I drove back in the late '70's, up til the mid '80's. Got burnt out, decided to do other forms of work. A few years ago, I decided to get back into trucking. Having no recent over the road experience, I attended a training school that a friend has, and while others were in classrooms, I was drinking coffee with the owner of the school. Took my CDL test, and posted my resume online. Werener was the first to nibble on the hook. I said, "what the hell, I'll give them a try!"
Orientation was what I expected. As I had no recent OTR experience, I had to go out with a trainer for 300 hrs. Immediately, I knew this didn't look good. Within the first 24 hrs, my allegedly qualified trainer backed into another truck at the TA in Prescott, Arkansas. As there was no one in the truck that he hit, he pulled out of the parking spot, went to the other side of the lot, and found another parking place. A week later, he backed into another trailer at a Home Depot distribution center. He said, "what goes on in this truck, stays in this truck." Little did I know, other things would fall into that category, as well.
On day 30, we had a drop/hook in Atlanta drop yard. The evening before, we stopped in Carnesville, Georgia for fuel and a shower. When he was told at the register that his card only had one shower on it, he became belligerent and cursed the poor girl. Every day, he and his wife would have approximately 6 arguments on the phone.
THE CLINCHER:
After we got our showers and ate, I watched a movie in the truckstop, then went outside and went to bed. About 01:30, I needed to go to the latrine. When I sailed off the top bunk, he was fully nude, surfing porn on his laptop, and pleasuring himself, while I was sleeping in the top bunk.
When I got back in the truck, maybe an hour later, he said, "get used to it." Next day, I called dispatch, told them I wanted off the truck, and why. The dispatcher called me a "###### liar." Two hours later, I was standing in front of the dispatcher, telling him to call me that again to my face.
The sent me to Dallas, assigned another trainer to me. The trainer was a dedicated local Dollar General driver. Averaged maybe 4 hours a day driving. Thought there was only two places to eat. McDonalds in the morning, and Popeye's for lunch and dinner. Couldn't complete a sentence without M***** F***** this, or calling someone a Cracker. Yes, he was black, and I'm not. So, after a week with him, I got the opportunity to go home, took it, and didn't look or go back.
I'm working for another company now for the past 2 1/2 years.
Post your bad trainer experiences here
Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by outlaw1_2003, Jun 21, 2011.
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That's the reason these training wheel co's have the issues they have. That so called trainer from what it appears doesn't have qualifications to train. These BFI outfits don't care who's training at all.
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Can't believe Werner still in business!Anyhow it is sad to read all these bad experiences new drivers go throw with Werner.I did the same,did 3 weeks training took home time any never when back.I just wish I apply with another company but I took a another career field and that's another story.
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I trained with CRST out of the Fontana yard. Over my 28 days I had 2 trainers.
The first one had us driving team from day one. I sat with him while he drove from Fontana to Sacramento to the 49er. It was starting to get dark and I figured we where going to sit there all night. I had been up since 6am finishing orientation and such. We had dinner (he paid; said it was a welcome to trucking dinner, so that was nice. The last time he was nice). After dinner he told me it was my turn to drive. I didn't question it I was eager to get some wheel time.
So that night I took off. He sat in the jump seat until we where out of the populated areas and went to bed as I was starting to climb Donner. It was night time in March and started to snow. I made it with no problems in spite of my lack of training.
I have a good sense of humor and can laugh along and join in with any type of person and very rarely have I ever had anyone get remotely offended. After day 2 I realized this guy had no sense of humor and took everything I said dead serious and would get mad at just about everything I said. Ok, no biggie, I can play that too. From day 2 on I never said anything light heart'ed again, it was all business that's fine I can play that way too. This ticked him off as well. Nothing I could say would make him happy. He reminded me of a Marine DI always yelling about everything blaming things on me even if they had nothing to do with me or the truck. The only thing he liked to talk about was how fun it was to get a lot lizard for the night after taking Viagra.
