesn't care when or how I run as long as I'm safe and on time. I'm on a 2000 mile run from denver to ft lauderdale as we speak

I'm about 6' exactly and I am overweight (not proud of it) and I am thinking about doing teams but not right away. so I guess I have a decent chance at a condo :)

When I was driving for Prime (I plan on doing it again) and was training, I always made time to get showers/eat/laundry/bathroom breaks. Now, on the high value loads you have to be able to move for 200 miles minimum before you stop, that is company policy. Now if it takes you 4-6 hours because of traffic, etc, so be it. There is no way to be able to plan for all the possible delays in completing that 200 miles.

Just for the record, I was a lease op. I for one did not train just for the money, I did it because that was what I wanted to do. I spent the better part of my 20 years in the military involved in training folks to do whatever job I was doing, be it doing maintenance, firing torpedos etc.

So not all trainers are as big of jerks as some are. I know of several folks personally (Daniel B being one) that do the training for all the right reasons, not to have a second logbook to run you into the ground for the money.

So just to clear the air, when I go back to Prime (I am looking at next spring possibly) I will be going back to flatbed (if my health etc permits) and will not be training.

Sorry folks, just not looking to do that as a flatbed driver. When I was training the last time, I was running the reefer side of Prime. Most of the loads that Prime has on the flatbed side is setup to be solo runs, not team freight.

Ernie

Suck it up cupcake. Isn't that what you told me?

I have a question. When doing the backing maneuvers you would have the tandem in the 12th hole I understand that, but during the road test my instructor slid the tandems forward to the 1st hole. Now the whole three weeks I was out there we never drove like that. Is this normal or is he setting me up for failure?

We had an argument and I brought it up with the people in charge here. They told me my best bet is to keep him as an instructor or I'd have to wait two more weeks. The thing is he can't even teach me the alley dock backing maneuver and I'm not sure what's happening. He gets frustrated after 2 attempts and sits down gets angry throws **** around etc. I haven't even worked on the other backing maneuvers and I test tomorrow. Kinda at a loss here. I've invested a month and a half worth of time on this and it's unraveling on me. Kinda gave up a good job for this and I'm trying but it looks pretty grim right now.

I have a question. When doing the backing maneuvers you would have the tandem in the 12th hole I understand that, but during the road test my instructor slid the tandems forward to the 1st hole. Now the whole three weeks I was out there we never drove like that. Is this normal or is he setting me up for failure?

We had an argument and I brought it up with the people in charge here. They told me my best bet is to keep him as an instructor or I'd have to wait two more weeks. The thing is he can't even teach me the alley dock backing maneuver and I'm not sure what's happening. He gets frustrated after 2 attempts and sits down gets angry throws **** around etc. I haven't even worked on the other backing maneuvers and I test tomorrow. Kinda at a loss here. I've invested a month and a half worth of time on this and it's unraveling on me. Kinda gave up a good job for this and I'm trying but it looks pretty grim right now.

Hudson, your instructor sliding the tandems forward is actually setting you up for success not failure. And he's not sliding the tandems into the 1st hole because that's impossible. They don't slide that far forward, he's most likely putting it in the 4th or 5th hole. Remember, count every hole includin blocked holes.

You see, the trailer responds much faster with the tandems forward versus to the rear. Let's say you're making a right turn in the 12th hole and you hit a curb, well if the tandems were forward you probably wouldn't even get close to hitting that same curb on the same turn. It's a huge difference.

Now this is puzzling, did you seriously bring this up with the guys in charge during an argument? Very unprofessional of you, do not argue about things you simply don't know to the examiners and your instructor - that makes you look like a complete fool. You're there to learn not critique on things you think are being done wrong.

Now about him getting mad after 2 maneuvers. He's frustrated just like you are. You've sacrificed and so has he. He's frustrated that he invested all that time on you but it looks like it's not going to pay iff. You're frustrated that you've given up your job and it doesn't look like it's going to pay off.

Remember, the instructor has to stay with you until you pass your exams. Nothing is worse than staying at the terminal for a week because you're student can't pass. If he's a lease operator he will go in the hole. There are lots of things going through his head right now and he's just as frustrated as you are.

He definitely should do a better job of hiding that frustration but it doesn't look like he is. But at the same time you have to look at both sides of the coin.

Now here's what I recommend to you. Spend your entire day on the testing pad and watch people take their exam. Try to learn from them and their mistakes, afterwards go to prime east and talk to the instructors over there. Give them your story and ask for pointers.

Also, you don't have to stick around with this guy if you don't want to. There's a million trainers begging for a tnt student, you would wait 2 days maximum. If he is absolute hell to work with then ditch him for someone else. But first, focus on that exam and no more arguing!