I wanted to chime in about my experience at Prime... from a woman's perspective. First off, I want to mention I'm extremely happy we decided to drive so we could avoid the greyhound, and there was plenty of secured parking on campus. I also want to mention, the following is not meant to trash talk, but hope someone reads this as feedback.
We drove from Phoenix to Springfield to start 8/31. My boyfriend started company training Tuesday as a company driver for the TnT program and I with their PSD program, so I started Monday. We were planning to drive as a team once I finished TnT.
The first day was hectic. Paperwork, drug testing, physical, CBTs, and I was given group D for the simulator class because I came with a permit. Group D's class was late 830-11. After driving for 2 days and starting early I needed a nap! I made it to sim class and that's when things started to go downhill.
Let me explain.
I was super excited to have sim time to practice double clutch and shifting as I've driven a manual, but I knew I'd need extra practice. I was assured by my recruiter I'd have it. She mentioned each student gets 8-10 hours before going out with a CDL trainer and coming back to test. But that's not my issue.
The issues I had weren't the simulators themselves or the hotel they let you stay at for free or even the food. My issue is the overcrowded classroom and the fact they try to rush you through the most important part of the program, the actual driving!
The class that started 8/31 had over 120 students 130 expected. 90 by the time we were broken into groups. They were broken into large groups A-D with different times of day for sim class.
Day one in the sim lab, we had 3-4 students per simulator at 830-11pm and the class was 2.5 hours long, my small of 3 got maybe 15-20 mins each to practice each module and were encouraged to move quickly to practice next modules in between PowerPoint presentations and more group instruction. We couldn't technically move on to the next module until we grasped the exercise and had it fully signed off by the instructor. But keep in mind there were 3 instructors with a large class of 3-4 students on each of the 9 sims so things got even more confusing when one person was struggling more in our group and no one but us were there to help him along because the ibstructors were helping other students. Which is great to have group support, but at this point, it was obvious my group seemed to need more time to grasp the basics than the other groups because one was falling severely behind and taking more time on the machine. Leaving the others to fall behind too. Even worse, the guy shouldn't have even been passed along by the Apex physical team as he couldn't pick up boxes properly and barely finished his physical.
Day two started out with a review, my group still had the 3 members, and we were already significantly behind the rest of the class. We were one module 3 still while the others were on 6. I know I can be a slow to learn new things and if I'm rushed, forget it. But the 2nd night I felt extremely pressured to hurry up and move forward by the instructors to get us further along at a faster pace. One instructor came over and We did a lightening round and each time we were pushed harder he made us get out of the seat with each mistake, I got worse at the exercise after about two rounds because he was rushing us and covered the tachometer with his paper so we couldn't see it.
At that point and about an hour into the class, I walked out of class to get a breather. I emailed everyone I could from my recruiter and more about my situation, how I felt like we weren't given adequate time to learn at such a fast pace with as many students/instructors as there were. When I walked out the instructor followed me at that point I asked if I could either be put into another group, or given more time on the sim. He said no, the allotted time we had was the only time we could come in to practice so we don't work ahead of others. At this point I'm getting more upset. I'm actually asking for help and no one is helping. He finally said I could come back at 11-12am he had maybe one spot left but I'd have to stop by to see if it was open and I'd have to nail it in order to catch up with the rest of the class. By this time I began to question their practices and why I was being pushed to hurry up so badly and an hour wasn't enough time to catch up with other students there too I'd be in the same situation. So I didn't come back. Yeah, my mistake.
The next morning, my recruiter finally contacted me and told me to spend the morning trying contact someone in the sim lab he was going to let me make up all the time and work with me.
Day three, I spent trying to track down the guy she told me to contact. After several attempts and hours later I was so far behind I didn't go to my sim class at 1pm. Instead I kept trying to get a hold of this guy to talk to and have yet to reach him. About 3pm today I walked into the lab to give it one more shot after my recruiter told me to go right then to find him he was at his desk, and he still wasn't there the desk people said he's hard to get a hold of. So I walked out, and someone That works for Prime follow me to ask what was up. So I told him my situation, he grabbed another guy and before I knew it I was cornered upset and crying in the orientation office cubicle with 3 people surrounding me telling me it was my fault for not keeping up, now I missed class, and telling me it was my fault for not keeping up with the fast pace and I should've known it was a fast class. And because I never got a hold of this impossible to get ahold of guy that WAS going to help my catch up, he wasn't now. So I said fine. I'm leaving if I can't get someone to actually take the time to teach me. As if anyone at that point cared, they had another 120 coming next week.
I understand I missed one class, but I was just following the directions of my recruiter and attempting to get a little extra help. So I'm packing up and leaving tomorrow. My boyfriend doesn't plan on staying with the company long after the way I was treated. Fact of the matter, I wasn't getting it and I was in the way by asking for additional help. So much for the speech about everyone learns at different speeds.
Prime PSD experience - sim time lacking
Discussion in 'Prime' started by 8PawsTrucking, Sep 2, 2015.
