What do mentors make ?

Discussion in 'Swift' started by k1221n, Nov 18, 2014.

  1. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    If you are saying that Swift makes a greater profit margin during the training of a new driver that is wrong. In addition to paying the mentor their normal rate per mile, Swift is also paying the trainee whenever the trainee is behind the wheel and the truck is moving. Then after upgrading to solo Swift continues to pay the mileage bonus to the mentor for the next six months. Any time the mentor takes home time and the trainee's home isn't in the same location Swift pays for a hotel for the trainee.

    There is a cost associated with training any new driver. In order for Swift or any training company to recapture the investment in training a new driver they need to retain that driver for a period of time. In order to profit from training up a new driver they need to retain that driver even longer.

    Perhaps I've been lucky, but not one of my trainees has upgraded and then left Swift. Every one of them is still with Swift and I expect according to their individual goals and plans they will stay for some time to come. Will they make a long term career of it? Likely not. But not one of them are in it for a "train and dash" plan.
     
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  3. blsqueak

    blsqueak Road Train Member

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    Unless you are a L/O then you are for the most part helping to pay for the training of that student. We lose .05/mi for EVERY mile driven, no matter who is driving and then all miles over 11K in a month another 09/mi
     
  4. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. How do we lose $0.05 / mile or $0.09 / mile?

    I'm a company driver. I'd never subject my own truck to the abuse of training new drivers.
     
  5. blsqueak

    blsqueak Road Train Member

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    When we train as far as a L/O, our pay drops from .92/mi to .87/mi and all miles over 11K a month we pay a penalty of another .09/mi. Just like in a lease car. If you go over so many miles per year or the time that you have that car you pay a penalty. This is one of the reasons that I do not train any more.
     
  6. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Wow. Taking less to train is certainly a disincentive. IMHO it's best to mentor as a company driver. New truck every year and no penalty for added miles, not to mention gear grinding is done on a company truck.
     
  7. Broccelli

    Broccelli Medium Load Member

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    Less per mile but I do have someone to drive team with that costs a lot less than a co-driver. Trust me it is a lot more than just running solo or even full team for that matter. I actually make 1 cpm more than that and the decrease in pay comes out to about $250/week but the added profits come out to approx. $1500 give or take a bit on top of my normal pay so it is certainly incentive enough.

    Besides if you teach 'em right there is minimal gear grinding.
     
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  8. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    Still, don't you think you would turn out better new drivers if you were not forced to run as a team?

    I'm not talking about the money, but the quality of training.

    If you could make the same money running as solo drivers, would you think that the quality of training would be better for new drivers?
     
  9. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    I've taken some trainees to as much as 70 or 80 hours before I let them run as a team, instead of the minimum requirement of 50 hours. That's cut into what I could have made, but it's better to make sure a trainee has a stable set of skills before teaming.

    During the team phase of training I see it more like a weaning process. It's not like I'm in the sleeper berth with my headphones on and ignoring them. Often I'll be up helping them through difficulties or making sure a delivery or pickup goes correctly. Then once we are back on open highway I'll get some sleep. If we're coming to a mountain pass I'll either set my alarm clock to be up in time to work with them or have them wake me up by a certain mile marker or landmark.

    Later in the team phase I'll be listening to how they do, listening to the truck, their shifts, and maybe feign sleep during a drop and hook, making sure it goes right by the sound of whats going on. In my opinion that's a confidence builder, letting them do a major step on their own. I'm always there if they ask for help.

    Would being in the passenger seat during the entire training process turn out better drivers? Perhaps. But there's something to be said for simply being available as they begin doing it by themselves.
     
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  10. blsqueak

    blsqueak Road Train Member

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    I had one trainee that after 100 hours we could still not team. Also according to my training to become a Mentor in PHX we were even told that even if on our 10 hour break and the trainee was at the wheel pulling into a receiver or shipper we were required to wake up and help them.
     
  11. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    I see that as a real problem when you are also expected to run as a team.

    They probably also don't want you to log On-Duty while doing so?
    That would SO mess up the hours...
     
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