Prime Inc Automatic Only
Topic 24320 | Page 1
Not Pittsburgh, it's Pittston, PA where we have a northeast terminal. You'll be in good hands there, just pack your longhandles, it gets cold there for the pad training.
A week of driving that auto-shift and you'll be in love with it!
Good luck, you got it!
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.
Thanks Turtle. I am actually reading your Prime.inc training review now. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary.
I recommend you read this article. I think you may find it helpful. Almost all of us are driving automatic transmissions.
The guy running the training there is awesome. His name is Richard and he really helped me learn to back. Pittston has been doing PSD training since August.
Most companies are going to auto, and honestly, the training isn't much easier in the auto when you dont have to shift. Your stick experience could have made it worse because to pass the test you need to double clutch. I was the only one in my class who never drove stick and i had the easiest time.
That is a small terminal though Dont judge the rest of Prime by it lol.
Good luck!
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.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
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.
My suggestion to you is to talk more with your recruiter and see what can be done to train on a manual , I’m sure they have some and still train elsewhere. I drive manual and wouldn’t change it for the world , you’ll like auto shift for the city traffic and up east .. east coast sucks
Hi all, Thanks for all your help and I decided to go with Prime. Since I am from north east they told me to go to Pittsburg, PA for training. That is something new for me since no one ever mentioned this anywhere. But I am excited at the same time. I really wanted to drive manual and all my life I drove only stick shift cars and l like the feeling of total control of a vehicle. But my recruiter told me that they are changing to automatic and it is highly doubtful that I will get a manual. So now I have to train my mind to enjoy automatic lol. But my biggest worry is about my future. How about other trucking companies, what if after 2 years or so I want to get into another company and they don't want someone without any manual experience. Or shouldI I try finding some other company which trains in manual or go to a driving school and learn manual. I am upset because I am going to dedicate a year for a company but they won't teach you manual and I feel that I am going to learn only half of driving.
Prime trains one on one with students with permits OTR making deliveries. If the trainer has a manual....which very few still do, some, but not many....then you test in the trainers truck. All trucks 2017 and newer, unless the lease op paid extra for a manual, are now automatic.
Our trucks get turned in and sold every few years. They took my 2016 manual in September, and most of the 2016 and earlier have already been sold as used trucks. As of June 1st, they stopped testing on "pad" trucks that were manual.
You can certainly request it, but not to recruiting who has no control, but ask the training department once you get there.
Just dont get your hopes up. If you want to get rid of the restriction later you can rent a truck and find a trucker to help you test out. by then it will be easier cause you will only be nervous about shifting, not turning, intersections, backing etc.
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.
I'm at Prime in Salt Lake City right now, and we were told that by the time we finish our training there will be no more manuals left in the fleet. This is why they are not on standards anymore.
Rainy and Turtle, you may know more info about it than I, but that is what we were told this week.
I'm getting ready to head to Prime in a week, I dont see it as an issue as I feel it will be mostly automatics across the board soon, from what I understand and with a little experience in an auto truck, they get better fuel mileage.
After 2 weeks of shifting continuously for 4 hours a day, I don't care if I never see another stick, and my hip is praying I don't.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
This topic has the following tags:
Prime Inc Automatic Transmissions CDL Endorsements Choosing A Trucking Company Tips For Shifting
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
Hi all, Thanks for all your help and I decided to go with Prime. Since I am from north east they told me to go to Pittsburg, PA for training. That is something new for me since no one ever mentioned this anywhere. But I am excited at the same time. I really wanted to drive manual and all my life I drove only stick shift cars and l like the feeling of total control of a vehicle. But my recruiter told me that they are changing to automatic and it is highly doubtful that I will get a manual. So now I have to train my mind to enjoy automatic lol. But my biggest worry is about my future. How about other trucking companies, what if after 2 years or so I want to get into another company and they don't want someone without any manual experience. Or shouldI I try finding some other company which trains in manual or go to a driving school and learn manual. I am upset because I am going to dedicate a year for a company but they won't teach you manual and I feel that I am going to learn only half of driving.