Some questions about my mentor

OK, I suppose it's time to let the kitten out of the sack and report that I trained w/ Swift 15 yrs ago (Nov '96 - Jan '97).

By the way, if you ever get the opportunity to be promoted to DM after only 6 mos. OTR, don't do it. Really. I ain't kidding. Talk to me first.

Back to the current subject: When I trained, the trainees had their own manager - separate from the trainer's DM. Not that I ever talked to mine, mind you, but I would think that the trainee's manager should be watching out for the BS that Sailing is going thru. There's stuff you can see on the DM's screen that should have sent up red flags. Her manager should already be having pointed words with the trainer's DM.

Having a rank newbie run that hard is just wrong. My trainer ran me that hard even though I told him I was going solo when I got my own truck. He also kept me too long, but I digress.

Sailing should absolutely insist on actually talking with her own manager, and not less often than every other day. Especially after all she's been through so far. As everyone has a cell phone these days, perhaps her manager should be regularly calling her.

Everyone has disagreements with their trainer. Teams, too, I suppose. It comes with being cooped up in a little box for hours and days on end. On the other hand, nobody likes a whiner - but what Sailing is saying is far, far too much.

Every driver needs an advocate back at the home terminal. That's what the DM's are for (contrary to popular belief). The trainees need one more, apparently.

It is my firm belief that this thread should not have started - because it didn't need to.


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Glad to hear that you are off and safe. My only question to all of this is why is it the students responsibility to tell Swift about the issues with mentors? In my humble opinion Swift should be asking students better questions then how many back ups have you done and are you sleeping in the top bunk while the truck is moving. If they really wanted to know what many of their mentors are doing all they need to do is ask. As a student it is my job to learn. If they want reports they need to ask better questions.

 

Every student is given a Training booklet, the last page is a questionnaire about the training and any issues they encountered on the Mentor's truck. The problem Swift and Driver Services encounter is that when a student comes off the truck and gets Solo Status...the Mentor Evaluation form is not completely and honestly completed and turned in.

This is the only real chance Swift has to address problems with training, lack thereof, personality "quirks" of the Mentor's, illegal acts by Mentors, and a variety of other issues we hear about on these forums.

It is almost understandable that the students, having earned small amounts of money to fend for themselves, let alone their families, are eager to get a truck of their own and start trying to regroup financially. There are far too many examples of Mentors filling the students heads with false and idiotic threats that if the student reports these infractions, the Mentor somehow has the "power and authority" to see to it that the student doesn't continue on with Swift. Or to make the student have to continue on with a different "interim" Mentor, to cover what wasn't covered by the other Mentor.

When last I was a Mentor with Swift...the Driver Services coordinator, (the students DM actually), would call (or be called) everyday like clockwork. In this call, the student gave details about the previous days activities, hours driven, backs done, and any other "issue" that could have transpired. This "procedure" was slightly changed to the student sending in a specific Macro message to the DM...and the system seems to have gone downhill since.

The students at Swift (and any training company) need to be taught in their orientation that the Mentor/trainer does not have this kind of "power" over the students future. That the students need to stand up to any and all abusive actions or words the Mentor/trainer dishes out. And to report completely and honestly about the Mentor and any shortcomings, or even anything positive about their Mentor/trainer that transpired. That the training curriculum is followed at the minimum, and taught above the minimums would be better.

 

Hi, Sailing

Yes, It is my experience that DM's work days. You probably won't get an alternate number for your DM. You might be able to get the Direct Line, but it will always be busy, mine always was. You will wind up on hold, even with the 800 number. You must wait it out. Your DM needs to know whats going on.

Dispatchers will not help a trainee, they have enough going on just trying to match up trucks with loads. Weekend DM's aren't going to help trainees, either. They have enough going on just routing and fueling the entire terminal's trucks.

It's been a long time, but the restaurants (trucker's area) had land-line phones. Do they still? Using one of those will, of course, cut down on your minutes, but you know that already, what am I thinking?

With what you've been thru so far, the DM should have your cell number. On the other hand, you won't be able to answer the phone while you're behind the wheel and would need to call back. Then you're in the same spot. You guys must stop for food and fuel sometime.

Sometimes drivers actually listen to their DM, so your DM must get your new trainer to cut you some slack via the trainer's DM. Don't expect too much slack. You're a trainee. Your job is to learn.

Just a small/short word of caution. Take it with a large grain of salt. You and Injun know a lot more about the details than I do. Be careful about how much you make waves as a trainee. I realize you've had a tough time for the past few weeks, but the trainer's manager might actually believe that your trainer is the slickest thing since sliced bread and peanut butter.

Caution: Digression ahead - My trainer was a real creep. While I actually am a very good driver, he wanted me to drive at night, do team miles, and just take it - all in the first week. I told him to shove it. We were headed from Fontana to Phoenix anyway, so his DM was able to talk some sense into him before he kicked me off his truck. It turned out to be VERY lucrative for the trainer.
As they say, "Your Mileage May Vary".

