Itching to go SOLO

The roads of 30+ years ago ARE NOT the roads of today. ####y ##### drivers, both trucks and 4-wheelers make for harsh driving conditions in places. Other things like narrow residential pick up streets, HOS regs, proper maintenance, and gobs of paperwork now add to the stress of just going from A to B. I don't know about everyone else but I dang sure don't wanna be on the road with some ####y newbie! And some of the people I went to school with that took 6 weeks to complete a 3 week class then 4 tries at passing the driving CDL test. I am scared just knowing they are out there!!!

 

Some people have to learn on their own...I was one of them...6 weeks with a trainer is a bit too much in my opinion...I drove OTR about 50 miles with a trainer & that was on I-65...About 4 days learning how to back but that really doesnt help...You just have to go out & do it to learn properly trial & error.My 1st trip Ft Wayne to Baltimore in the snow...These drivers preaching 6 to 8 weeks with a trainer are full of baloney & I wonder if they really belong in this industry thinking that way...I suppose they have to have a trainer to wipe their #### too..

 

Yea, that may be part of the problem. Hands are being held for weeks, then when cut loose people don't know what to do.

 

Well i being a rookie of sort even though i had drove in the past and owned my own truck, I was the same way when i had to go with a trainer for 4 weeks, at first i was thinkn hey i got this, solo me out and let me go. Well even though my experience with my triner wasnt all that great, i did learn some things, qualcom, what macros needed to be sent in and when what the company expects of me, fuel stops, customers locations, heck i could go on and on. Theres a lot more to it then just driving.

 

If a person has the common sense , perception , coordination , and other qualities needed to be a competent driver they can pick it up in a week .
Too many misfits are out there stumbling around until they inevitably have an incident that gets them replaced with someone equally incompetent . BFI's hire anybody . Decent carriers with decent pay hire real drivers that have proven themselves .

 

I stand by my statement 6 to 8 weeks is overkill....If it takes 6 to 8 weeks with a trainer then they really should be doing another profession..

 

90% of CDL mill graduates end up doing another profession . Then the BFI's get another team driver to work for $300 a week for 6 to 8 weeks .

 

That might be what some of them are doing but the rest is overkill.....Besides what trainer will be able to sleep while a student is running elk mountain in the snow or through Atlanta?....I dont think the megacarriers are really doing this its not realistic...

 

I've read enough posts from CRE drivers and trainers to know they do it . If a driver is asleep how does he know the trainee is driving in Atlanta ? Maybe he should be in Little Rock .