Are You Ready to Be A Mentor?

You have no idea what I've experienced in a year. If you think it would take you multiple years, that's fine. As I said, not everybody advances at the same rate. I might drive for 10 years and not experience whatever it is you think I need to experience before I mentor.

 

I'd say if you have been trucking for three years 48 states and have a clean record you should be able to be a trainer.

 

The thing is we do know what you have experienced in your one year of learning .
That is why you are being told that you cant teach what you don't know.
I know you wont listen to old fools like us because we have just been doing this for allot longer than you can even imagine.

I am sure you have 10 years worth of experience in your 1 year of driving .
That is how this industry got in the shape it is in by guys that have no idea what they are doing training guys that have no idea what they are doing .

I know you don't believe it but if you last you will look back and shake your head and say wow what was I thinking .
I hope you do well in trucking and you teach your trainees better than your average 1 year driver does for their sake .

 

The great Transportation Pyramid Scheme...training.

If I owned a trucking company that trained rookies, I would change things a bit. A trainer would get a modest salary (while training) but a big bonus based on how well the rookie does when the rookie is solo. Turn out quality drivers for my company, and I will line your pockets. Turn out numbskulls and you'll go hungry.

Now if, I had a tanker or flatbed outfit,I would have a shadow program where the rookie, when solo, would have to shadow experienced drivers for a few weeks, load when they load, and deliver when they deliver. My people would get paid, but I wouldn't have room for any slackers in my trucks.

 

Ahhh...good ol' Swift. I'm sure not all of em are bad, but this is bad. I shot this in OKC a couple of months ago. The guy was even wearing one of those Swift Certified Trainer shirts with all of the patches on it.

 

With three years experience you are WAY OVER-QUALIFIED! Swift, Stevens, CRE and other loser companies are looking for trainers with less than a years experience. After all, that's all that's needed to know everything correct? Just a year and you're a seasoned veteran.

 

[Boxing announcer voice]

MASTERRRRRRRRR CERTIFIEEEEEEEED DRIVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TRAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

This attitude is the very reason the industry has so many problems.....with less than a year of experience this rookie is trying to school a veteran of 30 years on what it takes to be a driver. Scott.....you'll never reach the pinnacle of being a veteran with an attitude like that.....never. Like PJ so aptly pointed out..."you can't teach what you haven't experienced" My oldest son just finished med school in May of 2013....he is a Dr. , but he has to successfully complete a 3 year residency program before he can be licensed to practice medicine on his own. He will be supervised and mentored by Dr.'s with decades of experience before he is even allowed to take the final licensing tests. Even after all that , no matter how long he practices medicine , he will forever be a "student of medicine" new technologies , new treatments , new procedures will be coming into play and will have to be learned and experienced , in order for him to give the proper medical care that he is charged to give a patient. Same thing with mentoring rookie drivers applies here....I'm not taking away from your skills....I'm sure you've learned some things...but the most important thing that you have missed is the ability to act like a professional....a professional knows that no matter how long he is gonna be a driver , each and every mile is and always will be a learning experience. You must always be humble to the fact , that in a nano-second the decision/s that you make a s a driver can be "life or death".....that goes for all of us too....whether we have 10 minutes experience or 50 years. You are forever learning....when you decide to "learn" and ACCEPT that fact . you'll be ready to be a mentor.......but you ain't there yet pal...Think what you want...do what you want...but IMHO...(and that's all it is an opinion).....but most experienced hands are gonna agree...It's the ATTITUDE that separates the true Pro's...not the skills...you can be taught how to maneuver a tractor- trailer , most anybody can learn that....But you can't be taught to be a DRIVER....that only comes with time , the right out-look , and lots of luck......TTTD....

 

Now you're comparing trucking to being a doctor? Just stop. I'm not trying to school any veteran drivers. The problem with you old school guys is if someone new to the industry doesn't "kiss the ring" and bow down to your experience you get all defensive and butt hurt. I respect your opinion and your experience. That doesn't mean I have to agree with you. And to claim I don't act professional is just ludicrous. I'm 42 yrs old so I've been around awhile. I'm not a 21 yr old hotshot, not do I act that way. If I or my company, who has very high hiring standards, and strict testing standards to even be a trainer, didn't feel I was ready, then I wouldn't be in the position I'm in.

My first student, who just smoked his testing out exam, told me he learned more from me than anyone else with the company, and he started out with a different trainer before he got to me. Again, I'm not trying to ring my own bell, just trying to make it a little more clear why I and my company feel like I can help new drivers how to get a long out here. If the "experienced" old school guys want to get their feathers all bristled, then honestly it is what it is. Maybe some of the 30 yr vets should stop judging others and become trainers themselves, but they won't because it's so much easier to take shots at others who have decided to step up and help new drivers than it is to actually do it themselves. Now we've hijacked the OP's thread enough, let it go. You go through you career how you see fit and I'll do the same. Stay safe out there.

 

Well good luck, I for one do not believe your 42 mentally anyway.You sound like my 20 year old. Your right I have no idea what your life has taught you.

But I do know what less than a year, Know body here wish you and your students anything but the best. I can teach you how to get around a corner, back alley, straight, blind r what ever in a day, and you could actually teach some one else tomorrow.

But when something goes wrong that's when it shows.and that's when I have drivers I taught years ago call me to let me know something I showed them got them out of a jam.

Good luck.....