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When I went through PSD (in early 2014), I didn't get to use the simulators at all.. My first time using that thing was when I got back from TNT and was in the process of upgrading (which was just plain stupid, oh well). I'm guessing Prime has updated their PSD program significantly if they're saying you get 8-10 hours on the actual sim. I think when I wen through you were supposed to get that about that much time in a truckbefore going over the road with an instructor.
Anyway, If I were in your position, I'd take a breath, drink some water.. find someone who knows whats going on (sorry, can't help you there), and find out what you need to do. If they'll let you move on without the sim... Then i'd just do that. It's honestly a waste of time. I met up with a trainer at the Prime east yard with another student and practiced some basics, clutch work, straight backing, driving in circles around the lot practicing shifting, bit of pretrip. That mor ethan made up for the sim.
Good luck though. Hope everything works out for the best.born&raisedintheusa and 8PawsTrucking Thank this. -
They did a press release today I noticed saying they have moved to utilize sims for all PSD students and the 8-10 hours replaces 20-30 hours of drive time. The realease also stated it reduces time between permit and testing time out with a trainer. That's great IF you can even get the 8-10 hours of required practice time.with a class that size there is no way each student will be getting the time. Being present in class and using the machines are two different things just like actual driving and a simulator is a different beast entirely. I'm just curious how many like myself have spoken up requesting more time and they scoot out the door.born&raisedintheusa Thanks this. -
So you walked out and created all of these judgments after 3.5 hours spent in the room, didn't show up for an extra hour offered to you, didn't show up for an entire class, and quit on the 3rd day?
darthanubis and born&raisedintheusa Thank this. -
Try another company.
Good Luckborn&raisedintheusa and 8PawsTrucking Thank this. -
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130 students....goodness gracious...pitiful.
born&raisedintheusa Thanks this. -
Thanks for the comment. No judgements needed I'm a witness to bad behavior, why stick around for more?
Let me propose a question to you? Remember back for a moment when you first started learning to drive, now imagine being in a dark room with 9 large loud machines with 3-4 people in them. You have a class with a PowerPoint on how to shift. You get up practice that for less than 5 mins. You get another ppt on double clutching and one guy from your group doesn't get it and he takes up most of the time to where you get maybe another 5 mins to try. Then you're waiting around in between all this to have an instructor so you can show him/her so they can sign off that you can. With that many people in the room we never got that module signed off. Move on to the 3rd module where were given another ppt on up shifting told to practice. Again I never got a turn the first night because the one guy couldn't get his seat adjusted until 5 mins before class got out. Day one in sims- 10-15 of practice. 2.5 hour class.
Day two, the instructor takes his sweet time to get over to our group to check us off finally. One group member goes does okay. The other guy goes pisses off instructor because he's not getting it at all. So instructor goes on some power trip covering the tachometer for the guy. Making him quickly go through the gears. Or attempt. The more the guy messes up the more it pisses the instructor off. The instructor looks through our sheets to sign off the first guy, and asks is this you, says figures with a foreign name. Totally racist remark. By that time I'm getting more pissed lol. He barks at the guy says obviously you're not getting it get more practice get out of my seat. The instructor says next. Looks at me. I get in get half way and he covers up the tachometer. Keep in mind, these sims aren't a real truck it's loud in there hard to hear the fake engine and you can't feel it. So I didn't switch gears until 1300. He barked at me to get out of the chair. That I needed more practice. That's when I said you're not teaching us and said I need a time out and walked outside.
Sure, we had 3.5 hours but technically at that point I had maybe 15-20 mins of practice and some instructor in a racist power trip barking orders at me. I'm not subjecting myself to more of that so I didn't go back. Maybe I should have gone into more details, but I was trying to be polite and not trash talk. I think the instructor was extremely overwhelmed with the amount of student in fact he said he was when he came outside to talk to me in private. He said they keep packing them in here. You can come back for an hour but it will be more of the same, crowded.
So why subject myself to a CDL mill of a training when I want better for my career? Yes, I quit, after it was suggested I leave by 3 employees in a cubicle that I knew that class was fast paced. Students were set up for failure from the start of the overcrowded class. It was learn it there way or leave. I choose better.
Cheers!darthanubis and born&raisedintheusa Thank this. -
Sounds like the way a lot of places "train" folks these days. Run as many as possible thru as fast as they can and see what sticks. Not just trucking either. Had a dentist awhile back that was brand new and barely knew what he was doing.
darthanubis, born&raisedintheusa and 8PawsTrucking Thank this. -
I wouldn't be as angry or judgemental. The company sponsored CDLs are designed to grab as many of the easy to train people and stick them in a truck. If you need better instruction there are many fee-based instructional opportunities in the US to give you the extra time and or tips and pointers.
It sounds like you were expecting Prime to do a better job with you, and they aren't up to that task.
If you're looking for advise, I wouldn't burn the bridge with Prime, but instead ask to speak to someone about getting more time, or help on the pad. In the worst case, ask to drop out so you can get better instruction, and be readmitted at a later date.darthanubis, born&raisedintheusa, 8PawsTrucking and 3 others Thank this.
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