Teaming With My Fiancé
Topic 31507 | Page 1
Welcome Ryan!
In order to advise to the best of our experience and ability, what is drawing you to trucking and teaming with your fiancée’?
Hi Ryan, glad to have you here. Stick around and you will greatly benefit yourself in your driving career.
The overwhelming evidence is that you are light years ahead by getting your CDL training through an established trucking company. There are many to choose from and you will get paid while you train. You will get your lodging paid for, some or most meals, transportation to and from your lodging, and most importantly, an automatic job if you don’t flunk out. I’m sure others on this forum will post links to valuable informational resources for you.
You can also apply for company sponsored training right here. Anne is super helpful in posting those links for new drivers.
Good luck and keep us posted with your journey.
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
Ryan, the links Bruce referred to are as follows:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
The best thing is for both you and your fiancée’ read (if you haven’t already) Brett’s book.
I want to reiterate our desire to understand what brought you here and why you want to team. It will help us to guide you appropriately.
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.
Hi Ryan, glad to have you here. Stick around and you will greatly benefit yourself in your driving career.
The overwhelming evidence is that you are light years ahead by getting your CDL training through an established trucking company. There are many to choose from and you will get paid while you train. You will get your lodging paid for, some or most meals, transportation to and from your lodging, and most importantly, an automatic job if you don’t flunk out. I’m sure others on this forum will post links to valuable informational resources for you.
You can also apply for company sponsored training right here. Anne is super helpful in posting those links for new drivers.
Good luck and keep us posted with your journey.
Ryan, the links Bruce referred to are as follows:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
The best thing is for both you and your fiancée’ read (if you haven’t already) Brett’s book.
I want to reiterate our desire to understand what brought you here and why you want to team. It will help us to guide you appropriately.
Thanks, Bruce! G'Town beat me to it, hahahaha!
It's all good. Next step, Apply HERE: Apply For Paid CDL Training
Welcome Ryan!
In order to advise to the best of our experience and ability, what is drawing you to trucking and teaming with your fiancée’?
Very good question; I'd like to know, too!! Teaming with my husband, for as 'short lived' as it was, was just that. Fun, for 'awhile!'
Best wishes;
~ Anne ~
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
Of course CFI could train you. Once you both upgrade, you would be able to team.
Training is free, teams have a 6 month commitment.
My Fiancé and I are looking to get into team driving but neither of us have our CDL. Would it be better to get our CDL's ourselves then apply to a company, or if we got paid CDL training through a company what would that look like since we want to run team? Also, what would some good options be for running team in y'all's opinion? Thanks for the help!
Hay, Ryan!
Didn't realize how young y'all are, but for Dennis' thread. It's awesome, isn't it?
Sure, Prime WOULD be an awesome choice for y'all! Apply For Paid CDL Training!
In some 'spare time,' check this: Truckin' Along w/Kearsey!
Sure do wish y'all the best! Read the links G'town posted before, and STUDY UP!
~ Anne ~
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.
I want to help Ryan out a bit.
If he and his Fiancé are at least 18, there is an option in Arkansas to get a CDL-A to drive Intrastate only.
Do any of you know of companies that offer paid CDL training in that situation?
The other option is government grants to cover cost of private CDL schools. The university system in Arkansas offers training.
They could get individual driving experience before turning 21, when they could apply to companies offering Interstate team driving opportunities.
There were married couples at Prime taking the PSD training at same time to obtain their CDLs.
I think TNT training would require them to split up with separate trainers. Upon successfully completing TNT they could apply to upgrade together as a team in their own truck.
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.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
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.
My Fiancé and I are looking to get into team driving but neither of us have our CDL. Would it be better to get our CDL's ourselves then apply to a company, or if we got paid CDL training through a company what would that look like since we want to run team? Also, what would some good options be for running team in y'all's opinion? Thanks for the help!
Again, here ya go, Ryan.
Dennis needs some EXTREMELY EARNED off time! Continue your OWN thread, or start anew!!! I'm glad to hear you ARE learning from a driver's diary; it's what Trucking Truth is all about!
Here's those responses/recommendations/pilot programs: FMCSA / Minors and driving apprenticeships.
Werner also has some 'innovation' going on!! Werner's Pilot Program
A few more Primates:
- Kearsey fka: Rainy!
- Turtle's Diary with Prime
- Chief Brody's Prime Diary (fka: Rob D.)
- Eric the Red .. never updated!
- CK, Prime Flatbed
- Doug Stanhope .. washout?
- All Spaceman Spiff
- RealDiehl 's ALL the real about Prime, and trucking!
There's more, man. Read anything and everything all around. G'Town and Old School.... WISDOM X TEN! Dennis is the most recent grad I'm aware of; If I'm missing someone, mea culpa!!!!!! This post alone, took quite some time; for anyone in the know. It's what we do!
PackRat & Laura have a TON of experience; they'll always answer! Not Prime'ish, but.. so? Also Rob T. !! He's a Moderator that I'm needing to holler at; sure miss HIS wit & wisdom.
Don't forget the LTL gang! Could that be a forethought??? Bobcat Bob, Banks, et al! Bird One has some original stuff, too!
Nonwithstanding all above, MAJOR shout out to our Daniel B.. the guy who wrote our Pretrip, also trained FOR Prime! You should real ALL of Daniel's stuff...he started at your age.
Here's his contributions: Daniel B's LIFESTYLE on Trucking Truth.. He began at your age!
- Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide
- Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection
- Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
- Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Questions
^^^^ That's only a SKOSHE of the Daniel B.'s postings! He created that Pre Trip guide, specifically for this site. Enjoy your youth; yet make the most of it!
Hope this helps a bit; Time for ... hubby to come home!
~ Anne ~
ps: If anybody knows how long this took to put together . . . HEHEHEHEHE!
Onward & Upward, eh? 
SOMEBODY, PLEASE bookmark this post!!! :)
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
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.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
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.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.
CLP:
Commercial Learner's Permit
Before getting their CDL, commercial drivers will receive their commercial learner's permit (CLP) upon passing the written portion of the CDL exam. They will not have to retake the written exam to get their CDL.
I want to help Ryan out a bit.
If he and his Fiancé are at least 18, there is an option in Arkansas to get a CDL-A to drive Intrastate only.
Do any of you know of companies that offer paid CDL training in that situation?
The other option is government grants to cover cost of private CDL schools. The university system in Arkansas offers training.
They could get individual driving experience before turning 21, when they could apply to companies offering Interstate team driving opportunities.
There were married couples at Prime taking the PSD training at same time to obtain their CDLs.
I think TNT training would require them to split up with separate trainers. Upon successfully completing TNT they could apply to upgrade together as a team in their own truck.
Dennis, there's so much in the 'coffers' of my post above! So many current (and a few prior) 'Primates' had all the necessary advice for people in their situation.; Hope my post helped a bit; it's a LOT to go through. Yes, they will probably split up for training, the only company I know of, is C.R. England that does 3 in the tree... (if they even still do.)
Prime is an EXCELLENT START for a team/partner situation. It took me quite awhile to dig that up, but.. I hope Ryan finds it!
You're a blessed person, for caring, good sir!
Always, me...
~ Anne ~
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.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
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.
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My Fiancé and I are looking to get into team driving but neither of us have our CDL. Would it be better to get our CDL's ourselves then apply to a company, or if we got paid CDL training through a company what would that look like since we want to run team? Also, what would some good options be for running team in y'all's opinion? Thanks for the help!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: