Training at May Trucking?

You will not run as a team while training at May. When you are driving the trainer will be in the passenger seat on duty not driving. How much actual drive time you get will vary from trainer to trainer.

Dozzer

 

The first day out, my trainer drove, in order to show how he did it, point some things out. Then I was mostly behind the wheel, sometimes he would want to drive just to drive, which I completely understand. If I'm ever a trainer, I'll want to drive sometimes too. I mean, I'm not a truck driver to sit in the passenger seat all the time!! As was said, trainer is always on duty with you, but could take over driving for 3 hours on the 14 hour clock... Sorta team driving. Cover lotsa distance that way, but would make for a jacked-up schedule and some really long days.

 

yeah my trainer drove the first day, then after that it was mostly me, we went over cabbage the 2nd day, it was january and snowing so he did drive it the first time but for the most part unless we had to make time for something I did all the driving. He was western 11 so as far as making time for something that usually didnt happen

 

Not to come out as a whiner, but the training process with this company left a really bad taste in my mouth. I have not trained with another company so I have nothing to compare it to, but I don't think it was very good program.

I went to orientation in Phoenix in June, which was great. The Phoenix terminal is the best we have, in my opinion. The UsExpress terminal has better facilities, but Phoenix is the only one that feels like they give the slightest shart about the drivers. The hotel was good and they fed us pretty good.

Then things went downhill. First trainer I was set up with I was set to go out with on a Friday. I was told to sleep in the truck overnight, at which point the guy gets pissy with me and throws his key at me, telling me not to idle the truck more than 7 hours, IN PHOENIX with 100+ temp, so I spend most of the night in the lounge, try to go to bed a couple of hours after dark, idle the truck for an hour, then turn it off and sweat my butt off the rest of the night.
The trainers gets there the next morning, and I go into the lounge while we are waiting to leave. I go out and he tells me to get my stuff off the truck, because I am too fat and it is a safety hazard to have me on the top bunk. Now, I am about 300 lbs, but I kinda take offense when this is coming from someone who is topping 400lbs himself.

So one of the other candidates was having a problem with his urine test, so they were able to set me up with his trainer and I didn't have to go home. I went out with him on the next day. He was a nice enough guy, but he really had no business training. First problem was that he was a slob, think of Randy Quaid's character in the National Lampoon Vacation movies and you will get a pretty good idea of what he was like. Wore a ripped wife-beater with that exposed his nipple, started growing a beer gut and instead of buying shorts that fit, wore them under his gut so his ### crack was always showing.
And he dipped, which is disgusting enough, made worse by the fact that he spilled the cup on the floor at least 4 times while I was on his truck. He even offered me my very own piss bottle to use. While he was constantly telling me how many shower credits he had at truck stops, we never parked at any of them, so the only chance to get a shower was when we were at brooks or layton, both total shart-holes. The only truck stops we stayed at were Jubitz and 7 feathers(4 times), because they had gambling and bars, were he told me I could pay for a shower if I wanted to. The rest of the time we stayed at shippers.

So okay, everybody has to deal with training and living in a confined space with a stranger. The problem that really got to me was that my training was less about me training, and more about him making every cent off my butt. From day two, I drove every mile in that truck, which was good getting me experience, but every single day the first week I was driving, I was almost nodding off between not being used to that many hours of driving and the crappy bunk I got to sleep on and his decision that we couldn't have that radio on. When he noticed me shaking my head and legs to try to keep awake, he just kinda ignored it and went back to his non-stop phone calls. But by the end of first week I could stay awake with no problem, so I guess that is stamina training at May. I was lucky I already knew how to read a map and trip plan, cause we would never stop for anything. I was constantly told to go off duty, the second we got anywhere, and then we proceeded to do anything that should have been on duty time. Now I can respect this as his choice for himself, but I don't get paid anything extra for working off duty, but I was told you have to suck it up during training.

What started to occur to me during the second week was that he really had no idea what he was doing, and by listening to him I was hindering my ability to improve, so I just started ignoring him, and I started to get better. My shifting got smoother and I was starting to back better, the less I paid attention to him. So in essence I was teaching myself, making him money for doing absolutely nothing, and living in shart conditions. But, hey, suck it up right?

Now I have been on the road solo for about six weeks, and doing alright, I guess, since I am not allowed to ever speak to anyone about anything, unless I use the Qualcomm. So far it hasn't been hard to see why they have such a high turnover.

 

If you establish a good relationship with your dm you can call if they don't mind. Secondly you should of reported him. Under no circumstances are drivers at may allowed to drink while under dispatch. Its trainers like this that give us a bad name. Yea the extra money is good but you also have to be willing to put effort in. I want safe professional drivers on the road not a whole bunch of steering wheel holders. Not only can an unsafe driver hurt me, but my family or someone I care about

 

Get in touch with the terminal manager in Brooks. She is in charge of the training program and tell her your experience. She will listen to you. At least that was my impression when I met her. Things will not get better for new guys unless people like your "trainer" are reported to those that can make the changes.

 

I'm surprised I didn't start drinking with all the low mile and sitting around. I have 3986 miles sunday to Sunday on the qc. All legal, picture me rolling!