Becoming a driver trainer...

Let's see.. if you are not sure of something wake me up...when its time to stop try to stop at a truck stop instead of the side of the road..shower every two. Days or when we have time...an can't stress if you are not sure of something wake me up...don't want to miss a fuel stop..go out of route.. or anything else.

 

Deann you are a trainer with less then 1 year driving? Or is that what your trainer told you?

 

DJ i hope things are going well for you. I hope moreso that you treat your trainees right.. training can be awesome or horrible.

How are thigns at star? How's the freight. I thought very seriously abot going back there. They pay crap but i hear they have l/p and i loved the company when i was there 10 years ago.

 

A lot of companies only require 90 days experience (sometimes less) before they try to make you a trainer....which is a major problem in this industry. Companies don't seem to see it as a problem, though, because they have more control over what the "student" is led to believe by the "trainer" because the "trainer" hasn't been in the industry long enough to know any different either.

 

biggest one to me is NEVER run the truck as a team truck until your trainee is comfortabel with driving,

2 make sure to tell them over and over to wake you up if their is any questions as what to do,

3 during their first snow storm dont hit the rack, stay with them as they will need a lot of pointers

4 i always said was NEVER lay your body on my bedding!!

 

I tell trainees, I am not their boss, they are here to apply their knowledge in a real world setting with me there to back them up with help or questions. Also, at our company, we do not team drive with new drivers. If the trainee is driving, I'm in the jump seat.

Edit: jut realized this thread is 5 months old.

 

With 6 years in DJ you will do fine, as long as you are cut out to teach. Do not take that wrong. Not everyone is cut out to teach ! (I can not dunk a basketball)! Not everyone can do some things. Rules no shoes in bed. You will shower as often as I do. Listen to what I say. Explain that each truck has a little different personalities , and there is a learning curve from the schools truck.

Trainers after 90 days is not fair to both the trainer and the trainee! I feel a trainers should have 5 years in. I started training after like 19 years. Hope your company is set up that you are up, in the jump seat at all times. Like ours is. Hard to know what their issues are if you are sleeping.

 

Two things need to happen:

1) You have to be willing to teach

and

2) The student has to be willing to learn

If you aren't willing to teach and/or the student isn't willing to learn, pull the plug. We don't need any more so called trainers who use a student as a extra logbook.

 

Truth is there is one kind of company: the company that wants you to run a newbie as a team driver from day one
There are two kinds of trainers: scumbag animals who abuse trainees, dont teach them crap and run them as slave team drivers from day one
and guys who enjoy the company, want to teach, and like getting 8 hours of sleep a day

The companies are NOT looking for trainer #2