He would only stop to shower in the middle of his drive shifts and not wake me. Then when I wanted to shower he would tell me we didn't have time and I needed to drive. He said he wouldn't wake me up during my sleep because it would be a DOT violation to leave the sleeper to shower during my 10hr break (I knew this was BS). He started getting mad at me because I started to get ripe smelling but still wouldn't let me shower.
Day 3 he he pulled over 30 minutes after I went to the sleeper for my 10. I was reading a book to get my mind off this idiot. I like to read a little before I go to bed. Nothing that's going to infringe on my sleep, just a chapter or 2. This started a 15 minute tirade on how I'm suppose to be sleeping and if he needed to he would take my book and throw it out the window. With out getting up or raising my voice I told him to give it his best shot he closed the curtain and started driving again.
Day 4 he woke me 2 hours into my sleep and ORDERED me to fill the truck and wash the windows during his drive shift while he went inside to eat. This was the first time I took a stand. I am a big guy and can be the nicest most mellow guy you know (some think I'm a pushover when they first meet me) but I have a mean streak that until then I had stuffed in an effort to get threw the 28 days and move on. I came out of the sleeper and told him he can fill his own tanks, I'm not his ##### and I'm sick of his BS. Told him if I fill his tanks he will come back to find me and the truck gone. He got quiet and when on with what he was going to do. I thought the tables had changed.
On day 5 he woke me after 2 hours of sleep and told me to sit in the jump seat and read the company handbook and let him know if I have any questions. I had already read it at least 2 times. Told him not to wake me till it was time to drive and went back to bed. He turned on the sleeper light from the front and turned the music way up till the end of his shift so I couldn't sleep. By this time I was seeing red.
Day 6 we where heading into Sacramento from the east. I had been driving from somewhere out in NV on 80. He came out of the sleeper to tell me that he wasn't able to sleep because of the stop and go traffic and if I kept stopping he was going to fail me (no I didn't miss type that). We where in a construction zone. A few minutes later he came out of the sleeper with a pic of my sister and her new born baby that I used as a bookmark in a book that was zipped up in my backpack. He started telling me how hot she was and asking for her number. That was it. I took the pic out of his hands while I was driving stuck it in the overhead compartment and told him I was threw with him and if he touched my things again I would break both his hands. He stood up in the cab and had his finger an inch from my face screaming about how he could do this that and the other thing to me. I checked my mirrors and saw no one around me at all and I hit the breaks hard enough to launch him into the windshield and ordered him to the sleeper.
I then called the company and told them whats going on. Told them I was either going to drive back to Fontana for a new trainer or I was getting on a buss and heading home to Crescent City. Told them they promised me a competent trainer and had not delivered thus voiding the contract I had with them. They told me to bring the truck to Fontana and they would take care of it. I drove straight there still loaded for somewhere else. I didn't stop till I got there. I had about 15 hours straight behind the wheel because the trainer refused to drive to the yard.
BTW he had 6 months total experience and I was his first student. And in the interest of space I'm leaving a lot out. I never was allowed to back a single dock the whole week. At least he kept a clean truck though.
*Edit* Thought I would add that we first got off on the wrong foot when he found out I smoked. CRST would not put a smoker with a non. He had registered with them that he smoked because their are more smoking drivers then non then expected me not to smoke in the truck at all.
My second trainer was a little sloppy but we got along better. He was nice at least. My first drive shift he sat beside me and told me he wanted me to double shift for him. I did after a couple hours he said try floating and told me how. I caught on to that fast too. He kept saying how I was better then a lot of others with more experience then me. About 2 weeks in with him he got into a fist fight at a shipper because a dock worker walked between the trailer and dock while he was backing. Then got mad at me for not helping out in the fight even though he came out on top.
That was the only problem till my last day with him. We where heading into Fontana and I was sleeping. He woke me up an hour out and called me to the front. I came up and he had a 2 liter of coke and 2 big plastic fast food cups. He filled both cups and was congratulating my for passing training. He then reached into the overhead compartment and pulled out a pint of Jack Danial's and spiked both cups with 1/2 pint each. I threw them out the window and asked him what he was thinking.
When we got to the yard I reported him but nothing came of it and he continued to train. I was also his first student.
