ask your questions about prime inc here

I have 12months otr experiance and have my mind set on leaseing from prime and living out of my truck. I have no reasons to be tied down, I am selling my 07 motorcycle to have extra cash flow going into this. OK here is #1 i have been hauling van for the 12months, I want to try reefer, I wont have to go out with a trainer at all will I? what if I go tanker, I have no experiance with that, how much training will that require? I'm not all about having to go back out with a trainer.....

 

I have never pulled a reefer, but you will need to know the ropes to that. How do you plan on that with no training? Tanker no exp? I realize they pull a lot of food grade stuff, but again you need to know what you are doing. A year in a box is not that much exp.

 

I agree with notarps (i can't believe i just typed that) on this one. If you're going to pull a reefer there is much to learn, setting the reefer properly, pulping loads properly, making sure the temps in the box are staying correct. I'm not 100% sure if Prime requires anything more than the reefer class before you get your own truck, but it would not surprise me if they made you do about a month with a trainer on it.

As for tank, I'm almost positive if you have no prior tank experience you would need to go out with a trainer. Tank hiring is very limited right now, so it would be hard to get on with that division.

 

Could anybody explain to me what the train the trainer class entails?? I'm schedule to start the class on April 6th to become a trainer. Are there any test, driving test, etc?? Thanks

 

Agreed. Switching to reefer isn't too intensive. If you have to go out with a trainer, it won't be for long. I'd say a month max. Maybe not even that long.

Tanker is a different story. I've *heard* that even current Prime drivers, no matter their experience, have to go out with a trainer for the full 60,000 training miles if they want to switch to driving a tanker.

 

I've taken that class 3 times (once to be a trainer, once to become an instructor, and once to learn the new CDL test) and I can't really remember what the training part entails. However, I can tell you that for the training portion of it there is no type of driving test.

 

Now that I think about it, I knew a guy that wanted to switch from flats to reefer internally at Prime, and they wanted him to do 20,000 (about a month) with a trainer. He didn't want to, and he ended up leaving after a few more weeks of flat.

 

You will be required to re-take the Smith System class. Not a whole lot to the training class... as a trainer, you are basically passing on your knowledge about the way Prime conducts business... ie Paperwork, claims, security, repairs... and all that entails with getting that stuff done. The little stuff you do everyday.


The trainee should already know how to drive, but you will also be evaulating his overall performance... making sure they are safe.

Its impossible to teach the person absolutly everything... I still learn a few things here and there... I pass on what I have learned, and the tools to resolve any situation that the trainee may come across on their own that you as the trainer have never experianced.

 

how long after you become an A seat driver can you become a trainer???

 

Well, this isn't the official answer, but how long after you're a student do you REALLY think you'll know enough and have enough experience to be a REAL trainer, as opposed to another newb playing at being a trainer?