Students do the strangest things (Or, the Tips for Trainers thread) - Page 3 - Truckers' Trucking Forum

panhandlepat · **^ Top** #21 01.22.2009

one of the best ways i found in my short stint at training (and talking with other trainers) when practicing (empty T/S or the cones/barrels at a terminal). setup the EXACT same way EVERY time until they "get it" then move on to concentrating on the other setups.
mine was come up perpindicular to the barrels about 3 feet out.
when your rear drive tire gets to the 2nd barrell, STOP. turn hard right, go forward until your tractor is "straight" parallel with the barrels.STOP.
turn wheel hard left and pull up till you are back to "straight" perpendicular to barrels.STOP
straighten wheel, back up 10-12 feet then turn wheel hard left to get behind it.
this method almost always puts you straight in depending on where tandems are set, etc, but it is REAL CLOSE to a no pull-up back with my students i had

luvtheroad · **^ Top** #22 01.22.2009

Understand about showing a couple of times then lettin' us do it. But the couple of times that a trainer shows the student, please make sure the student understands. What the trainer is saying/doing maybe isn't completely understood since everyone has a different way of teaching and/or explaining.

Powder Joints · **^ Top** #23 01.23.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by LumbermanSVO

So, I've somewhat recently started training new drivers for the big evil Swift. Right now I have my second student on board. I thought I'd start a thread where the various trainers on this board can share their experiences and tips and hopefully help out a trainer make some improvements with their students.

My first student was brand new to the industry and had gone though Swift's horrible school in Phoenix. He was OK at best when he got on my truck and six weeks later was a much better driver. I call him every 3-5 days and he seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

My current student drove in '95 and '96. He is an OK driver on the highway but when you get him on city streets or backing and things fall apart rather quickly. The biggest problem though is that he just doesn't listen to much of what I say. Well, he appears to be listening but his actions don't make me believe he is listening. How do you deal with that?

------

I drove for about 3 years doing local work in Seattle, mostly delivering to construction sites. I drove everything from Isuzu cabovers to 48' flat beds, just depended on what the load required. I also spent 2 months at a Target DC backing 70-80 trailers a day. I've been OTR for 16 months now. I've had a lot of people help out out in my teen years and I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. My way of giving back is to help students get a good start in an industry/company that isn't known for being easy on newbies.

No offense, but I do not think you have enough experience to be a trainer as yet. I would still consider you a an apprentice, not as a journeyman. Besides teaching is a whole different thing than driving. The fact that Swift has sent you to there train the trainer instruction really has not taught you how to communicate with the student whom, if you recall thinks they know everything. Consider taking a class in communications. I have taught a large number of drivers, sitting them down and discussing what you are trying to get across to them is important, just as giving them enough rope to hang them selves. The had a professor in college tell me you have to allow a student to kill themselves before you can save them, and i alot of cases this is true. Just be there to stop them beofre them hurt or damage something. Then drag them out of the cab and show them the $200,000 Peterbilt they were about to mow over.

I hope this helps, sometimes in teaching less is more.

cpassey · **^ Top** #24 01.23.2009

Doesnt Werner let drivers train after only 6 mo. of OTR experience???

:biggrin_ 2551:

luvtheroad · **^ Top** #25 01.23.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpassey

Doesnt Werner let drivers train after only 6 mo. of OTR experience???

:biggrin_ 2551:

They sure do. That came directly from the manager of their Springfield Oh terminal. I just about fell over. Six months???

Lilbit · **^ Top** #26 01.24.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvtheroad

They sure do. That came directly from the manager of their Springfield Oh terminal. I just about fell over. Six months???

I don't know if Swift is the same now, but when I trained with them back in 1999, they only required 6 months for trainers too. My first trainer only had 6 months, and I was his first trainee.

luvtheroad · **^ Top** #27 01.24.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilbit

I don't know if Swift is the same now, but when I trained with them back in 1999, they only required 6 months for trainers too. My first trainer only had 6 months, and I was his first trainee.

ok, heres the question... LOL 6mo driver + 6mo driver = 1 experienced driver???

so did ya learn anything?

Lilbit · **^ Top** #28 01.24.2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvtheroad

ok, heres the question... LOL 6mo driver + 6mo driver = 1 experienced driver???

so did ya learn anything?

Well, I did learn a few things from him. He wasn't a total schlep, but he had issues with women being truck drivers. I learned more from my second trainer. He was a cool dude, and had a much better attitude towards women truckers.

soon2betrucking · **^ Top** #29 01.25.2009

trainning is something that i kinda really wanna do, but i have heard some real horror stories from guys that train, and i have also heard guys tell some really cool stories, some guys say its the best thing they ever did.
but iv got a real fear of the new guy hurting us badly
now im sure trainers dont get hurt often by trainee mistakes. but i assume it could get pretty bad.
dealing with a smelly person in my truck, a freak, a weido, a wacky person, a angry person and so on..
since trainers are posting here can you guys/ladies share you opinion of what its like, and what i can be like?

ghostchild · **^ Top** #30 01.26.2009

Murpheys law will rule....

What ever kind of student you may think you want...you will get just the opposite.
Do not become a trainer if your only motivation is to get some sexy attractive smooth skinned young person..be it they male or female...

Don't become a trainer if you only want to deal with 'white' people, or if you only want to train 'black' people...for you will get the opposite of what you want and everything inbetween...

You can't be homophobic either...

Basically if your going to be a trainer...you have to like, or enjoy people...of all stripes...you have to have a level of maturity about you slightly above and beyond your average Joe...and patients...

It wouldn't hurt if you had a slight Christian perspective or view of people...cause it will help you to see value in people, where others might not.

Don't become a trainer, if your male, thinking your going to get a Pamela Anderson type...it won't happen...and if your a female, don't think all your students are going to be some hot young hollywood stud. Or Burt Renolds...Continued on next post...

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