I credit my skills to me and me alone. I would have killed someone by now if I follower my trainers examples. My first co-driver and me got along great and stayed together for over 3 years. Now I know it wasn't me that caused the issues. Me and my co-driver only split up because we both went to a new company to run solo. But we did both go to the same company.Last edited: Jun 21, 2011
Lonesome, win-some-loose-less, scottied67 and 2 others Thank this. -
I woke up the first night out with my pants around my ankles and vasaline all over my rearend. My trainer denied everything but I know something happened.....
paoldschool and 7122894003481 Thank this. -
I'd say if you grease yourself up like that, sir, you are asking for it!
I bet you read one of those "what to bring with you" threads!
If foul play would have been involved, vasaline wouldn't have been used, 90 weight would have!
For some reason, those "what to bring with you" threads forget to mention it's always a good idea to bring a box of Alum powder with ya, helps tighten and firm the old sphincter back up after one of those brief interludes! -
Just to interject, not all trainers are bad. My trainer with PAM is excellent.
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Turn about is fair play right?
One of my favorite stories Being a trainer is about "Chris" Thats not his real name but thats who he reminded me of. Chris: Satans ##### on south park. Anyway, I had been training for a while at the illustrious Werner: Truck driver training for the deaf, dumb and blind. (I am now a trainer for another company) Anyway, I was to pick Chris up at the surburban in Lithia Springs. At the time I knew the roaches and Bed Bugs there on a first name basis. So, I called himmand let him know I was coming to pick him up, no biggie. My Dispatcher (#######) failed to mention that I was going to be Chris' 4th trainer. (wonder why)
Anyway, when I got there there were a pack of trainees outside B.S.ing and I started talking to them while I waited for chris, and they were all laughing when I told them who I was there for. Bad sign, Baaaaad sign. SO I got to meet this fellow, 37, balding and goofie as hell. Turns out chris wasnt there because he needed a job. No that would have been far too easy. He had spent the last 20 or so years of his life running a projector at the local movie theatre and decided that he needed to see the country and that truck driving was an optimal way of doing that. Wonderful, just my ###### luck.
He was very mechanically uninclined. But I figured what the hell. (I didnt know at this point I was his 4th trainer in 70 hours worth of training) SO we were assigned a load to P/U at the lithia springs yard to take to Laredo. Cool I thought. Nice, easy, long, flat run to get to know each other on. So I grabbed the load and told him Id get us out of town before I handed it over, it would give us a little time to get to know each other. (I like to get an idea of what Im getting into) The first thing out of his mouth was "Man you shift real good" I was like O....K.... Its second nature after doing it this long, youll get it too. Anyway I got him to the Rest stop on the Bama side of I20 and handed it over.
Thats when the fun began. He got it onto the Interstate ok and I had to help him into gear a few times (no biggie Im used to shifting from the jump seat as needed) So we are heading down the road, I show him proper Jake breaking down the hills just east of birmingham, no problem. I start to relax some and we cruise on down to Miss. where we are schedualed to fuel east of meridian at the T/A. BUT he misses the turn. ok no big deal right? Wrong Very big deal to him. Im like dont sweat it get off on 45 and loop around and head back to the truckstop right? so we did and as we got off now hes got to do a lefty to get to the T/A. so he gets out in the intersection and slips a gear. so now were stopped in the intersection and I ask ok, now what are you going to do? but the guy is sweating and locked up mentally, so I say slip it into second and lest get out of the intersection the other cars are getting impatient LOL he stalls it. now hes really flustered. I say clutch in and cranker up and lets go fuel, he finally gets it and we fuel but I can see the dude is nerved up now.
I ask him do you want to take a break or do you feel like you can handle some more. He says lets go and I say ok. so now were getting back on I-20 2-3-4-5-6-slipped gear. Yep he missed one so Im like just hit the gas and slide back into your last gear. what does he do? he leans on 7th all the while inching onto I 20. now Ive got him grinding away my transmission and slowing to a crawl on the interstate, not a good thing. so im saying, you might want to get off the road, no dice hes zoned out. so I say GET OFF THE ROAD. slower and slewer..... now we are stoped IN THE F_ING INTERSTATE... not on the side In a lane. so I yell put it in a gear and get off the road. Thate woke him up enough to pull over at least. Thank god there was verry little traffic at that time of day.
