Going To Be At Primes Springfield Terminal Tomorrow.

It would be cool to meet some TT members. I plan on getting there around noon on Friday and stay till Saturday evening. Look for my black Freightliner 650195.

Dang, I'm really hoping to leave the terminal with my first solo load tomorrow morning! I'll look for you if I'm still here in the afternoon, but the shop said my truck should be ready bright and early, and I need to get some miles.

Man, I haven't been in there in forever!

Bud, what kind of truck did you get?

I got a black 2014 Freightliner Cascadia, full condo (ah, the benefits of flatbedding!!), 200k miles. APU overheated and threw a code when I ran it for 15 minutes, plus some minor stuff like a missing mirror to be replaced and a broken Qualcomm bracket to be fixed. All new tires - gotta love that, considering all the tire problems during TNT. No fridge yet - they're on national back order for a couple weeks. Got all my equipment loaded today except chains.

Best of all, no one else on the truck!

I'm nervously confident and excited to go solo, if that makes sense.

Qualcomm:

Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.

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.

I'd rather take that extra 5c pay and not pay 3 grand for all my equipment.

But congratulations sir!!!

I'm hoping that I'm not going look too stupid when I ask this question. If I'm not mistaken (and if I am completely disregard this question ) there is a max overall length right? So I have been wondering how that works with such a big truck like a condo?

(Hopefully I didn't make a fool of myself)

Its okay Josh, I make a fool of myself on a daily basis. Don't worry about lengths honestly. Condo's aren't anything special. You have Atlas trucks that are a house on wheels plus a 53' trailer. The only length you need to worry about is the length of your freight, but not tractor/trailer.

Congratulations Bud!

Just remember that golden rule - "Don't hit anything ". As long as you can keep that as your main priority this next year you will be golden.

I will be looking for you. And just so you know, a little nervousness is a good thing.

Dang, I'm really hoping to leave the terminal with my first solo load tomorrow morning! I'll look for you if I'm still here in the afternoon, but the shop said my truck should be ready bright and early, and I need to get some miles.

It would be cool to meet up if your still there. I'm doing flatbed also. My APU is due for service, so I'll be at the APU shop at some point. Hope you get your truck and get out there, but if your still around after noon let me know. Do you have a load yet? I'm delivering in Houston TX Monday morning but it don't take all weekend to get there so I thought I would get some things taken care of there at Prime. Good luck, flatbedding is fun!

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.

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'll be getting into Springfield late tonight. Coming in to test out. I'll be there until next week sometime when I leave for TNT. I'll keep an eye out for you're truck. My instructor will probably keep me pretty busy tomorrow and Sunday though, preparing for the exam out on the pad and whatnot.

That's another thing. If anyone is in Springfield and is ready for an instructor but doesn't have one yet, here is a little TT insider info! My instructor is pretty awesome, I think I got lucky. We'll be out on the Prime East pad practicing at some points on Saturday and Sunday in a red flatbed. He'll be looking for a new student to take out on Monday or Tuesday, and he's usually looking for someone who is out there on the pad and really showing initiative with their pre-trip. Maybe even come up and say hi, don't be shy.