Wait Is Over Finally At Prime PSD Training

Actually Anne you are the trucking truth cheerleader. I for one really appreciate your sweetness and caring. I was trying to just be factual in my accounts but if you want some humor, my trainer and I laugh every time we go past Uranas Fudge. Per there commercials they can pack fudge like no one else. Cracks me up.

P'Buck . . . we are ALL about the humor .. that just ripped me and the hubby a gut, haha!! If HUMOR gets you through, it, and into it .... et al, by ALL MEANS~! I'm so happy for you that you HAVE a trainer that shares the jollies!

Yessir, I am . . .the 'self appointed' site cheerleader, haha. Some love it, some hate it. I've still got 'remnants' of a CDL to hold my title, LoL!! Thanks!!

...>>> another thing Moe liked about me; still trying to get HIM back into populous.

Funny jokes/ads ... omg....

We have a REAL good one up in my parts..the filter will probably destroy it. . . but . . . let's see, for S's and G's ..~! Humor in trucking, learning, etc.. we couldn't have got MY man behind the wheel while I was home w/the kids.

Listen at your own discretion, haha!! Times like 'this' ..wish my man's name WASN'T Tom, haha!!

Apple Cider Song. . .

Part 12 Finally got the trainers truck back after the third time to get the windshield sealed so it didn’t leak. Plus they were inept enough to shut off the apu so we had to throw out everything in the fridge and freezer. Like it was their first time working on an Otr Prime truck.If anybody else has any horror repair stories about Springfield Freightliner I will add mine. In my previous life I was a service manager at construction equipment dealers. Let’s face it the customer that bought 20 units from your dealership gets more prompt attention than a guy that brings in a unit that he bought somewhere else. The last video a seen on Prime where they were touring a 2021 Cascadia he made the comment Prime was kind enough to be getting 150 units a month. Maybe it’s just me but when a Prime driver comes in the to the shop with a problem they should be dancing a jig. Nope not even close. I will expound if some else has similar stories.

On to the good part, my first TNT load. Bass Pro Shops in Springfield going to southern Cali. We pick it up, go to Prime plaza for trailer inspection and fuel up. My trainer says slide over your driving and I am going to sleep. I guess he trusts me. He gave me a few tips like 44 West to OKC, then to 40 west on to Amarillo. Go to first recommended fuel stop at the Petro and wake me up. He also said after about 4 hours take your 30 minute break. It was so cool to come back from my break and see that extra 3 hours pop on the clock. I’m learning cool stuff.We left Springfield about 1300, made it to the fuel stop with just one minor issue. I had taken my break near Tulsa, that was fine. I needed a quick bathroom break north of Amarillo and so a Loves come up, got off the exit. My trainer always said look at how the trucks are parked in the fuel lane so you can tell how to go in and back out. There was one truck fueling so I followed his lead. Once I pulled in and arrows on the pavement showed the opposite direction I thought oh boy. Well I am going pee then can access the situation. Came back out. There was room to go out behind the building. This was a tiny Loves with no real parking spaces for trucks. I get back to the truck and my trainer had woke up and was looking out of the sleeper. He was like what’s up Buck. I told him I had followed the other dumb ass into the fuel isle. So he just smiles and says so what are you going to do? I said well I am not going to try and back my way out, I will just go around the back. He said ok. So I did , only problem when I came out on the street and turned there was not enough room so I ran over the end of the center divider. No harm no fowl. He had not bit on my like I was expecting, after a got straight and headed to the on ramp I glanced over my shoulder and he smiled an said, ya I got stuck in this Loves one time myself and he laid back down.! so on to the fuel stop, trainer jumps out and says go grab something to eat if you want it. So I did, this will be the maiden voyage of sleeping in a moving truck, bottom bunk. I get back he had fueled, I jumped in ate my fish sam***** and got things on the bottom bunk. He came back and we were off. First 30 minutes I am thinking oh my gosh things are banging, rattling I am getting thrown around at every bump. Ok I am beat at this point and I start to panic a little thinking what if I can’t sleep. Well the next thing I know I wake up and it 4 hours later. I go back to sleep and then I hear my trainer on the phone with a buddy and I had slept another 4 hours. I guess I will get used to it. Wake up this morning, quick bathroom break, we are now 50 miles from Flagstaff. We stop at this rest area. There are lots of big rocks around so it kind of looks like Fred Flinstones rock quarry. We stop for a breakfast burrito and I take over about 10 am. We have an easy 380 miles on my shift to Barstow. Get here about 1700 get a Tommy’s Hambburger, my first. Was good. Kick back showers in the morning, 70 miles to our drop with a 1100 appt.! We even have a scheduled pickup tomorrow at 1700 near the drop with a load going to Nebraska. Rolling, rolling rolling keep those doggies rolling. Another funny thing for Anne. My driver code with Prime is COOBDA. So instead of Kubota I am Coo bota . Almost every day since I tested out I get a message saying COOBDA you cdl expires Dec 20,2020. I need to get back home before then and get my license changed over. Anything to keep me entertained I guess. More to come ......