Anyway we cool down and start heading down 59 hes doing a lttle better and Im starting to relax again (bad move) we get to 12 and while we are going do I can see something in the road about a mile away. I say do you see that, he says yes, I check his side of the truck, nothing there so I figure hell move over and not hit it right? wrong. He runs over a GD mattress in the m,iddle of the road and gets it hung up in my trailer airlines and yanks them down and now they are dragging, GRRRR. so i make him pull over and gerry rigg them enough to continue. we make it to hammond for dinner and eat. Coming out of the petro its a lefty again. What happens? you guessed it, stalled in the middle of the road again. paniced.... yelled... rolling again. forget where he handed the truck off to me but I take us passed houston and we get a 10 in hopeing, no praying for a better day tomarrow. (Yeah right)
Wait, I cant sleep.... WTF man its bright in the sleeper, Chris what ARE you doing? "nothing" me: "well turn off the light then" Him: "I cant sleep without a light on" Me thinking (youve got to be ######## me a 37 year old that needs a nightlight?) BEfore he finally goes to sleep he takes to time to call his mommy too to let her know all of the places weve been to today. (shoot me now)
Next morning we start rolling and he starts bugging me about finding an orange grove so he can stop and take pictures. To which I respond, you know this is a job right? anyway I forget what he did to get me flustered in Laredo but I was can remember that, we get to the terminal and drop the load and decide now is a good time to shower so we run up to the Pilot and shower. Afterward I figured I need some time to decompress so I get lunch and go eat it by myself. He takes offence to that and decides to call his trainer manager and complain about me.... great. so now Ive got a trainer manager pissing in my ear now too. SO I say lets go back to the terminal (its 2 blocks from the pilot) he cant figure out how to get back to it so 20 minutes later we find ourselves right in front of the terminal but facing the wrong direction. what does he do? well a u-turn of course right in front or the terminal. (Its a fireable offense at werner)
We get parked and he goes inside, I figure great a little time away from him. then I start getting qualcomm messages about how im being horrible to him. (yeah right) wont teach him to shift? (Mmmmhmmm) I mention that I was his 4th trainer (got wind of that on the ride) They say it doesnt matter. So we get the next load laredo to miami. Another nice long east run. I tell chriss look youve got to show me some improvement on this run or Im going to have to take you back to Altanta and drop you off. He goes ballistic and storms off (Great) Next I get another message to call his DM, she starts chewing my ### out and Im seeing red...... ok you asked for it....
I start typing away on the quallcomm since its a legal document and can be used in a court of law and all. and start telling them of all the things hes done on a single trip and that I felt that he was unsafe and that if they insisted on putting him back on the road that they could be held liable for putting a dangerous driver back on the road after being warned by a certified trainer not to. I tell the hes not going anywhere with me. then go inside and tell him to get his crap off my truck, he gives me a stunned look but also looks like he one upped me. AHHAHAHAHAHa idiot.
Hes next steps were out the front door of the terminal.... find your own way home thank you very much, youre fired chris.
And I get a nasty letter from training informing me that Im suspended for a month becuase of what I did. I roll on to Miami and wave to Chris on my way.
You know, There are a lot more ###### students out there than there are ###### trainers, and considering we are allowing you students to put our lives on the line so that you can learn a trade you really aught to learn a little more respect.7122894003481, BigJDub, Dexterr and 2 others Thank this. -
Wow. Sorry for your bad luck. Hadn't you wished you got the information on this guy before you picked him up? 37, needs a night light, can't shift, and you were his fourth trainer? And with that temper of his he showed in Laredo? Imagine if he DID get on his own. What would happen if a shipper or receiver had told him he'd have a seven-hour wait to load or unload? I don't know about you, but "going postal" immediately comes to mind. You, and him, are much better off.
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If a driver stops on the big road with me in the truck he's done period.
7122894003481 Thanks this.
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