any Crete/Shaffer trainers on the board?

Welcome aboard,

I do a some training on the Crete side from time to time and the space issue is the primary reason I train from time to time.

As far as room, there is very little. You will find as a solo driver it is hard to find space for the things you need. When you throw two guys into such a confinded space, storage area is very limited, exspecially the trucks that have APUs. These units take up a lot of space under the bunk and make it that much tighter. I've had to resort to building a removable shelf at the end of my bunk to make extra space. Just keep your personal belongings to an absolute minimum until you get your own truck. It's not going to be all that pleasant of an experience from a comfort point of view. Just remember, at the end of 8 weeks you get your own truck and the trainer gets another trainee.

I provide what room I can to the trainee, but it isn't much. I amounts to a two shelf cubby space that wont hold much more than a standard carry-on suitcase worth of clothing and belongings. I also allow half of the overhead storage area above the passengers seat for their use, but if you get a trainer with one of the new trucks (thats most of them) that space has been designed out of existence by the manufacturer. I do keep an extra plastic tote onboard for the trainees use, but it must be stowed at the end of the upper bunk along with the trainees excess belongings.

Every trainer has his own way of doing things. Some will put the trainee in the drivers seat from day one, but most will work you into it slowly. When a trainee gets on my truck fresh out of truck driving school I will have him spend the entire first day in the passenger's seat just so he has some time to adjust and get comfortable with the feel of the truck. On the second day I have the trainee drive for a couple of 1-2hr stints between rest areas to observe how the trainee performs on the open road without having to deal with heavy traffic going through any major cities. Based on how the trainee performs those driving duties, responsibility will increase at a steady pace.

The first week I will split the drive time about 50-50 and by the end of the second to third week (depending on the trainees abilities)the trainee will be doing 100% of the driving. I will take over in high pressure situations when necessary.

Crete emphasizes training and does not use student drivers as a team truck. Any time the trainee is in the drivers seat, the trainer is to be sitting in the jump seat. Crete does not use the trainee as cheap labor.

During the first 4 weeks the truck will be run as a solo operation and must operate within the standard 11/14hr log book rules. Once you reach your 5th week of training, if your trainer deems you ready and the training department agrees, you may be approved to run as a super solo truck. That basically means that your truck will be available to run slightly longer days, but must be parked for at least 8hrs a day(I think, might be 6, but I never run it that hard).

Basically, when I have a trainee in a Super Solo situation, I will drive for the first two hours of the day (only when necessary) and then the trainee will run the rest of the day within his 11/14hr window while I'm in the jump seat. This just helps out when we happen to be on a tight schedule load, this isn't an on going daily schedule. For the most part I stick to a solo driving style and many trainers never run on the super solo schedule. Crete never pressures a trainer to do so (they don't even ask you to, it is solely at the trainers discretion).

The Knoxville terminal is extremely small, for now (but oddly enough has the best shop personnel in the fleet in my opinion). They are almost done with the new terminal on the west end of town. Last I heard they sunk 7 million into the place, so it will probably end up being one of the best facilities in the fleet.

Once you have finished with training your trainer will drop you off in Lincoln for your formal orientation and truck assignment.

Good luck.

 

I know this thread is a few months old, but just wanted to thank Evertruckerr for the info as I'll be starting with Crete, assuming physical and drive test goes well, on Monday 11/08/10...

So, no room then for my 7' live fern plant?