USA Trainer Shortage?

With the company TBA tractor % still high I doubt they would want to lose any drivers because of crap like a sadistic FM. One of the drivers in my upgrade class actually went into the main office back last fall and confronted his FM and asked to see the group manager that was this guys boss. He told that group manager it was either get him a new FM or he was cleaning out his tractor and going to the Medders hotel to wait on his wife to come get him. He was told it was not possible so he cleaned out his truck went to the hotel and waited. The next morning this Group manager called him begging him to come back. He was told he was in a new fleet. Sometimes you got to be a horses butt to get things done. This driver actually did not go back and is now driving for another company happy as a clam with a FM that he swears by. The culture at USA Truck has changed a bit over the last few months. I have heard a lot of FM's have either quit or have been fired. They need warm bodies in those tractors because those TBA trucks are costing them MAJOR BUCKS!

 

Yep they sure are! I'm just happy with the situation I fell into. Home every weekend, can go out for 2 weeks and get 3 days off! FULL benefits that are outstanding, unheard of in this industry. And not to mention, they REALLY keep up with their equipment!

 

I'm starting to think we have more of a solo driver shortage than trainer shortage. The last week of all the USA tractors I've seen, AT LEAST 7 of 10 are trainers. Today I left Indy and crossed Illinois on I70 then down I44. I saw a steady slew of USA trucks and all were trainers. I didn't see a solo truck until right before I shut down in Joplin. Guess they are convincing everybody to become trainers. I still get asked about every 2-3 weeks by my FM if I would be willing. I've said no each time for the last 5 months. Guess they haven't gotten the hint yet.

 

Asking everyone daily to become a trainer is a tool management uses to keep you with USA. They are losing drivers like crazy and will do anything to keep anyone onboard the sinking ship.

 

Worked for Swift after getting out of school. Mentors (Driver Trainers) had to have had several years and had to have had a spotless record for the 6 months prior to becoming a trainer.

Yah, I've heard the stories, but that was CR England.

I do feel that there should be a 'Certification' for trainers, just like a Master Carpenter oversees the work of an Apprentice. There is no reason that it cant be done in trucking. We would have a lot less screw ups.

 

The trainer gets $45 a day and the miles while in phase one, when they (the trainer and student) enter phase two, the trainer no longer gets $45 a day but still gets paid all the miles. If the trainer truck rolls a mile, the trainer gets paid a mile. The student gets like $350 a week or something like that. Training probably isnt a bad gig, but i like having my truck to myself and I probably couldnt sleep with a green student driving anyway. Plus, just because a phase two trainer truck is a team operation doesnt mean that it will be busting 5500-6000 miles a week like they used to. I get 2500-3000 a week plus detention and layover so maybe thats why alot of drivers stay solo.

 

USA truck and from what I hear most trucking companies don't make it worth the time to be a trainer. It is "POTENTIALLY" more money. You could have weeks where you have the paycheck of a solo driver. You still did the job, still trained the student, but you might as well have not when you see the paycheck. From what I hear during phase one the student does all the driving so the miles stay the same. Now if I was a trainer I would want to be a phase one trainer all the time. I could deal with the student doing all the driving and I could be in the passenger seat watching over them. When I'm in the sleeper so is the student, and the truck in stopped.

 

My carrier pays $15 a day. They do give you a large up front sum, but over time it becomes peanuts. I have several problems with training, the primary one being losing privacy. I have just enough space for me never mind another driver. I also don't have the patience to do it either. My phase 2 trainer at USA Truck told me several horror stories about his problems with students. I think this is the main reason most of the real veteran (10+ year) drivers won't train, just not enough pay to put up with the crap. I can't tell you how many truck stop/terminal conversations I've had on this subject where a veteran driver starts off with I used to train but -------. I don't have time to write about all the conversations I've had with safety people about CSA scores, if the carriers are serious about this they really need to make training something that pays good where you can get these veteran drivers back in the right seats. I have 2 years experience now as a class A driver and to be honest I don't feel qualified to train yet!

 

I finished day 1 of orientation in Forest Park, GA yesterday. Tracy lead our class of 13, about half of whom are inexperienced. I graduated a 3-week school November 6th, but only have ~10 hours behind the wheel. Like the op, I hope to train under someone with a lot of experience and, most importantly, a level head. I'm definitely not a know-it-all, or a serial complainer.

A driver told me yesterday that if I get stuck with a bad trainer, I'll be assigned another one. Is this likely? Not trying to sound pessimistic, it's just that I'm in this for the long haul (sorry, couldn't resist ) and desire a fruitful training period.

What's the likelihood of meeting a quality mentor?

Thanks.

 

USA has some pretty good trainers. "Had". I don't know if they are still there or not. You might have to wait a few days or so.