Questions About CDL Training For Prime Inc.
Topic 12194 | Page 2
Btw.. there is a Facebook group called prime drivers past present and future. Great place to meet prime people and get insight. I use Rhoda D'Ettore on Facebook (my author name not my real name... I write novels) so you can friend me if you want. Can add you to the group.
There is a ton of ladies at prime which is great. But the guys are very respectful as well. If you have a problem with a trainer just tell prime. Things get settled.
Btw.. there is a Facebook group called prime drivers past present and future. Great place to meet prime people and get insight. I use Rhoda D'Ettore on Facebook (my author name not my real name... I write novels) so you can friend me if you want. Can add you to the group.
There is a ton of ladies at prime which is great. But the guys are very respectful as well. If you have a problem with a trainer just tell prime. Things get settled.
Hey! I just sent you a friend request! My profile photo has 2 dogs in it.
Btw.. there is a Facebook group called prime drivers past present and future. Great place to meet prime people and get insight. I use Rhoda D'Ettore on Facebook (my author name not my real name... I write novels) so you can friend me if you want. Can add you to the group.
There is a ton of ladies at prime which is great. But the guys are very respectful as well. If you have a problem with a trainer just tell prime. Things get settled.
I have sent you an email. Please add me to the PRIME group. Jetguy- Scott
Hello everyone!
Ok so, finally able to give an update on my training experience with Prime Inc.
First off, my overall experience with Prime Inc has been better than I expected. All of the staff is very polite and professional. However, sometimes the shuttle drivers can be a little rude, but I just learned to ignore that so I could get back and forth to where I needed to go.
I took the free transportation offered from Prime Inc, and rode the Greyhound from Atlanta, Georgia to Springfield, Missouri. Bus rides are never fun, but 15 hours wasn't too bad and besides it was free, lol.
Orientation week was a very busy week. Early rise and full days. Day one: DOT physical, drug test, APEX Evaluation(physical test to see if you can do the job and to see if you would possible need an evaluation for sleep apnea), complete and submit paperwork(to include approving another background investigation), computer lab training, and simulator class.
Day two: CDL Permit testing day at the DMV(I had my Georgia permit, however had to obtain a Missouri permit), simulator class and computer lab training.
Day three: CDL Permit testing for those that didn't pass on Tuesday. I passed the first day. However, for those that did not pass they could take each test 2 times each day if they wanted for free, and there was computer based training to help those study and the staff was very helpful to those that voiced they needed help. For me, day three was simulator training, computer lab training, and a couple of briefings.
Day Four: CDL Permit testing for those that hadn't passed yet. For me, simulator training, and a few briefings.
Day Five: CDL Permit testing for those that hadn't passed yet. For me, simulator training, a few briefings, officially accepted into the Prime Student Driver(PSD) program and obtained Student Driver ID and safety vest and first $200.00 PSD advance money. And was put on the list to be paired with a PSD Instructor.
No days off, so while I waited to be paired with an instructor I did simulator training on Saturday and Sunday and really focused on mastering my Pre-trip Inspection for the CDL test. Starting on that Monday, those of us that still didn't have an instructor were taken to the training pad at the terminal and began practicing a little on our shifting in actual trucks, started learning how to back and were grilled on our Pre-trip Inspection.(a little advice, for those that are going, master your Pre-trip Inspection as fast as you can, so that when the backing and driving portion of your training begins you can just focus on those two things without having to still learn.
Gotta go for now but I'll continue later, lol.
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.
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.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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.
Alright I'm back lol. So, I got my CDL on Feb 16...I'm currently in the TNT phase of training, will hopefully get all my miles in within the next month and a half and be done with training! YAY!
The biggest advice I have for everyone is to not let any of the PSD instructors nor TNT trainers exploit you. Trust! They are subject to portraying themselves as one thing on campus and on the training pad, like they are ready and willing and capable of training you, to you getting on their truck, getting you out in the middle of nowhere to then find out that all they wanted was to get you on their truck so they can get their additional $300 a week training pay. (I learned that the hard way). However, if you do find yourself in that situation, tell your fleet manager and they will get you a better trainer right away! You are not stuck. Remember you need someone that will teach you what you need to know to pass the testing and get your license and teach you how to do the job... If that person is not or can't do that get with someone else immediately. I did so and everything worked out for me. I lucked up and got a decent TNT trainer. Will follow up when I get my truck in about a month!
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.
Fleet Manager:
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.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.
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What I meant is that there are some people who just hang in a group and talk all day...or they sit in their motel room and won't meet people.
Worst case scenario... write me. I'll ask around and see if I can hook you up ;) I come onto prime a few days a month so if I'm there I can stop by and see you. ;)