How Long Is TNT Portion Of Training? Which Company's Is Shortest?
Topic 19638 | Page 1
Considering this profession I recognize the importance of training and that there's a lot I don't know, but having read the horror stories about some trainers, I'm scared to death of having to spend 4 weeks around the clock in a truck with someone else. I'm not sure I could endure such small quarters with my wife for weeks, let alone a relative stranger.
Does the TNT period of training vary from company to company?
TNT is Prime's branding of their training. Swift's road training, known as "Mentoring", is 200 hours of required student drive time, the first 50 is supervised. The shortest duration for road training (that I'm aware) of is Schneider.
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.
I didn't realize TNT was a company specific term. I meant the training period where a new driver operates as a team with a trainer. In the truck together for several weeks non-stop.
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.
For training, Schneider does 1 week classroom training along with slow maneuvering and some city driving, 1 week out with a trainer, 1 week classroom training focused mainly on Qualcomm usage and trip planning. May not be extremely lengthy, but it definitely gets the job done. I actually volunteered for a 2nd week out with a trainer after the 3 weeks was up as sort of a mentoring phase.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.
I didn't realize TNT was a company specific term. I meant the training period where a new driver operates as a team with a trainer. In the truck together for several weeks non-stop.
Team training at prime is 30,000 miles if you do the schooling and drive with your permit/test there. If you come to prime with a CDL , they team you for 40,000 miles.
Reason being is that the prime school has you OTR with your permit and one trainer sitting by your side. You go over mountains, drive nights, fog, rain etc.... Just like a solo driver.
Local schools don't have the ability to give you that experience so those students do more miles.
"PSD" - Prime Student Driver with the permit is about two to three weeks. "TnT" - Prime Trainer/Trainee Team with a CDL can run 6-8 weeks or so. You are a paid employee at that point.
You can go home during TNT though, unlike with the PSD phase.
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.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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.
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.
Yes, Swift is 200 hrs and if you manage to drive 10 hrs a day you can actually bang it out in 3 weeks. Normal is 4 to 6 weeks and I did mine in 4. The team driving really isn't all that bad, in fact I kind of missed it after it was all done. LOL!
JJ
At my company a new cdl holder will go out with a company trainer for 30 days We simply call it company training. We do NOT team during training. The trainee drives as much as possible, while the trainer, teaches them what they need to know to be able to perform as expected by our company and operate a truck efficiently. We also help knock off any rough edges in shifting, backing, or anywhere else the licensed trainee needs a bit of improvement to meet our company's standards.
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.
Honestly, don't focus on who's program is the shortest, focus on the program that will train you the best to prepare you for what you're about to encounter. My opinion, most programs aren't in depth enough and aren't long enough. The majority of trainers aren't really qualified as they're not experienced enough themselves. Its not easy being in a truck with a stranger but then again, it's not meant to be either. You're there to learn and there's a lot to take in and not very much time to do it.
I thought I might be making too much of this and then this thread put me right back into high worry mode:
https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-19656/Page-1/rough-last-week-up-ahead
I truly don't know if I'm better to make this such a big criteria in my choice of companies or if I should just expect the worst and figure on multiple weeks of pure he!!. I'm a pretty reasonable guy but I truly don't know hot I'd be able to put up with the situation Reaper is in. Maybe most trainers aren't that bad?
Steak Eater wrote:
I thought I might be making too much of this and then this thread put me right back into high worry mode:
https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-19656/Page-1/rough-last-week-up-ahead
I truly don't know if I'm better to make this such a big criteria in my choice of companies or if I should just expect the worst and figure on multiple weeks of pure he!!. I'm a pretty reasonable guy but I truly don't know hot I'd be able to put up with the situation Reaper is in. Maybe most trainers aren't that bad?
Steak Eater,..."come down off the ledge!" in my best NYPD voice.
My road-training (mentoring) experience was fantastic. For every bad one, there is likely a hundred good ones you never read or hear about. If I can ever re-light my Blackberry, I'll upload photos of my trek, I honestly enjoyed the heck out of it and I was on the old Swift plan of 240 hours.
I sincerely suggest you spend some time in the diaries section...might ease your mind a bit. This link is to Victor's training diary (one of many good ones):
https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-19053/Page-1/my-training-diary
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Considering this profession I recognize the importance of training and that there's a lot I don't know, but having read the horror stories about some trainers, I'm scared to death of having to spend 4 weeks around the clock in a truck with someone else. I'm not sure I could endure such small quarters with my wife for weeks, let alone a relative stranger.
Does the TNT period of training vary from company to company?
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.