I feel your pain when it comes to the trainer not wanting to stop as I was in the same boat. However... nobody is holding a gun to your head telling you that you cannot pull over. If you pull into a rest area or a truck stop and punch into line one then you will not get in trouble, as he will have no argument. You have 14 hours to get your 11 in and unless you are on a super tight JIT load, you can afford to stop unless he plans his stops very poorly.

As for the coffee, buck up and deal with it. Again, I was in the same boat and dealt with it for a while. After a few days, you should be able to build somewhat of a repoire with your trainer and you should be able to stop for a second without a hassle. It might take a day or a week, but you need to deal with it, bottom line. Most cases I was able to run through a fuel island, park on the other side, leave the truck running and be back with a cup of joe before the 5 minute idle would shut off the truck.

My trainer did the same thing with DVDs as well. And the music? My trainer listened to spanish speaking music at all hours as well as speaking on the phone in spanish the whole time. I sucked it up and drove on.

I've said it here before and will continue to say it, "semper gumby" (always flexible) I had a trainer from hell after PTO but stuck it out for not the 275 hours required but 400. In the end, he trusted my judgement and let me make decisions on where to stop and even routing. It just comes in time and in the end it paid off for me in spades. I could not be happier with what I do now and how much I make (your mileage may vary)

Hopefully they won't call it a voluntary quit since you got off the truck. Hopefully your SDM will fix things and make it right. Good luck in your endeavors.

I had a great trainer and it was tough to live in a truck together, he went home every weekend and I got a motel room. (I paid for it) Any time we had to use the restroom we would stop at a truckstop, so we could get coffee if we wanted it. He would never stop in a rest area and I don't now. Too many freaks.
I hope you get hooked up with another trainer. And a good one.

Man I feel your pain. Well not literally but I do know what your talking about. Just remember this...Most trainers have never supervised any thing or any body. Quite a few suffer from low self esteem issues and maybe were even abused sometime in their lives. You are their chance to get back at everybody that has ever messed with them. Don't think I'm kiddin here. Trainers are not put through any psychological testing to see if they have the patience and temperment to train. It's a real shot in the dark...sometimes you get a good one, and sometimes you get Norman Bates!

I have a portable toilet in my truck that flushes and has chemical in it for emergencies...and also if I have to stop in a creepy rest area for the night I do not have to leave the truck. Costs $89.00 and is the best investment I made. When emptying it comes apart and looks like the size of a brief case. You carry it to the bathroom and empty. Simple...and a lifesaver! And no smell. Better than a garbage can.

Mycorky I want to buy ten please...

Also yes, you seem to have been unable to mesh with the trainer. And your SDM's response seems very stranger. I have gone thorugh this, in fact I went thorugh 3 trainers. Call SDM back, explain you want to train but you were having issues that you could not resolve.

And readjust your expecations. Sometimes you are going to have to go a long time between stops. VERY LONG. IN Nevada for instance, you can go 300 or so miles between anything to stop at. You aren't going to get a cup of coffee every morning and telling your trainer/dispatcher you can't drive without coffee is like telling your boss you were 10 minutes late to work because you stopped for coffee and then wondering why you are the fired, or the first one fired when things go south.

Not all trainers are buttheads, but you seem to have some sort of idea like the trainer needed to cater to you, scurinity? Yeah dude, you have the dude's life in your hands when you are at the wheel. You better believe he is going to watch your every move, if the trainer is doing his job then he should be, and making comments on how to improve your driving.

I do not agree with him being pissy about the bathroom deal, when you gotta go you gotta go and even I have had to do the emergency unplanned stop at a not quite a truck stop but I can fit thing once or twice... but I have a funny feeling, having been on this route myself, that what you are typing here and what words were actually said may be two different things completely.

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.

Well now seems like a decade, or a long time ago, really 12 years ago when I started, Yeah i took a 7 year break, out with my trainer, number 1 rule if tired stop, if have to stop to use the restroom wake me I may have to go and if curtains open Do not leave.