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.

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.

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.

That is hilarious!!!!! Maybe they could team up with the boys from Uranus. I mean what’s the worst that could happen? Lol

Actually Anne you are the trucking truth cheerleader. I for one really appreciate your sweetness and caring. I was trying to just be factual in my accounts but if you want some humor, my trainer and I laugh every time we go past Uranas Fudge. Per there commercials they can pack fudge like no one else. Cracks me up.

P'Buck . . . we are ALL about the humor .. that just ripped me and the hubby a gut, haha!! If HUMOR gets you through, it, and into it .... et al, by ALL MEANS~! I'm so happy for you that you HAVE a trainer that shares the jollies!

Yessir, I am . . .the 'self appointed' site cheerleader, haha. Some love it, some hate it. I've still got 'remnants' of a CDL to hold my title, LoL!! Thanks!!

...>>> another thing Moe liked about me; still trying to get HIM back into populous.

Funny jokes/ads ... omg....

We have a REAL good one up in my parts..the filter will probably destroy it. . . but . . . let's see, for S's and G's ..~! Humor in trucking, learning, etc.. we couldn't have got MY man behind the wheel while I was home w/the kids.

Listen at your own discretion, haha!! Times like 'this' ..wish my man's name WASN'T Tom, haha!!

Apple Cider Song. . .

Part 12 One thing that got me interested in trucking is trip planning. I have always been a planner. After all my zodiac sign is Libra, you know the scales, compare both sides. I always like to plan and some times it works the way I planned it. Lol. I am already thinking about my TNT planning. I know some know how Prime structures there tnt. 50k miles, guaranteed $700 a week through 40k and $800 a week for the last 10k. Recently they threw another option in the choices. After you reach 30k miles you have the option of being paired with another like driver from tnt with the same miles. The stickler is if you go this route you have to commit to teaming for 120 days or 4 months. The first big positive I see is instead of making the guaranteed $700, or $800 a week you will instead make the regular team pay. One of Kerseys example post was a team running 5000 miles a week would split about $3300, so $1650 a week. I asked orientation about this and asked them how they matched you up with the other driver. They said a similar process of matching a student and a trainer, I asked what happens if there is a clash? They said your fleet manager would work it out. The money would be the biggest thing for me, while I have been off playing truck driver the love of my life has been home pinching pennies you know. My end goal is to have a condo so mamma can go with me now and then and I may take a look at PSD trading. If I just stay the course until solo I am looking at another month or so if the guaranteed amounts. Please anyone share your thoughts of and pro or cons please. Thanks

Well... It sounds more like your trainer's first time in the shop. Standard Operating Procedure at dealers is to turn off the APU due to fumes in the shop. Even some truck washes will have me turn off the reefer and APU because of this. Yes, I have transported my fridge food to my hotel room while waiting on repairs.

The FL dealer on Division St (and there are 2) has a 24/7 repair center with showers and free laundry facilities. They also have an express diagnostics pane for added service. This is far better than most dealers.

Before covid we were getting almost double the amount of trucks. And rumor has it... Prime owns one of those dealers so we are getting a HUGE discount at ridiculously low prices

The International dealer not only puts my truck in the shop right away but will take the parts off brand new trucks in their sales lot rather than make me wait. Still, repairs can take a long time to diagnose with all of our electronic safety features. Volvo is having problems with Primes requirements and their wiring.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

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.

That is hilarious!!!!! Maybe they could team up with the boys from Uranus. I mean what’s the worst that could happen? Lol

Actually Anne you are the trucking truth cheerleader. I for one really appreciate your sweetness and caring. I was trying to just be factual in my accounts but if you want some humor, my trainer and I laugh every time we go past Uranas Fudge. Per there commercials they can pack fudge like no one else. Cracks me up.

P'Buck . . . we are ALL about the humor .. that just ripped me and the hubby a gut, haha!! If HUMOR gets you through, it, and into it .... et al, by ALL MEANS~! I'm so happy for you that you HAVE a trainer that shares the jollies!

