I went to Springfield Ohio on Sunday and started and started orientation
on Monday for 12 hours the first day.
Day 2 we were in class until about 3:00 pm. With all the paper work and tests
your head is spinning. I graduate and ride the hotel van back and get organized
and fall down on the bed to rest. Forgot to mention the lovely continental breakfast
and the four dollars for lunch a day, Joy. Pay for your dinner too.

I call my SDM and talk to him and about an hour later I get a phone call that
a trainer is picking me up, wow- that was fast.
I pack as fast as I can and go a meet the guy, very nice man with the company
about 9 years and has a brand new Peterbilt, cool.
We load up my gear and go back to the Ohio terminal and his truck
gets red flagged for maintenence, so I'm stuck in Ohio terminal overnight.
I wished I could have stayed in the room.
The upper bunk is fair and it was very hard to sleep.

We get up the next day and head to Bentonville Arkansas, Wall Mart to drop a trailer
I drove 8 hours the first day under constant scrutiny but faired well.
He drove the rest of the way and we stopped for the night, again I could barely sleep
and woke up at 6 in the morning, of course we are not close to a bathroom
so wiz outside the truck-fine. No coffee let alone something to eat-
so we sit there to about 10 am and I wanted to go
and eat and at least use the bathroom some where?
Anyway about 5 miles later we pass a bathroom and a cup of coffee
and I asked him to stop of course he would not-
we have to keep going? I drove 4 hours holding my own dead tired with
no coffee and did not even get to wash my face to wake up.
Well he was used to this and says welcome to the trucking world...

Then it seemed hard to focus as I was cruising the monster truck
ready to burst and half awake
he starts on me about watching my mirrors every five seconds
I was like fine dude, I am reminded that on a 2 lane road
I'm not watching the right side mirror enough, O.K. what ever.
I tell him I'm more concerned about the traffic on my left side and
what's in front of me. What are them west coast mirrors for? Damn.
I am driving on a road I never have before tired and ready to
crap just hoping to make it to the next truck stop.
I lose my cookies at him finally and said let me drive,
I cant handle being hasseld in the condition I'm in.
We get to a Flying J and turning into the lot I had to refuel, no problem.
We get done and he is telling me to turn right, I'm like where?
I can hardly see thru the wind shield with the speed passes stuck to it
and air fresheners and a CB hanging down
so I move into a safe area and park, soon as I can I go running into the john.

The point is I left, I am not going to bust my kidneys and blow a gasket because
this guy would not let me stop for about 4 hours. I had to listen to music I didn't like and
he liked the TV on all night with the same DVD playing over and over, I could
hardly get any sleep. Tired and frustrated I never got a fair chance to make my own
trip plans or rest stops, we got along pretty good but I could not live the way he was
used to. He is a good man but selfish in his own right.
It was his show, I had no say other than to just drive. I had to eat when he was ready,
or take a shower when he wanted to stop for the night.

I called my SDM and said I didn't want to be a prisoner in this truck like that and
I was then asked if I was quitting? I said no I wanted to take a few days off and get a
different trainer and re group, so the person said I had to have 137 hours before I
could leave, I said what if it was an emergency would you ask me if I was quitting?
I said fine I'll just leave, so I rent a car in Memphis TN. and drive home.
I plan on calling Werner and hopefully go back out there.
Besides the time and money invested I will call my recruiter and see if
there is anything left to salvage.
Mind you I'm not complaining I just am a morning person-
I get up drink coffee and need to visit the can- been that way for years, lol.
I can cruise all day after that. I maybe wrong too, I hope not.

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

don't feel bad.....my trainer there was a total "psycho"! and it convinced me not to continue there.......
i was just thinking of applying there, but the stories i read, and the things i see.......
forget it, i'll take welfare first.

good luck and best wishes.

I've just graduated from Roadmasters Inc, Tampa. I'm 54, and have similar morning "issues". I've agreed to Swift orientation on 10-22. Hopefully things will be a little different for me, although I guess I have to expect that they may not be different, and could be worse.

__________________

You guys are kidding right? You expected to be able to wash your face and linger over a cup of coffee every morning? Wow! You really had some unrealistic expectations. If you're cryin' over something like that with everything else that's in store for you out here, you've really got no business in this industry. I'd consider getting a regular 9 to 5 if I were you. I'm still shakin' my head over this one.

