USA Trainer Shortage?

Ok anyone can try to practise text book turning or backing methods all they want at the terminals with those cones. When your in the real world with the risk of hitting other trucks while you are backing up here it is. The purpose of the 12 and 9 method is to line the back of your trailer up strait in front of the the spot in which you are backing into. See this spot could be a 45 or 90 degree angle. Doesn't matter except on a 45 you probably won't use the 12 and 9. Forget about the text book. The purpose is to be able to line the back of your trailor up with the front of the spot you intend to back into. And then have your tractor turned ready to manuever. Focus more on what you see (or don't see in your mirrors) . Get out and look anytime you don't know whats going on. To heck with any impatient drivers who try to give you a hard time they have to do the same things and ask for patience as well. Strait back and pulling through a spot will always be the best ways. A truck stop or shipper is not the place to try and practise backing unless the "truck stop" is empty. Forget about the text book and focus on what you see in your mirrors and let that guid you. It will become second nature eventually.

 

Oh and one more thing. I preach against nosing into a spot. Its the lazy way out. Ask yourself this question. Which case do you have more potential hazards going on? People walking trucks pulling in and out that you may not see. Having to back out of spot you have much more to "BLINDLY" look out for than you ever have if you back in. I know some nose in because the truck next to them maybe has a noisy reefer but is it really worth the risk of backing out of a spot? When you are backing up you are responsible for everything behind you just as you are for everything in front of you when you are driving forward.

 

I've seen a few videos of truckers backing into tight alleys, and it looks more hair-raising than fun to be honest.
And nosing into a spot when the onus is on me while backing out of it? Yeah, that's about as smart as following too closely.
So basically if you want to make it as a trucker, the keys are patience and good time management, the former being somewhat dependent on the latter.

 

I call BS! I have a friend who is turning his truck in at USA! He was there for 1 month at beginning of the year, went back in June and now has a better position lined up with a different company. I talk to him EVERYDAY when I'm running and can't tell you HOW MUCH HE COMPLAINS ABOUT USA and how much better I have it, NOT being with USA! With the stupid amounts of money USA is losing/throwing away, I/we wouldn't be surprised if you guys still have a job with them within the next few years! My ex(not the greatest of trainers) trainer from USA stands by USA....and he said he lost all of his teeth smoking crystal met............drinking Mountain Dew! goes to show you how dillusional that man is! haha

 

Actually a phase 1 only trainer sits in the right seat, gets paid an additional $45.00 per day and between the 2 drivers himself and the student they can drive possibly 14 hours in the day. That kinda day does not occur very often. A level 1 and 2 trainer gets an additional $35.00 a day only for the first 14 days. then its just the miles because the 2 should be running as a team the remainder of the time. However, the travel agents (fleet managers) don't seem to know how to plan a team and often the miles are less than a solo driver. A phase 2 only trainer picks up students that run the first 2 weeks with a phase 1 trainer. These trainers run the remainder of the training time doing their dedicated runs. Not much to learn after the first loop through the route. This type of trainer gets mileage only. In all these cases the student gets paid $50.00 per day.

Is it worth is to be a trainer? You are putting your life at risk every time you start the truck. I had one student have an epileptic fit in the truck. If he had been driving I would not be typing this. It wouldn't be so bad if they would spend some time finding qualified students instead of just taking everyone that passes a drug test. Some folks aren't fit to ride a bicycle let alone drive a big truck.

I am a trainer and want to be positive, but this is just the way it is.

 

My trainer (Johnny) told me that the first two weeks will be him training me during the day, with us working a single driver's schedule. Then the remaining two weeks I will drive at night. Each week, however, he will wake me up (when need be) so that I can practice docking. Meaning I'll dock the truck every time for the next 4 weeks, which sounds like a good bit of practice, to me at least.

I'll post here about how the training goes, unless a moderator decides such a succession of posts should have a separate thread.

 

That's probably what your trainer intends to do, however it doesn't always work out that way. Yes the first 14 days you will be sharing a 14 hour day, but that will not leave it to just being a daytime driver. A load will deliver when it's delivery time is set and this is not just a daytime job. Most grocery warehouses want deliveries in the wee morning hours. Next thing, your trainer should not be telling you you will be done in 4 weeks. No one is upgraded with less that 175 hours of drive time. And just because you hit 175 hours does not mean you are going to get routed in to a terminal or that you are ready. The simple fact is most of my students see closer to 200 hours and then go in only if I know they are going to pass. I am held responsible for my students training and expect them to be the best. Safety is the number one priority.

 

Ugh, I had a horrible experience with my phase one trainer.
Old, southern black guy who was racist against black people
Didn't teach me anything, I had to figure everything out on my own
And if I wasn't so good at learning on my own, I may not have got through it
Phase two guy was pretty awesome, though
It sucks that phase one guy will get credit for me passing my upgrade
even though he didn't do much for me

 

If that's truely how you feel, then instead of posting it here you should be telling the training coordinator. Bad trainers should be replaced.

 

I tried to
I called several times, never answered the phone, never returned my call.