Prime Inc driver thread

What Chuck wrote...

This is true... in March '08, the company and lease drivers were segregated onto different boards. This is because of the differing nature of the loads required for each side to be successful.

What Chuck wrote...

Your instructor is a loser. Neither is "required" to be profitable. What is required is some business sense, and the ability to control your costs.

However, in this respect your instructor is a winner. He cares enough about what he's doing to take the time to help you out in these areas. Driving around Springfield logged off duty? There's only one way to do that, that is to put yourself on "line 5"- off duty driving- clearly illegal in this instance. You might want to take a look at your logs before making this assertion... I'll bet you were on-duty.

On the other hand, driving around a private lot without going on a public street (that is... running around the pad) is perfectly legal to be just on-duty. And that will count against your 70. Perhaps you need a little remedial HOS learnin' grasshopper!

As Chuck wrote, you can ask for a company driver for TnT.

To a great extent it is, but the way a company driver manages his time and driving will be different than how a successful lease operator (read businessman) manages his. We're paid differently... so getting as many miles as possible during a week is the objective of a company driver. On the lease side, I prefer to minimize the number of miles I drive because that means I spend less to get it done.

Not in any meaningful way in a training environment, and only for short periods of time. Like you need one more mile to get to where you're going.

That's falsifying a logbook... and can be prosecuted as a felony. It's also something you can be terminated for if you allow your instructor or trainer to do this.

Do that enough, and they will suspend your privilege. Also falsification of a log book.

Quite right.

I suppose that's why D-man would think he'd died and gone to heaven if he got me back on his company board then?

 

I know what you mean. I stop and take my 30 when I spot somewhere to get some decent grub. I stay out of the truck for my full 30. My trainer is sleeping at this time so its my free time to get away. Do I need it? No, I could drive my whole shift no problem but since its required I make good use of it. Most trainers are in it for the money so eeverything is go go go go go and it gets annoying honestly. I mean, I get it. Theyre makin good bank that way but honestly if I were to live my life like that I would burn out. Some of these trainers are falling asleep at the wheel, taking loads they know they cant make on time etc. In my case, I brush it off and learn as much as I can. Try to sleep as much as possible but its hard sometimes depending on the roads and if your trainer keeps driving onto the shoulder. I dont trust my trainer to drive while I sleep, I could never train a student and let him drive while I sleep. Gotta be pretty money hungry I would imagine.

 

Some of it is they just don't understand the cost management end of things... one of the differences between company and lease driving.

OTOH, I know exactly what you mean about sleeping in a moving truck. You won't catch me trying to snooze with someone else driving!

 

Ironpony, as always your post is right on the money and I thank you for taking time to respond. Upon further review, 29 minutes of my day WAS logged as OD (off duty driving) while the remainder of my 10 hours was logged as OFF (off duty) I was told because "we are not under a load assignment" When I was looking at the QC earlier it just looked like one giant block of off duty. FMSCA sec 395.2 might define on-duty one way, but I can be a team player and play along with the trucker games too.

As with anything, there are days I hate this and days I love it but overall I am glad I took the leap and moved forward with Prime.

 

The only day iv hated this job so far was a floral load with 10 drops. Trainer drove his whole shift, we arrived in town and we started making the drops. He was awake more than 24 hours, my 14 was up, he couldnt even talk correctly much less drive. We showered and had to sleep. We were half a day late on the last two drops in another city. All the drops were unloaded by hand one box at a time by me and the trainer, most had no docks. We loaded onto carts and wheeled them into coolers. It was sunday, floral shops are closed so we had no help and had to mess with keys and alarm codes everywhere we went. Miserable day. Ill never do floral I dont care how much it pays. Its honestly just not worth it.

 

Yep... not all it's cracked-up to be.

Off duty driving is for taking care of your personal needs... i.e., getting something to eat, not driving around giving a student experience. That is clearly a business purpose. I imagine Lacey would have a fit if he knew what you two were doing.

 

I can see where this is going

 

Down by Kraft, a left on LeCompte... around a bit, down to check out the house o' Pete, and a run back down 44?

 

Do they have any terminals in the Boise, ID area?
Have looked the internet over through and through with no regards...???

 

Well I honestly have been having problems with my school not working with me when needing help etc. did bad on some tests but good at driving!!!( CWI professional truck driving school) !!! so you think that they would train me already have CDL permit???