PRIME NEWBIES~Any comments from orientation?

More questions, when you get through the classroom period and get your CDL learners permit you move into your instructors truck. Then you will run with him for several weeks running as a solo schedule?

 

10,000 dispatched miles worth running what we call "super solo," is what I understand. (Not being an instructing/training type, myself.) You drive your shift with your instructor in the right seat, then he'll drive the remaining hours in his logbook as necessary. Then you go back to Springfield, do some practice on the pad, and test-out.

 

It's officially a solo truck, but they may (and do) give you loads that are too long for a solo, but have too much time for a team. If needed, an instructing truck can run for 22 hours straight. The instructor drives his 11 with the student sleeping, and then the instructor moves to on duty for the next 11 hours while the student drives since he has a fresh shift (note, only seen this done once, and it was done at the suggestion of the student (note to the note, the student that suggested it was me, and my instructor had to call logs to see if it was legal, it was)). Typically though, It will be something like a 700 mile load with 24 hours on it, too many mile for a solo to do, and a team would sit half a day waiting to deliver.

 

I hope I get somebody that can teach me proper trip planning. That sounds like a very complicated part of the job.

 

I thought your only allowed a max of 14 hours on duty and driving combined before you take a 10 hour??? I know when I was with my instructor it was 14 hours we could run. I would do say 7 hours driving and then we would switch and he would do 7 and I would be in the front seat so I was on duty. That is 14 hours each with the driving and on duty combined.

 

You can work on line 4 past the 14th hour as long as you haven't exceeded your 70hrs/8days... you must take a 10-hour break before driving again though. Makes for a VERY long day.

 

Does the electronic log system help you figure this out? Or does it just report when you are violating your HOS?

 

It gives you the basic information you need to figure out where you're at hours-wise. You still need a thorough understanding of the HOS regulations in order to do your job properly - and yeah, it will start screaming at ya when you screw-up.

 

Kinda correct. You CAN be on line 4 over your 70. Once your hours are up, you can't be on line 3. I did it for the last half of a WA --> ME load in March. I ran out of my 70 somewhere in South Dakota, and didn't get under it till I got a 34 in Lewiston, ME. My student got to do all the driving.

 

start with prime on tuesday. leave this sunday on the bus and head for springfield. hope to be a copy driver for now but keeping options open. noexperience at all but retired navy and not affraid to work. excited about starting something new. any suggestions????????