Blow Up This PSD And Onto TNT - Prime

It's only been 15-days while training as PSD. My trainer is awesome and only 24-yrs old. He's been with Prime since legal to drive intrastate. He's owned his own truck while pulling tanker and now is a lease operator in a brand new 2017 FL automatic pulling refer because he wanted to train again. I might be his last PSD as he may only do TNT in the future. PSD's can be difficult to handle. Plus, his parents are team with Prime. Goes to show you Prime really is a family based business with the drivers treated as family. I know, I'm new to Prime. But I'm enjoying it so far. He lives in North Carolina and I'm in Texas. So, don't know how my home-time will be taken. Hope to have something figured out by T-givng holiday.

My PSD adventure was eyeopening. We left out of Springfield, Mo with about 42k pds in the box to Orlando, FL. Refer set to 28 degrees roughly. The first night was just trying to get used to the refer kicking on and off. And the APU running all night. Best to get some good ear plugs that are comfortable for you. I'll sleep like a baby with them in my ears. It really feels like your sleeping next to a jet engine starting up.

Driver's comfort is why I choose Prime was for the available tier 1-facilities, APU, bunk heater, and allows pets for extra cost. This truck better feel like home but it feels more like camping in an RV.

Driving cross-country is like an adventure. You never know what will happen. But, you better be prepared. We got stuck in North Carolina while my trainer took 2-days home-time while Hurricane Matthew was headed our way. Our shipper delayed us because they had to shutdown to get there employees home and take care of their families during the flooding. All in all we were stuck there for 5-days and we didn't know when we'd get loaded. Good thing my trainer lived nearby. My trainer put me in a hotel for the 1st 2-days ($102/night), then I slept in the truck at Wally World for a night, I paid for 1-night nearby Wally World in a Extended Stay-Studio with kitchen ($68/night). Once we loaded we made a few more pick-up/deliveries then headed back to Springfield to test out for CDL.

I studied the pre-trip every chance and felt like it I got. My trainer helped me along the way. My trainer drives an automatic so, we had to get into a training pad truck to get the shifting down. You don't want to be tested in an automatic. Because, that will be the only thing you'll be legally able to drive with your CDL. We got back Thursday night. Practiced shifting, backing maneuvers on the exam pad, and studied pre-trip for 2-days. I tested on Sunday morning at 6am and passed all exams the first try. Prime calls it a TRIFECTA. I'll get a $250 bonus and our picture on Prime's facebook page as well as my trainer gets a fat bonus as well. Help pay for that expensive hotel, some dinners, and necessities he paid for :) Great way to thank your trainer for his hard work and dedication to his job.

My backing (straight back, offset passenger side and driver side parallel) was flawless. My in-cab, air-brakes, light check, driver door, and fuel area were flawless. But, my coupling wasn't pretty. If I missed 1-more thing on the coupling I would have failed. I lost focus and forgot what I was inspecting. Best to repeat what your inspecting (coupling) to yourself and take your time and possibly tell the examiner you want to start the coupling over from the beginning.

Onto TNT phase with the same trainer. I plan on staying on trainers truck through winter to get snow and icy conditions training. Stay tuned!!

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.

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.

Intrastate:

The act of purchasers and sellers transacting business while keeping all transactions in a single state, without crossing state lines to do so.

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.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Man, I LOVE hearing stories like that! Keep up the good work. It sounds like you just may be cut out for this Business. Excellent ATTITUDE!

Great!!!! You ll get used to the reefer. It puts me to sleep now. If it shuts off for too long I jump up from a dead sleep like a parent responding to a crying kid. Lol

Keep on trucking along

Man, I LOVE hearing stories like that! Keep up the good work. It sounds like you just may be cut out for this Business. Excellent ATTITUDE!

Yap,..."what" Tractor said. Great job.