Back to the word of caution - You must talk to your DM soon. There is, sometimes, a fine line between honest, real problems and a sniveler. Going thru 2 trainers in a six week course may raise a few eyebrows. And there's only so many trainers to go around.

You want this job.


Oh Heavens, if I've said too much or the wrong thing, Injun's gonna kill me. All I really know about is how the DM's were 15 years ago. And some of the interaction between DMs and dispatchers.
I didn't get along with the CSRs at Campbells in Sacremento, as they thought my drivers were derelicts. I thought they were creeps. I would use stronger language but it appears that it is not allowed.

I hope this thread gives folks some insight into how it worked some years ago, I can't believe it has changed all that much.

I just submitted my post and saw Other's post and I remember my eval. My home terminal was Fontana and my creep of a trainer was out of Phoenix so I told the complete truth.

Always practice good driving.


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First I have not been through the entire post but this caught my eye first. I know you have had some issues with a mentor or mentors. I am a mentor and remember you are there to learn.

When you mentioned about buying a power inverter to charge your notebook where do you plan to plug it in? On his truck? In my truck you would not be allowed to use your own inverter nor will you have time to barely get on the notebook because you would be learning if you are not sleeping.

When you are awake on my truck you are learning. The whole 240 hours you are learning to drive,about Swift policies and so on and so on. If you are not driving you are either sleeping or planning trips or something.

Believe me I will find something for you to learn if you are not sleeping. No time for notebooks you can have that when you get your own truck. So expecting your mentor to charge your stuff or even allow you to use an inverter is really not what you should be even asking. Your there to learn how to operate the truck safely and to soak in every bit of information about how Swift operates.

I let my students charge there phone because they never have a cig adapter but that is about it! Notebooks and electronics? They can forget about it! They are on my truck for training not relaxing.

This is your second mentor? You have to understand what I said above and don't expect your mentor to allow you to use an inverter or anything that is his. Your on his truck and you are in basic training for the next six weeks.

Plus you where only suppose to bring a weeks worth of clothes and your shower items. Whatcha ya doing with a notebook anyways? Like I said above if you are not driving or sleeping then you should be learning every chance you get.

plus it is his stuff you mentioned above he has the right to power everything. you don't

 

Blue,

I've been reading through this forum and I believe I've read that L/Os and O/Os take about a nickel per mile cut in pay to train. Not many would do that.

If you're Company, it's not your truck. With a trainee, you're (as it was in my case) a team. You get team loads. You're expected to log team hours. You get priority for loads, even over O/O Teams. You, the trainer, get ALL the team pay.

You gotta let the trainee use half of the sleeper, even if it's the upper half. You gotta share the front. It's only fair.

Do you insist that the trainee contact their own DM on a regular basis? I figure that the answer is, "Not".

All the driving training happens in the first week or so, the rest is practice. Backing in the Truckstop shouldn't count, backing to a dock is where it's at. That and D/H take some time but customers don't like you practicing on their property. Write the QC macros down in a notebook and you're good to go. Figure out where we're going on a Rand McNalley Laminated Trucker's Atlas, just in case China blows up all of our GPS satellites. What did I forget? Nuthin. Took about three weeks. What do you do now? Simple, run your wheels off. Show the trainee what a 'B' service AND an 'A' service look like.

Unless you're one of the trainers that Sailing has been posting about?

Training. Brrrrrr. I couldn't do it, and more power to those that do. Sorry, but newbies were 4-wheelers a few weeks ago and I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Trainees can figure out how much money you're making off of them and, if you treat them like feces, sooner or later you'll regret it.

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I guess this post could use 1 more opinion. While my mentor was great and he shared his truck with me down to his cooler. Made me use a bluetooth if I had to use my phone while driving(just smart). If her told me I couldn't use electronics while I am on a 10 hour break I am required. I would have had problems. While I am on his truck to learn I also have a family. Bluebonn your telling me I couldn't use my notebook to skype my wife and kids or look at pictures or anything I want to do on my time we would have issues. I would rather have a happy me talking to my family than a pissed bad attituded me that will be a pain in the ##### to you. Just my opinion. Students are people too and should be treated with respect in most cases. Everybody has a different view of this and that is what makes a good discussion.

 

Blue seems to be forgetting it was his personal electronics that got his arse out of a sling when he was a student. Many of the rest of us haven't. You're not training Marines. You are mentoring drivers. You don't get to tell them they can't talk to family and friends while they are on their own time. It's not going to hurt "your" truck for a student to plug in a 300W inverter to charge his or her stuff so they can stay connected to people who are important to them. Sometimes, it's all that keeps us "sane" during that first trip out away from family.

You, of all people, should know that, Blue. Quite honestly, I'm shocked at your "basic training" approach. I fear you may leave your student on the truck for three days without human needs. Contact with people we love, however that contact is made, is a human need. You cannot deny them that. You do not own that other person. That is inhuman.

Ds2Dale, you are right on the money. You will hear no dissent from me. Your input is refreshing and welcome.