Yessir, I am . . .the 'self appointed' site cheerleader, haha. Some love it, some hate it. I've still got 'remnants' of a CDL to hold my title, LoL!! Thanks!!

...>>> another thing Moe liked about me; still trying to get HIM back into populous.

Funny jokes/ads ... omg....

We have a REAL good one up in my parts..the filter will probably destroy it. . . but . . . let's see, for S's and G's ..~! Humor in trucking, learning, etc.. we couldn't have got MY man behind the wheel while I was home w/the kids.

Listen at your own discretion, haha!! Times like 'this' ..wish my man's name WASN'T Tom, haha!!

Apple Cider Song. . .

Hope this finds you well, COOBDA ~!

Always looking forward to an update, and a joke or two, haha!!

~ Anne ~

I guess I am going to agree to disagree. We are driving $150k trucks, there shop rate is $155 an hour, the top techs are going to be making in the $30 range. When they reseal a windshield for the 3rd time and back it outside they need to turn the apu back on. That is just plain incompetent. My trainer has been driver/ trainer since 2009 and he said he has never had to do anything with the fridge items. If Prime bought the dealership they need to inject some Prime can do attitude into that bunch. After they look at the money paid to the driver for breakdown pay I think things will improve at the dealership level. I am glad to hear IH is treating there customers well, maybe I just need to bleach my hair blonde lol. Cheers and happy trails

Well... It sounds more like your trainer's first time in the shop. Standard Operating Procedure at dealers is to turn off the APU due to fumes in the shop. Even some truck washes will have me turn off the reefer and APU because of this. Yes, I have transported my fridge food to my hotel room while waiting on repairs.

The FL dealer on Division St (and there are 2) has a 24/7 repair center with showers and free laundry facilities. They also have an express diagnostics pane for added service. This is far better than most dealers.

Before covid we were getting almost double the amount of trucks. And rumor has it... Prime owns one of those dealers so we are getting a HUGE discount at ridiculously low prices

The International dealer not only puts my truck in the shop right away but will take the parts off brand new trucks in their sales lot rather than make me wait. Still, repairs can take a long time to diagnose with all of our electronic safety features. Volvo is having problems with Primes requirements and their wiring.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

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.

I guess I am going to agree to disagree. We are driving $150k trucks, there shop rate is $155 an hour, the top techs are going to be making in the $30 range. When they reseal a windshield for the 3rd time and back it outside they need to turn the apu back on. That is just plain incompetent. My trainer has been driver/ trainer since 2009 and he said he has never had to do anything with the fridge items. If Prime bought the dealership they need to inject some Prime can do attitude into that bunch. After they look at the money paid to the driver for breakdown pay I think things will improve at the dealership level. I am glad to hear IH is treating there customers well, maybe I just need to bleach my hair blonde lol. Cheers and happy trails

Well... It sounds more like your trainer's first time in the shop. Standard Operating Procedure at dealers is to turn off the APU due to fumes in the shop. Even some truck washes will have me turn off the reefer and APU because of this. Yes, I have transported my fridge food to my hotel room while waiting on repairs.

The FL dealer on Division St (and there are 2) has a 24/7 repair center with showers and free laundry facilities. They also have an express diagnostics pane for added service. This is far better than most dealers.

Before covid we were getting almost double the amount of trucks. And rumor has it... Prime owns one of those dealers so we are getting a HUGE discount at ridiculously low prices

The International dealer not only puts my truck in the shop right away but will take the parts off brand new trucks in their sales lot rather than make me wait. Still, repairs can take a long time to diagnose with all of our electronic safety features. Volvo is having problems with Primes requirements and their wiring.

They don't always back the truck out of the shop. Soif they leave it in the shop they will leave the APU off because of the fumes.

when I had mine at the Freightliner dealer in Atlanta they hooked a battery charger up. Problem solved.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

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.

I got the T shirt.

I got the T shirt.

Got an extra one, for COOBDA / Kubota man ?!?!? <<< T'shirt, I mean .. Rob~! If you can find a D i c k e n's one ... under $1k ... lmk~!! LoL~!!!! Was a POPULAR apple cider, back in the day; link above, Rob D. ~!!

Hope all is well, PPBuck . . . ~!!

No jokes today, sorry. Joke was on me yesterday when my brother in NY met w/ some bad fate. Thinking about Y'ALL is keeping MY head up... so THERE~!!

Awaiting 'happy posts!' from you, Buck.

~ Anne ~