Some mentioned getting a portable pottie, I still not getting that in my head, something about pooping where i sleep can not see that happening. Been several times I played a Bear if you know what I mean though..

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Say, I was not complaining about hours or "the trucking life"... as a matter of fact I was not complaining at all. I expect what I am in for. I will be kissing goodbye my desk, (desktop) computer, and my crew. I will be saying so long to my little house in St. Petersburg, and my big one in Winter Springs... and my love for working in their yards. A completely different life, being forced upon me because of the economy. All this starting at less than half of the 70K I was making. What I am hoping for though is to be put with a trainer who is not only good at what he does, but has the common sense to respect the needs of who he is working with. I trained many people in the newspaper industry, and while there is a world of difference between the two trades, respect and common sense when working with others remains a constant. Treat people with respect and it will breed the same. From the consignee, to your dispatcher, to the DOT man, to the guy you've been assigned to train. If someone's gotta pee, then he's gotta pee... same as you, same as me. It has nothing to do with long or unusual hours or whether or not he's checking both mirrors. I start out in a little over a week. I worked hard in school and did well. I expect the actual road to be much more difficult. I have worked hard all of my life and I am not afraid of it. I've worked weekends, holidays and nights most of my working career, from 7PM to 7AM. I started at $3.96 and hour and ended at 9 times that much. I expect to start from the bottom in the trucking industry and work my way up... the same as I did in the newspaper industry. But I also expect that when I have to "go" that reasonable effort will be made in that general direction and not totally ignored. It seems to me that these kinds of issues are the why most prefer solo. Once I get "my own" tractor, I am certain I will develop a routine/schedule that works for me. I should have no problem learning with a trainer unless he insists on being a true a-hole. Somehow I think things will go better than that.

I think I like Chrome's schedule. I am fairly certain (correct me if I am wrong, Chrome) that you are working/driving from 3:00 AM to 2:00 PM. (you put 2000 which is 8:00 PM) It would seem that 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM would be acceptable before parking (as long as driving time was within allowances).

By the way, the portable toilet is a great idea (for 'your own' truck that is)

I appreciate everything I am learning from all of you guys. I mean that.

Floyd->>>

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While I respect your opinion, and your very likable, we did pass a Pilot rest stop
and I asked can we stop he then replied the next Flying J was 56 more miles.

There is always three sides to a story, the truth the lie and what really happened.
I have nothing to gain by lying. This whole trucking deal has made me disgusted.

$6,000.00 for school is the first mistake, trying to live in someone else's space is the second.
I respect this trainer and stated he was a good man.
I was going to have to adjust to his schedule, I was not prepared for life in a truck.
I had no supplies for every occasion, a toilet, a bowl of water...a bucket or a portable coffee pot...
I get up early, I would like to wash up and have a coffee and hit the rest room,
1 hour at least- after that I can drive all day.
We were never late on a drop off or pick up due to his planning.
He also told me I was a good driver. It is hard to concentrate when you have to visit the library.
Good luck finding a local job as the whole time we learned to drive a semi it was in the city, Pontiac Michigan to be exact.

I asked the placement jockey at school to help me find straight truck or cube van city job, of course I have not heard from him either.
All they want to do is shove you in a OTR job and collect the kick backs from the trucking companies. My own fault.

I have since decided to go back to the Auto repair field as I have 25 years experiance at it.
It is the fastest way I know how to make money.
Winter is coming to Michigan soon and I bought a Chevy plow truck to
push snow this winter. This winter I pray it snows, LOL.

Werner stands for, We Employ Retards No Experiance Required...

Six grand down, and a useless CDL license. That's truck driver training.
I will get my money back and then some, that's the truth.

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Dying ain't much of a living...Boy.

so you give up pretty easy uh. you were driving just pull in and go use the little boys room.

I would not give up over 1 lousy experience. I agree with others to have tried to worked things with the trainer before calling in and requesting a new trainer. Theres always another chance to do this so take it and try other companies.

Hunter

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