Looking To Join Prime Trucker School Any Pointers?

Hi I'm in desperate need of work and just require a chance. I'm looking into Prime driving School because my funds are very low and they offer assistance for schooling. I've traveled the country by myself from CA to WY then my last stop NJ but my car is out of commission and the economy here isnt very well, especially with no car. So in 2 weeks I'm on my way off.A Job as a trucker sounds like something I can do because i have no strong family ties, Criminal record or substance problems just a love to travel and work. Any help and advice is much appreciated.

You start orientation in two weeks? Cool, best of luck when you get here.

The thing about this program is there isn't a whole lot of hand holding going on. You get a schedule that includes a meeting or two each day that you must attend (never be late for them and don't let your cell phone ring during them) and then usually the rest of the day is you managing yourself to get the things done that you need to get done. To really stay on top of things and make the best use of your time, I suggest you do the following:

- Come with your permit (with tanker endorsement) in hand or the information in your brain so you're ready to pass the test. You don't want to be spending a bunch of time here having to study for the permit or re-taking failed tests. That is a huge time sink.

- Sneaky tip: In your Monday AM meeting that kicks the week off, choose a seat at the back row of tables, near the door. At some point, that meeting will end and you will be part of a group that is directed to either go to medical or to the orientation office for the interview. By sitting where you've sat, you can be one of the first people out of that meeting room, which means you are one of the first people to arrive at your destination, which means you're at the front of the line at your destination and you can knock the first of these two tasks out quickly. This is the trick to getting your medical and interview both done Monday AM so you don't have to deal with them on Tuesday.

- Try to have your CBTs (Computer Based Training) done before the end of Monday. You will start doing these Monday PM after the medical/interview chaos. This is about 3 hours of work watching videos on a computer and taking short quizzes afterwards. It's not so bad. If you get in early enough on Sunday, you can go to the lab and get started then. The lab opens around 3:30 on Sundays. If you are bringing a laptop with you, you can even do them from your room.

- Try to have your sim modules done before the end of Tuesday. You will probably be invited to come to the lab at 4 PM on Tuesday (if your CBTs are done!) and you'll get to hang out there for the rest of the night. There are seven modules. I hate to say the simulators are a lot of fun because they are a learning tool, but well, they are a lot of fun. And awesome. This will be your introduction to double clutch shifting if you've never done it before. This was my favorite part of the week. By Tuesday PM, things are starting to relax after the zoo that is Monday. You are starting to meet some of your fellow classmates as you help each other on the sims and you guys will start to build a little bit of camaraderie. It's a good time.

Good job, you got your medical, interview, CBTs, sims and your permit done by the end of Tuesday! You are now able to attend the pre-trip classes on Wednesday because you have nothing else you need to take care of. This class is a very good introduction to pre-trip inspections and I think would be very beneficial to attend. This is also a great place to network with instructors.

With the rest of the free time you have on Wednesday and Thursday AM, do as you please. Whatever you think will be a beneficial use of your time. You might think about trying to get back on a machine in the sim lab for a little double clutching practice. Your mileage may vary on this depending on how many people need the machines. I was able to get in for a little bit on Thursday AM.

Another huge thing about being here is the entire week is an interview, and you will hear that multiple times. Conduct yourself appropriately and present yourself appropriately. You will watch your class dwindle down considerably from Monday to when you make it to the Millennium Building on Thursday. These people go for a number of reasons, but I think a lot of them go because of common sense things they've failed to do which wouldn't get them past any interview for any company in any industry. For example, one of the orientation administrators told us in a meeting the other day that she recently had a student walk into her office for the interview. He was wearing pajama pants and a hoodie with the hood pulled over, he sat the chair and then laid his head down on her desk. He got sent home on the Greyhound so he could go take a nap. Don't do that.

Oh, and they play classic rock over the PA system throughout the hallways all day, which is fantastic.

Just be aware that after you get your CDL and finish your training, you have to pass a timed simulator test within 3 trys otherwise you go back out on the road with a trainer for another 30,000 miles. Good luck.

Just be aware that after you get your CDL and finish your training, you have to pass a timed simulator test within 3 trys otherwise you go back out on the road with a trainer for another 30,000 miles. Good luck.

I don't know where you got that info but you're wrong. I know 10 people who went through Primes training and none of them had to do a simulator test at the end before going solo. You do the simulator courses in the beginning to learn the basics. It's not even a test and the only way to fail is to drive like you're playing Grand Theft Auto. I've never heard of anyone getting through TNT having to redo the entire phase. They would lose every driver if that was true because by the end of TNT the student is usually sick and tired and wants to go solo already.

After you finish TNT you do SMITH System, computer courses and a bunch of other small things.

The two biggest things you should do are:

1) Go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide and follow all of the links you come across. Even though you've already decided where you're going to school read the entire thing through anyhow. It will help you understand a lot about the industry so you'll be prepared for what lies ahead.

2) Go through our High Road Training Program. It's a CDL exam preparation program that will prepare you for the CDL permit written exam, all of the endorsement exams, and you job out on the road. Here's how our program breaks down:

To Get Your CDL Permit:

• Rules & Regulations
• Driving Safely
• Transporting Cargo Safely
• Air Brakes
• Combination Vehicles
• Pre-Trip Inspection
• Driving Exam

To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but we highly recommend you get:

• Transporting Passengers
• Doubles And Triples
• Tankers
• Hazardous Materials

And two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road but the manual doesn't really cover it:

• Logbook
• Weight & Balance

You'll be even further ahead of the game if you get your permit and as many endorsements as possible before you leave for Prime. While other students are studying for the permit and going to the DMV for the testing you'll be able to move on to the next phase.

The High Road program is awesome. It's what I used to study for my tests and I passed them all on the first try.

Don't get your Hazmat right now though. You will get that further down the road after you obtain your full CDL and transfer it to your home state.