Just got back from the road with prime

I went to a SAGE driving school. It was a good school – I felt the instructors were qualified, and I certainly got good behind the wheel instruction. One-on-one instruction, not the jam as many trainees into the sleeper BS that many places put you through. Good classroom instruction too.


At Prime, you get your DOT physical and permit – then you're paired with a CDL instructor for 10,000 miles of actual over-the-road experience. Not just squashing cones in a parking lot. Thats about 4 weeks of actual driving with a qualified instructor in the right seat 100% of the time. Then its back to Springfield for backing practice and your CDL driving test.


You get another 50-to-70,000 miles of training with a training instructor in a team envirionment after that. In other words, you're not just thrown in the deep-end on your own like at many companies. Once you're lead-seat qualified, remain another year with the company, and your CDL school tuition is forgiven completely. BTW... our CDL trainees are paid better than many folks in their first year or two of employment.


When I went out with a trainer, what I found out was that the 40 hours of driving school time did not nearly prepare me adequately to deal with driving an 80,000-lb commercial vehicle. Its not that they didn't do a good job (given the standard of the industry today) its that you need more. The additional practical time that one of our students gets is invaluable. You're much more prepared to drive on your own, plus you're going to know if this career is going to work for you. That's part of the driver retention problem in the industry... it ain't “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Our safety department says that students trained from the git-go at Prime have a better overall safety record than the experienced drivers we hire from the outside after 2-1/2 years. That says something.

 

I'm not trolling, I delivered wash court house,oh sunday before labor day. And prime couldent hit the dock it was a chick of course but anywho her trainer musta been sleeping at the time, or her trainer never trained her in the first place you tell me. Do you guys falll outtta bed when you roll over in them tiny trucks?

 

Actually, the student needs 100 hours behind the wheel, more if the instructor deems it necessary. This can include time spent practicing backing, etc. You are then credited with 10,000 miles after passing your tests and getting your CDL.

 

I've been at this now for 2 1/2 years... Some days it seems that I can't hit a dock!

There have been some insanely tough ones with no problems, just a little effort. Then there are some insanely easy ones. with those, every once in a while, you will see me smacking my forehead.

 

I take it you guys don't like the cracks about the tiny trucks? Someone said that got a water contract from trl and it was heavy so why dident they just drop the reefer to cut weight?

 

I've hauled 45-46k of water half a dozen times... Half of them In our lightweight reefers. Only concern is they spread the weight right.

One time there was a dry trailer driver pitching a fit about the weight. Clerk kept asserting the contract called for that weight and the driver take it up with his dispatcher. Then the clerk pointed to me and said "prime there is picking up more than you, and he has a reefer that isn't being used to boot. He doesn't have a problem". Poland springs up in Maine.

 

Hope you never have a bad day....

Different customer. They wanted ALOT more in the wagon - so yeah, we cut the reefer weight too.

 

Not to mention that their freight is refrigerated, and we can now haul almost 50,000 pounds of it at a time.

 

It is all well and good that you haul 50,000lbs but at what expense????? You can't even stand up in those lightweight petes. How do drivers even get there pants on. And the sleeper is waaaaaay tiny no rolling over in that bunk. And Prime expects you to be out 3 weeks at a time in one of those. Like I said before they make sense for dedicated runs but not otr for weeks on end. I am being told that all company drivers have to take a lightweight pete. I may have to find another company to drive for as I can't be in one of those for weeks... I was hoping to take my Dad with me on a couple runs later on down the road. He is getting on in age and I would have liked to spend some time with him. Can't do that in a lightweight. Sorry but not very happy right now. I have put alot of time and effort into my training in the hopes of working for prime. I was under the assumption that we (company drivers) had a choice on what to drive. Do any of you have a lightweigt pete??????? If so how on earth do you live in it??????? I would like to know maybe you see something I don't.

 

Tell them you want to team or train... of course, at times you will have to team or train.