Prime PSD or Private School?

I just saw this tread, figgured I'd make an account and share some insight.
I'm just finishing my team portion of training now should be back in springmo sun mon for my truck.
There training is really the best I've heard of after you do the orientation and find a trainer it's 100% 1 on 1
The simulators they put you on are kind of cheesy but really they are there for someone that's never drove a large crash box treat it like the real thing you'll be fine.
Everyone in the company just about is more then eager to help you with anything you need, hell I had Robert Lowe walk up to me the day I picked up my cdl asked me how my day was going. And that's the owner of the company!
Equipment is as top of the line as you can expect for a company that has students. Really glad I made the choice to come here
Ch

 

I went through Primes CDL training...

My initial trainer per CDL was great and I still talk to him a lot... My Trainer after I received my CDL was terrible... He was up all the time on his phone while he was supposed to be sleeping and after a couple nights of constantly hearing the rumble strips on the highway I woke up and the fight was on... Long story short was routed back to springfield and got on another truck... While the next guy was good he didn't let me back the truck like I should have been doing and seemed to be more concerned about making money then training me... He didn't have the best hygiene at all ( dirty, horrible teeth, wore boots and after they came off the truck smelled terrible ) needless to say after 3 weeks of this I told Prime im gone...

Primes school isn't federal funded its from them... So they try and scare students saying if you don't finish the complete training you will pay out of pocket for it is complete BS... I left before finishing training and paid 0...

Another thing is live in Illinois and you cannot transfer out of state CDL to Illinois without doing the whole thing all over again...

So I now have an Indiana license because I have family in Indiana but I live in Illinois... Be sure to check that...

 

If you hadn't of left with 3 weeks to go, they would have gotten you back to Illinois to test for your cdl.

If you signed that contact, I suggest you read it again, assuming you read it the first time. You can't just disregard contracts. Those things are drawn up for situations such as yours.

 

Ya in Illinois I would have to do the whole test from start to finish all over again like I just did is Missouri... Long and done with now...

good luck

 

Whether you go with Prime PSD or a private school is a tough call. It all depends on the individual and how quick they can learn. I tried the Prime PSD and ended up leaving before testing for my CDL and went home to a community college program. Now I have my CDL and all is well.
What happened with me I think was a matter of timing. I arrived at Prime for orientation a week before Thanksgiving in 2014. Took an extra week to get a trainer for the initial phase because many trainers had taken time off for the holiday. My trainer right off the bat wanted to rush me through the program so he could get home for Christmas. A nice guy but tough with no really good people skills when it comes to instruction, he did most of the driving, even drove while logged in as me. I got no backing practice while out on the road. Most of my driving was limited to the interstate or U.S. highways, no practice backing into a dock at a distribution center.
In two weeks I was back in Springfield to prepare to test. Got about an hour on the backing pad. Then there was an incident while driving around Springfield that led my trainer to believe that I was not a safe driver. He claimed I turned too soon in front of traffic, even though I was following his instruction. He cancelled the rest of our backing practice, had me meet with the head of instruction for a practice run, and we mutually agreed that it would be best if I went home and enrolled in a trucking school. I left there the week before Christmas.
Got home, got my old minimum wage job back, got enrolled in the next class at the community college and finally got my CDL on July 1. Did great in school, did great on the DMV test.
Then out of the blue I get a bill from Prime for around $3700. This was for the training back in November. There was no attached documents, no itemized listing of charges, just an invoice with first payment of just over $300 being due in 20 days. I tried to call the number on the invoice, got voicemail with no return call. I had applied online with Prime for a job after getting my CDL and out of all the companies I applied to, they were the only ones that didn't respond. Filled out an online request form for a recruiter to call and got no response. Wrote a letter to Prime, asking to see the contract I signed (which they never provided copies at orientation) so I could understand the invoice better. Three weeks have passed and no response.
I am heading to Swift next week.
Bottom line advice.... know what you are signing. Find out what your obligations are if you decided to back out early. Ask a lot of questions.

 

Jesus. Don't sign anything without reading. Don't go to a school during the holidays. Don't break a contract you sign. Don't get in anybody's truck because you are in a hurry. Have a plan and investigate what you are doing no matter what you do in life.

Prime if great by the way. Attend, get CDL, drive for a year, owe nothing, leave or stay as a professional driver with a solid year of OTR experience. Where's the problem?

 

The problem to me is Prime's non-response to the issue. I wrote them and asked for a copy of the contract. They didn't provide it to students during orientation. I spoke with another former student who was also billed and he wasn't given a copy of the contract either.
I was told by some people at Prime when I was let go that I wouldn't be responsible for the $3500. Six months after I leave I get a bill for the $3500 plus more which is probably the food I ate while out on the road.
The problem.... I have tried to contact Prime to discuss it, and try and work out a solution. They won't respond... they just want the money.

 

The problem was you didn't read what you signed. That's not Primes problem. It says right there if you stay longer than a WEEK you owe the full ticket. You have three days to back out and owe nothing.

It doesn't matter what anyone says out their mouth, only what was typed, that you didn't read, that you signed.

Lesson learned the hard way.
Good luck to you.

 

Thanks for clarifying that. Would have been nice had they provided a copy of the contract I signed. It would also be nice if Prime had responded to my request to talk with a recruiter and at least follow up on my application. I could have worked off the contract. But again, they don't respond and try and help work out a solution.
If I owe them the money, fine. Good luck trying to collect it in a year.

 

This is totally bass ackwards from what I've seen and experienced from Prime.