I have took some heat for several of my most recent comments in regard to these trainers in both emails and my facebook page. I want to be clear about something! I have nothing but the highest regards for the majority of these people of both sexes. First they give up a lot of privacy it's not easy sharing the already limited space on most of these tractors. Secondly it's not easy explaining to a new green driver some of the things they must master to be a successful driver, and the personalities of the students are never the same. As trainers you also have to break some of the bad habits picked up by these students. I have watched and observed trainers at most of the terminals. The good ones teach, but do so in a private setting. My phase 2 trainer stood out in below freezing temps one night in Michigan for almost an hour helping me workout some problems I was having with backing. My mother had just passed away that Sept and I was still having a lot of problems from that. All this guy said was hey I am no expect, but I am here if you want to talk about it. This is what true mentoring is all about. I will always be glad that the good trainers are out there.

On the other hand I have nothing but contempt for the sorry excuses that call themselves (trainers). All my negative comments are directed to these idiots. Like the trainer sitting out under that smoking shelter in Vandalia showing 2 students how to cheat on their logs. Another in Roanoke telling an owner operator it was none of USA Trucks business if he carried a passenger. This happened with another company and my information is 2nd handed, but I spoke to a driver at the greyhound station in Atlanta while on my way to Vandalia for orientation whom said his trainer wrecked the truck and called the company and said he did it. He got fired and I am sure his DAK shows this now. I could recall several more examples but won't.

There is a dynamic at play here that I have just recently started noticing. I lost count of the veteran drivers (drivers with 5 or more years experience) that have told me they were ex trainers. I'm starting to notice the average experience level of trainers today (all carriers) is around 2-3 years. Most of these veteran drivers tell me they just did not want to do it anymore. When the pool of good decent otherwise qualified drivers that can train shrink, you start getting more rif raf as trainers. In my upgrade class we had somewhere around 40 to 45 upgrades that January. About half the class made less then favorable comments about their trainers. We discussed this for quite a while in that class. If my memory is right 2 upgrades reported their trainers stole money from them. I remember watching several trainers at the terminals, and honestly my first impression of them is one of them being cocky and arrogant people.