trainers: what are the worst ways you had to send a student home?

While I was a CDL instructor, not a trainer, I had to send a student for reasonable suspicion because I could smell alcohol on him. He went to the clinic and blew a bad readout. He was not only expelled from the program but it cost him his $7500 tuition non refundable under those conditions. And yes he new that up front and signed the agreement to all rules and regulation. To top it off it goes on his records like he was actually a driver. He tried to convince us that the smell was from the night before, but I had noticed him going to his pickup several times before and he did it again that time. Then he went to the truck to do his PTI. That is when I went over to him and stood close and got a smell of it. That was the end of his truck driving career before it even got started.

 

Not really any good way. But all of the people I washed out where taken to a terminal and dropped off. Met with the student coordinator, training department or terminal manager and all training paperwork, write ups, evaluations and wished the students well and left the terminal. Some were retrained, some were simply sent home.

 

Myself, im a Formally Trained Instructor, whom uses comprehensive models where you can draw paper model diagrams that reinforce your words; letting a student go, should never happen. Personally, i believe the english as a second language student is the hardest to teach, these students are working with a translation issue. The instructors really need to slow their words down, while allowing increased time for the student to digest whats being stated.

 

One basis rule of being an instructor is never use the term NEVER.

 

Never*


*Until you get a student that is unsafe and cannot do simple things like keep a truck on the road, let alone in the lane even with you giving constant feedback and the drivers skills do not improve even slightly over a three week period
.

 

While working at a Driver Training School, one time i had a student get out of the drivers seat, grabbing the fire extinguisher while advancing back into the cab. Looking at him, while seated in the passenger seat, i told him, strike me & i'll make one call to your Probation Officer. Then, i proceeded to tell him to get off the range and talk to the Schools Director. (Background: The School was a Community College, whom used an abridged training format. As a matter of fact, i told the Schools Director that i could teach the kids the more comprehensive format over the same time frame. Director declined.) Later, while the three of us are all seated, (Director, myself & The Fireman), back to the story: ...i tell the kid, i will not work with you & you will work with another instructor where you will fail The State Drivers Test. I am only one whom can teach the models for you to win. Only when the student & the School was fully behind me, would i take the kid back...In the end, the kid passed, was hired by a Carrier & gave me a hug. (im a big guy) Never, never, never give up unless the School & Student decide they give up.

 

We had a driver with a CDL show up to work for the carrier we were then the school for. He washed out of Orientation and was offered the opportunity to attend and complete our school and then he could re-apply with the company.. He went out the first day with me. He had massive problems with control and had no idea what he was doing. He could not see out of the truck, he could not use the mirrors, he could not shift. I took my concerns to my manager. He thought that it could not really be that bad. I handed the student off to the manager for the next day so he could have 1 on 1 attention. My manager contacted me the end of the day.. He affirmed what I told him. This driver never left the range for the entire four week period and only had a trailer on the last week. He could not do this even though he somehow got a CDL in Illinois. There is a time to train harder and there is time to be honest with the student and to protect the motoring public. This is VERY rare, but it does happen. As a road trainer, you are supposed to be provided with someone with enough skill to be reasonably comfortable in the truck, can keep a truck in the lane, can make a safe and proper right and left turn and have some concept of backing.

 

So what would you do with a student that shows up to drive a truck while intoxicated?