A Few Questions About Prime's Training Program
Topic 34534 | Page 1
Honestly, the lightweight thing, is kind of a thing. Mostly it's based on what is available at the time you upgrade. My first FM tried to push me into a lightweight after I was assigned a full size.
I'm not exactly clear on the issue that is going on with your medical card, but if it's a no longer valid type of form, that could be the issue. I'm not well versed enough in the actual form requirements to speak intelligently on it.
I had a pad based PSD trainer in Pittston (2021) and a different OTR trainer for TNT. It is entirely luck of the draw if you get the same one all the way through.
Be prepared for a whole lot of "it depends." Welcome to Prime
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.
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.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.
Hi. In 2015 when I started, company drivers made up 40% of Prime. Today it is about 10%. That has resulted in a lot less Lightweight trucks being ordered. They are mostly used for dedicated and regional , and those drivers make more money on average and/or go home more.
The chances you will be forced into one has greatly reduced. My last 5 students went company and only one got a lightweight. And she wanted it for a dedicated account. I personally was never in a lightweight.
Before you reject a lightweight consider this: they make more cpm and earn vacation faster. They are also easier for some people to turn and back which results in less accidents or incidents on a newbies record. I have videos on the comparisons on my Youtube channel. Feel free to check them out.
Even though Prime's starting rates are 50 condo/55cpm lightweight, they don't include the bonuses. My former students are avergaing 59cpm in condo and 63cpm in a lightweight. Not bad for newbies.
The DOT physical... most companies will require a new physical. That is nothing new. Each company can set higher perameters than what the DOT does. Get used to taking physicals and drug tests in this industry. And once you have a diagnosis, you may be asked to take another physical. I had 3 physicals in 1 year. Prime did change the way their forms are processed, so it could be an in house issue rather than an industry issue. Not sure why they are claiming that. And it is possible prime will give you a new card for 3 months, ask for a sleep apnea test, then give you another card for 1 to 2 yrs upon the results.
As far as trainers... Trainers can train which portion they want to train. I did TNT only for 6 years. I did PSD only for 2 years. Out of 78 students, i only did both for 2. PSD can be OTR or on the pad. If you do go OTR with a PSD, either of you could request a new partner the next time. Just try to learn all you can.
Feel free to ask anything.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
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.
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Hey all!
I was just invited to go to orientation with Prime in Pittston, Pa On January 6th, and I'm very excited. I'm fairly well versed on the whole process of training with Prime, however I had a few questions about specifics. I plan to be a company driver only (may consider the possibility of leasing when I have experience but we'll see) but I've heard that they will stick me into a 'lightweight' Cascadia, is this true? I haven't been able to find much information on it besides a few reddit posts from 2+ years ago.
Another question being, the recruiter I'm talking to says that I will need a new medical card due to the 'expiration date' of the form itself (being 12/31/24) on the upper right corner of the document. I find this hard to believe seeing as the newest version of this document I can find is dated for expiry in March of 2025. My actual 'Medical Examiner's Certification Expiration Date' is 11/22/2026 Any guidance on this is greatly appreciated as I can't find much online to support his claim, and when I brought it up to the office that did my physical, they said it was when the medical office has to order new forms.
Finally, obviously very subjective; but what are my chances of getting a good trainer for the on-road training? I am prepared for the worst but would like to know my odds, and will I keep the same trainer between the PSD and TNT phases of the program?
Thank you to everyone who has been active in this community, you are have been a huge help and inspiration to pursue the career I have always wanted to get into, a particularly large thank you especially for Kearsey :)
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
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
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.