This is an excellent post! Kudos! I agree if the trainer is a POS then by all means request a new one. Be sure and let your training coordinator know exactly what the problems are with your current one, my suggestion is to keep a log of incidents, in a spiral notebook with times, dates, and locations, as well as detailed explanations of what occurred in these places. That way when talking with the company about what happened, you can be precise and detailed about what is wrong with this guy.

Trust me when I say that companies are hurting for good drivers today, and are not willing to let one go due to a trainer being less than professional for the extra money.

In my experience there are self important arseholes out there in every phase of the trucking industry, and they all have one thing in common, they think that they are better than everyone else, and that they are gods gift to trucking. They in reality are a danger to everyone around them, and at some point will have a wake up. You can only hope it is not with you in the pass seat when that occurs.

I was lucky, in the fact that I only had to be out with a trainer for 10 days, due to my prior experience, and the trainer I had was great! We had a blast! I gained a friend, and we still talk on the phone at least once a week. So they are out there. Remember, as much as you believe the company to be evaluating you, you are also supposed to be evaluating them. It is a two way street.


Good luck.

j-mac

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"IT HAS been seen that the dangers incident to a representative democracy are of two kinds: danger of a low grade of intelligence in the representative body, and in the popular opinion which controls it; and danger of class legislation on the part of the numerical majority, these being all composed of the same class."

John Stuart Mill

Hey there all,

I too will be in the OTR training phase shortly and was wondering if there is any way possible to get a trainer that really cares about the job, and not just the xtra $.

Seems like it will be tough enough just learning to handle 18 wheels, let alone deal with an irate idiot of a trainer in a confined space.

Any carriers out there that are known for having "good" trainers?

Thanks to all for helping a new guy out.

Be safe & Merry Christmas...

and how much experience does he have? i'm assuming he's younger than you... no offense intended. if you're really stressin' over it, request another trainer. what exactly is he yelling at you for? he probably just needs a shower for cryin' out loud.

what pisses that type of person off the MOST (or completely defuses him) is smiles and kindness and a good mood!!

__________________

tip for new truckers: to err is human, to forgive is not D.O.T. policy.
"i've been working all week, and i'm tired and i dont wanna sleep and i wanna have fun... it's time for a good time!!!!" alan jackson

Try to stick it out.If you only have a few weeks left remember THE BIG PICTURE.You will be on your own soon and if after 6mo you still have that bad taste look elsewhere. You'll have more options and they might understand your situation better and like the fact that you stuck it out. It will make you look better in the end.

Next truck stop your at, buy a small tape recorder, show it to him and turn it on while your in the drivers seat.....If he values his job at all, that should stop him from yelling at you !!!!!! NOBODY NEEDS THAT ! ! !

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Freedom is never Free.......Support the U.S. Military

I've seen a lot of good advice in these posts, but let me offer a little more. If you haven't already done so, try talking to him about this, in a non-confrontational sort of way of course. Find out if there is some particular thing you are doing that sets him off.

He may not even realize he is doing this. He may be extremely nervous. And then of course, he may be just a jerk. But at least try to see what has him uptight all the time.

One other thing that might help you is to tell him that you want to do what he wants, but when he gets uptight and is yelling at you, it makes you nervous and that is when you are most likely to screw up.

Good luck.

OBTW, all else failing, kick his #####!

No, I did NOT mean that. . .

Not at all IMHO. He is not there to be this arseholes therapist. Nor is he there to cow down to him. That guy is targeted by his company to give a professional image, and teach him how to do the job the way the company wants it done. Nor is the trainee there to take all sorts of verbal abuse. I would report it, and if the company wanted to do nothing, or took what I had to say as less than anything but that requiring immediate action, I would quit them, fore it only shows a preview of what is to come.


j-mac

__________________
"IT HAS been seen that the dangers incident to a representative democracy are of two kinds: danger of a low grade of intelligence in the representative body, and in the popular opinion which controls it; and danger of class legislation on the part of the numerical majority, these being all composed of the same class."

John Stuart Mill

I would call the company and report him. I am sure they don't want a trainer like that.

training was and is a sour experience for most of us....


a good, calm trainer is hard to find... most guys train just to have a bit extra on their checks...


my trainer way back when sucked - and made me second guess my choice of career more than once....


it felt really good to finish up and get out on my own... then it became a joke amongst my friends and I about how awful he was to me...

but while I was with him it was misery..


hang in there and report anything shady.. be upfront and tell him you are not good with his ########

the company will not hold it against you.

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....