Why I Quit Prime's TNT Program

I'm very intrigued by this post and to hear other responses. I am two weeks away from completing my school (if all goes well...NO, all WILL go well). I, too, find myself a self-starter, quick learner, with natural abilities. That said though, we recently had a recruiter at my school who said their training period with another driver before going solo was three weeks. THREE WEEKS! I sat there with my mouth open and asked I think 3 or 4 times if I was hearing correctly!! There is no way in hell I'd be ready to have my own truck after three weeks. Dunno, maybe it's my school. When starting something completely knew and foreign, you really don't have anything to compare it to. My school basically trains you to pass the state test. That said, I'm only looking for companies that have a nice lengthy training program!

On a side note, I was so proud of myself yesterday on my fourth time out on the road (we drive in two hour increments). My time slot was right smack in the middle of Chicago Friday evening rush hour where two inches of snow had fallen during my two hour stint behind the wheel and it went off without a hitch. Note to self: Do some squats or something to build up those sorely lacking left leg muscles! Holding that clutch in for pretty much the entire two hours due to traffic, freight trains, etc. was a KILLER! ;)

There are times such as waiting for a RR grade crossing to clear, when you can pull the brakes and take it out of gear. Save the leg...

To add to the others statements, training is the second major hurdle after school that newbies must overcome. We've all been there and it's a tough couple weeks to get through. However, keep in mind that the real training begins once you've gone solo. Then most days will feel like hurdles until you've learned the trade. I've only got 7 months so I'm no pro and am still learning. After 5k miles which is probably 2 weeks or so, you're still very green. Also tanker is no joke, I drove past a bad tanker accident a few months ago on 77 in Virginia, he was hauling cooking oil. You do the math.

Do us all a favor and get the proper training if you really want to pull a tank.

Anyway, if you're newly licensed, a fast learner, responsible driver and eager to cut your own way, then I'd recommend you get miles with a company that has a shorter trng prgm; then switch to Prime. If you go to Prime with experience, you may only be req to drive 5-10K miles with a trainer (1-3 wks) in order to go solo.

Hey, thanks so much for helping us mentor new drivers. Geez, that really helps. I mean, just because you've never driven a truck solo a single mile in your life doesn't mean you can't give career advice, right? I hate to ask, but you do have this whole thing all figured out already you said, right?

I learned the job in less than 5K miles

Ok excellent. Just wanted to make sure. I mean, what a relief. I was afraid it might take you as much as two weeks worth of solo miles to learn everything there is to know about trucking but you learned it all in 5,000 miles? Ok that's not bad.

It sure is easy when there's someone sitting next to you with skills and experience telling you exactly what to do every second, ya know? Geez, makes it seem like all anyone would need is a couple of weeks and what else could there be to know, right?

What you'll find out about this career, if you survive to see the day, is that it's a miracle anyone makes it through their first year in trucking. Even people who are really conscientious about learning all they possibly can and being as careful as possible normally don't make it through unscathed. But those who get cocky after a few easy weeks using training wheels likely won't be around long.

There's a saying you may have heard that can be applied to almost any risky career..........there are old drivers, and there are bold drivers, but there are no old, bold drivers.

Don't become a statistic. And don't run your mouth too much when you're only a few weeks into one of the most dangerous careers out there. Maybe you should go to Youtube and watch some videos of people getting killed for a while to snap yourself out of your delusions of grandeur.

What everyone else said, plus a video of a driver with more experience than you driving his truck off the road.

Tanker Slides Off Icy Bridge On I-95, Explodes

Living with someone else during TNT is the hardest part of training in my opinion, and after 10 weeks on with my trainer I was definitely feeling ready to get off his truck. (And I still talk to the guy and consider him a good friend.)

But then those first six or nine months of running solo make you wish you had some smelly trainer to talk to more often than you would think.

And after two years of running solo, I realize that I'm just starting to get a grip on how this business works. Just starting to, haven't mastered it by a long ways.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to come back when you have more questions. And you will have more questions if you stick with it.

Since you were military you will get the next joke. This joke is in reference to saying you have this job figured out in 5k miles.

Q: What are the 5 worst sayings in the Army? A: A 2nd lieutenant saying: "based upon my experience." A 1st lieutenant saying: "I have the map, follow me." A Captain saying: "I have a plan." A Major saying: "I have an idea." and A Warrant Officer saying: "Watch This!"

Simply put, in 5k miles you are still the 2nd lieutenant. You don't have the experience.

Patrick, I copied and pasted this and sent it to my Son. He Served in the Army for 6 Years. I'm sure he is familiar with it. It made me laugh!

Just to throw this out with people who are unfamiliar. The first 4 are the first 4 officer ranks in the Army in ascending order. The warrant officer part is more specifically targeting a single group of warrant officers. Namely those that are pilots. Regular officers can be pilots as well, but they have other duties which limit their time flying. A pilot that is a warrant officer, their sole job, for the most part, is flying the aircraft. It is always an eye opener when a pilot says "Watch This". There is a good chance that something bad may happen as well.