I agree with you Aladdin! You might be at a place you can get coffee and a crap in the morning 75% of the time. Might be a good idea to keep a trash can and some toilet paper in the truck.You can just squat on that in the morning if that is your routine. Nothin routine about truckin though! You could get a coffee maker for the truck.
To your time with that trainer. You were driving the truck.Pull in somewhere and do your buisness. Ya think he was gonna stop ya from pulling that 80,000 pounds off the road?
Being with a trainer can be tough. But you have to suffer through it for that 137 hours. You will be lucky if you get to go back. Good Luck though!!

Seriously man, if Im about to drop a deuce in my pants, I'm going to pull over, not going to go spend 40 bucks on a new pair of levis because someone wouldnt let me release the hostages. The coffee thing though seems a bit awkward, I don't think I would have been too upset over that. I'd just keep a few energy drinks, or cold coffee drinks in the truck if you have the option next time. Might not be a fresh cup of coffee, but its better than nothing!

When you "regroup" adjust your expectations as well.

I would suggest first that you plan ahead. Like what has been mentioned take some drinks and food that stores easy with you. The truck runs on fuel not sunshine so will you. Hours and locations you run will not always be your preference. Restroom breaks well eventually your body adjusts some to the screwed up hours. Also pull the truck over and stop if you need to. The guy didn't have a gun to your head.

So if you can salvage this talk to the next trainer before you start out about his and your expectations. Good luck!

I have an pressing need for access to a restroom and coffee in the morning also. I can live without the coffee for an hour or two if I have too, and have skipped it for a day before a few times. The access to the restroom does rule my life though.
I always tried to start my days at 3am, when at all possable while on the road. That way my hours were up and I was parked by 1700.
Loads would dictate allot, but I would just do my best to get my scedule back where I wanted it.

I have talked to several Werner drivers in the past that seem to feel pressed to use all there hours as quickly as they can. Using sleeper provisions ect. when they did not really need too to get the load delivered. I prefer to drive early mornings. 3am to 2000 is my time slot. I have never gotten my body really use to running in the 2000-0200 range. I can do it, but really don't like too. And if I run my normal hours I can usually find a parking space in a truck stop or rest area.

In this case though, I think the trainee should have tried to work things out with his trainer. The fact that the trainer was up with him and trying to teach was a positive sign. I see nothing to indicate that the trainer was in the sleeper the whole time like many trainers are.
He may have been trying to be a little to hard on day one, but he was probably a good trainer.

If you were at the Springfield terminal you were obviously staying at the Holiday INN. There are several store right there to stock up. The van will also transport you to Wal-Mart. I would suggest to anyone leaving orientation in Spfld, to stock up. Especiallly if a cup of coffee first thing is that serious.

I would have to agree with what has been suggested here. I had the same type issues but when I left with my trainer I has a few energy drinks, bottles of water and snacks. Good thing for all of them as I used the water to wash my face and brush my teeth, energy drinks for coffee substitutes and within a few days got used to dealing with it.

If you go into this thinking you are going to be working normal hours and waking up at home or somwhere even close you are wrong and need to look at the big picture. Do not listen to the recruiters as they will tell you whatever you want to hear. They want you in the truck, they don't want to scare you out of it.

I have never done my business in a bucket or trash can, but that does not mean it could not happen someday. If you are on a load that does not give you time to stop and do your business it is probably too tight already. You have to remember though you cannot just stop at any place either, you need to be able to get your truck in and out safely and these places may not always be readily available.

When I was training on the rare times we were stopped for any amount of time I would be sure to get what I needed to last for a few days. I would ask my trainer what time we needed to leave by, be sure to get up at least 1.5 hours earlier so I could shower, get coffee and be out of the truck for a while.

As for checking your right side mirror probably not a bad idea on a two lane as you really should know if your trailer is on the road or not. The way many of Werners trailers track and depending on how wide your two lane is you just might be taking out mailboxes, cars or end up having your trailer pull you off the road if you are not watching.

Other than the bathroom issue it does not sound like your trainer was all that bad, and in this company there are many that are probably worse. If I were you I would try to go back, but be more prepared to deal with the job and the lifestyle changes that go with it.

Best of luck.