Asking about traniers!

4-6 weeks is probably the industry average as far as training goes..You will probably do most of the driving.Some companies have you and your trainer drive as a team.Thats not really good.The first couple months is the most crucial time.There are alot of companies that will not train you as a team.The trainer rides shotgun,and coaches you,instead of sleeping.Once they feel that you are capable of driving on your own,then no,you will not be driving with another person still..Unless you go to a company that wants you to do that.Most will not though.But yes,the other driver is there to train you,and once thats been accomplished,you will go solo..You just need to find a company that fits the way you wanna drive..There might be some out there..

 

You will be placed with a driver who only makes money when the truck is moving. That is trucking rule #1. He will be paid in such a way that if you two together drive fewer miles than he could drive solo, he will lose income. Therefore, he will want to team drive from day one because this can substantially raise his income from $35,000 to $50,000 or more per year.

Things that keep the truck rolling include never stopping to pee. Pee in a Mt Dew bottle or in my trainer's case a Sunny D bottle. (Make sure you pour the pee in a ditch and then dispose of the bottle in the trash. Truckers that throw full bottles of pee on the side of the road are unneccesarily rude plus it can get you fined.) Eat cold soup out of cans while moving down the road. Get a GPS or three so you don't waste time you could be driving. Plan only while stopped for loading, unloading, or sleeping. Pretrip your lights, kingpin, tires, and oil. Takes three minutes. Don't log time until you hit the onramp.

It will be your trainer's truck. It will not be part yours and part his. You will do as he likes or you will leave the truck. He is responsible for your safety and the truck's safety. You should be communicative but compliant. Express your opinion and be willing to concede defeat.

BRI

 

Sounds like the werner expirience....The couple places I drove for didnt get paid for the miles I drove..They paid trainers just a flat daily rate while they have a trainee..The trainee miles pay makes the trainer a pretty greedy person in most cases,from alot of people I talked to..But as far as the truck,BRI is right,thats their truck..So you have to respect it.Be willing to take constructive criticism..I would suggest finding a company that dosnt involve trainer/trainnee team driving..You miss out alot when the person who is supposed to guide you is sleepin..

 

ok i concede there are plenty of jerks who use students as a extra log book...k most of them. BUT there are a few that are intrested in being trainers, the trick is finding them. Be paient and demanding, don't lay up on a truck as a extra log book not learning anything. I was a cdl instructor for a little over a year and i had students for 2 or maybe 3 weeks and saw students who had been with a trainer for 3 months who couldnt come close to the backing and shifting skills my students had. You dont do the job you don't learn the job. Just be prepared to speak up and say no thanks you aren't teaching me anything next trainer please. don't worry bout hurting a trainers feelings worry bout learning the skills you need to do your job. Don't depend on anyone but yourself.

 

thats what im talking about getting with a trainer whos gonner teach you somthing!!!!!! just driving isnt going to work as a newbie when you go solo your going to to get the hang of driving. but someone teaching you something thats going to benefit you in the long run.if you get your class A, it was stated at the road test when you passed that you can drive. so driving isnt the issue experince is.and you need a good trainer to teach you the in's and out"s so you can get that !!!!!!!!

 

A little thought you guys out with trainers may wanna keep in mind...Think of you in your new truck all by your lonesome. You hook your first solo run and take off. Ride goes fine, grab a nice easy to get into spot at the truckstop the first night. The waitress was cute and no smelly people ruined your dinner! You get a nice nights sleep and roll out early feeling good. Now you get to your first stop...get checked in and given a door. As you pull up and look at your door theres a o/o long nose 379 looking nice and shined up then a W9 on the other side just as pretty..and a lil spot between them that has your door number on it. Now you think back as joe blow trainer said time after time no no no i don't want you backing in this dock its to tight for you. The point is learn the job, the complete job while you can. I have been called more than a few times to stop by and help a newbie who swears that his truck wont fit into a dock. Poor guy feels bout a useless at teets on a boar hog when you pull up and dock his truck for him. Make em teach you or find someone who will, I don't wanna come dock your truck for you....and you don't wanna be sittin there waitin on someone to come do it for ya..

 

And don't ever forget that you can tell that 6 dollar an hour shipping or recieving clerk that you are not skilled enough to back into that spot. Most of them probably couldn't do it in their Honda civic! Tell them you need to wait for a better one. I did this after trying to back underground blind side in downtown Chicago and they got pissed and told me to go around to the other side of the building where their recieving dock was. I could have landed a 747 in the recieving dock!

No newbie should EVER blind side back. Wait for a better door. Call your dispatcher if you get crap. You would much rather endure embarassment than an incident.

BRI

 

COME ON ARE YOU FOR REAL!!!!! that fantasy world your in sounds good (lol,lol,) but if the trainer trained the newbie right then you wouldnt be backing them in newbies trained right would be F-E-A-R-L-E-E-S back in a dock on the drop of a dime and have no problem doing it...this goes back to what i said earlier 'EVERY ONE ISNT A TRAINER JUST BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY ARE'