I do understand what you're all saying and I didn't mean to come off as reckless know-it-all. When I said "I learned the job in <5K mi', I meant that I learned how to drive the truck, do the admin work and operate the pumps sufficiently enough that I could do so independently. I didn't mean to imply that I knew every aspect of trucking. Sorry if that's what it sounded like.

Yes training is important but this curriculum is not my cup o tea. I've got to do what I believe is best for me; that means recognizing an unhealthy learning environment and doing something about it.

I may not have done a good job articulating my concerns without denigrating the profession or devaluing seasoned instruction but I've been around long enough to know when it's time to do something different.

Regardless of which company employs me, there's still a training requirement so I'm not telling people to circumvent the opportunity to work with a seasoned driver.

You all are a wealth of knowledge and experience but I think many of you missed my point. People have options; you no longer have to grin and bear it. I lost many good soldiers because they just took everything that was thrown at them believing it was "part of the job"... Well it's not.

I'll be back with an update - good, bad or otherwise.

I do understand what you're all saying and I didn't mean to come off as reckless know-it-all. When I said "I learned the job in <5K mi', I meant that I learned how to drive the truck, do the admin work and operate the pumps sufficiently enough that I could do so independently. I didn't mean to imply that I knew every aspect of trucking. Sorry if that's what it sounded like.

Yes training is important but this curriculum is not my cup o tea. I've got to do what I believe is best for me; that means recognizing an unhealthy learning environment and doing something about it.

I may not have done a good job articulating my concerns without denigrating the profession or devaluing seasoned instruction but I've been around long enough to know when it's time to do something different.

Regardless of which company employs me, there's still a training requirement so I'm not telling people to circumvent the opportunity to work with a seasoned driver.

You all are a wealth of knowledge and experience but I think many of you missed my point. People have options; you no longer have to grin and bear it. I lost many good soldiers because they just took everything that was thrown at them believing it was "part of the job"... Well it's not.

I'll be back with an update - good, bad or otherwise.

What options? Circumvent training?

Sorry Sir...I do not see your point at all except your emphasis on how easy you claim this is ("not rocket science"). 5000 miles is roughly 10 days,...does not make you an expert. You are currently a novice in need of a job. How is that a viable option? Please explain so we are not missing your point.

You could have easily requested a trainer with better hygiene and housekeeping instead of quitting. Happens all the time.

In all likelihood, regardless if you return to Prime or go somewhere else you may be required to repeat your training.

Best of luck.

Everyone is entitled to his opinion based on his experience. However reading the post showed me the problem is with the driver, not the company.

"I didn't have the strength nor patience to live with this dude..." You need both strength and patience in this field or you will kill someone.

"If you get your training elsewhere or come to prime with experience its a good company" (I paraphrased...but you essentially said prime is GOOD and you even mentioned the potential to be rehired.). You mentioned good pay, equipment, APUs , and courteous and competent dispatchers. Yeah....I can totally see why you'd leave. Lol

"This curriculum is not my cup of tea...its just not for me". This is the most telling phrase of all. You don't like training...period. If you had asked prime for a different trainer they would have given you one. Had you talked to your FM or even management over him to resolve your issues and your concerns went unheard I could understand. But I know you didn't cause prime solves problems.

There are problem solvers and there are complainers. The problem solvers get the miles and make the money. The complainers never last. You lasted seven weeks. I'm kinda proud of you for that. Many don't last that long.

Basically...you gave up. I had a bad experience, but I told prime and they corrected the situation. Every day this company proves to me I made the right choice. Had I given up the way you did, I'd not be the happy, stress free, money making machine that I've become.

I hope other new drivers read this post. Old School, G town, Brett and the others all tell us attitude makes all the difference. The right one will help you succeed, the wrong one will get you nowhere. This post is the perfect example of how your attitude can affect your progress.

Dispatcher:

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.

Fm:

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.

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.

APUs:

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.

One of the things at the top of my list when graduating from cdl school was which company has quality training with the least team time. I chose Schneider. 3 weeks of training with 1 week OTR with a trainer. 40k miles is way too much time sharing that small space.

I had the most disgusting trainer in the history of history. He showered once a week at most, and I'm not sure he actually washed so much as simply rinsed off. He had horrible dandruff with flakes the size of corn flakes, and they would literally accumulate and pile up in little drifts all over the truck. Needless to say, he didn't smell at all pleasant.

Having said that, allow me to add in that I have mild OCPD. I cannot deal with disorder or uncleanliness. It makes me feel panicky and like I need to put things to rights... like, NOW. If I don't, I start to fixate and obsess about whatever is in disarray until I literally cannot think about anything else.

Now, if I can put up with that for 5 weeks and come out the other side with my sanity no less intact than it was when I went in, I think you can deal with a little garlic.

Because lemme tell you, there are WAY bigger challenges in this career than a few unpleasant odors, and if you can't learn to tolerate the little things you're never going to be able to handle the big "OMGWTF" moments that are going to come at you. And they will. Often. Sometimes seemingly endlessly.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's some dirt inside my cab that needs a good sweeping.