Trainer stabbed and killed by trainee in Texas.

Maybe so, but one of them is definitely a murderer.

 

First 6 hours on the road with trainer @ Transam. Left Olathe,KS. Stopped at his house ( Missouri ) and he beat his son ( 9-11 y.o) over AAA batteries. Lasted 3 days OTR with that trainer and OTR total.. He deserved everything negative thing in life.

Trucking, get all walks of life.

 

Sure there are plenty of bad trainers. The trucking companies are not going to start doing any psychological screening or testing for trainers or trainees anytime soon. A lot of people would never consider a job driving a truck for a living for a lot of good reasons. The pay ain't that great when you consider all the hours of your time it consumes, and unpaid work you perform. If your OTR you usually leave.your home and personal life behind for weeks on end. If you make a big enough mistake no matter how long you have been a driver your career is finished. You might even end up dead or in prison if you really make a big enough screw up. You can end up stranded a thousand miles from home with no money and no way to get back home. Any DOT officer or local cop can pull you over anytime or anywhere and take a big chunk out of your bank account and there usually ain't a dam thing you can do about it. A lot of people have no idea what they are getting into when they try this line of work. In fact most of them don't last more then one or two years at the most. That's why they are always looking for some new warm bodies to keep their trucks moving. They take just about anybody they can get these days. And that's the way it is. And don't expect it to change for the better anytime soon.

 

He must have made the student drive through Austin.

 

That is simply the cold hard truth. I will add, being away from home for weeks at a time is not so hard as never being home for weeks at a time.

 

I whole heartedly agree Air Breeze...

they are only not going to do any evaluation of trainers or students.. they are not even going to make any changes.. students are trained OTR cause that is how they can make money for the company while being trained.. understandable.. trucking is a for profit business not a charity...

For every driver walking away there are three or more in orientation waiting to take their place... trucking has and hasfor sometime had an over 100% turnover rate.. dont know what it is exactly now, but this time last year it was 112% turnover rate...

I am not in trucking anymore.. not because it is horrible.. I had my ups and downs and some crapy times.. but, I was able to make a decent pay check each week...

I am no longer trucking because I not only wanted to be local.. but wanted to be able to available during the day at various times to take my dad to his dr appointments.. which is not attainable in trucking..

I am an independent cable tech now, well still in training.. but I really enjoy it.. right now in training I am only bringing home around $700 to $800 a week... but, that is because I am hourly.. $15.45 an hour, overtime after 40 and generally work about 50 to 60 hours a week, one two days in class and 3 in the field... but, if I need to take my dad to the dr. It is very easy to do without having to take the whole day off.. which I like a lot...

now.. before you all think that is the way to go.. the job is way more physically demanding then even flatbedding.... gaffing a pole will challenge not only your strength but your fear of heights... I never had a fear of heights, even when walking the outer walls swinging trusses when I was in construction... but I did experience it and had to and stiil do when I had to do a 30 foot climb on a pole... my highest so far has been 45 feet.. next week I am going to do a 60 foot climb... now, this is all with around 30lbs of gear.. so it is a physical challenge..
There is also crawling through crawl spaces, and of course attics too.. and you also carry and climb ladders as well as going up and down stairs often in a typical day... and, 10 to 12 hour days are the norm... as well as 80% of your day is working outside in the elements.. hot and humid, rain, cold..

I personally really like it.. But, again it is very physical work.. and you have to have people skills... I do hope to be able to work my way up to the commercial side of it.. and get to put my CDL to work for me..

 

Psychological evaluations of potential truckers is not a good idea for trucking companies. They would eliminate too may people. Truck drivers don't really fit social norms, IMO. At least the long term successful ones.

 

The basic business model, mileage pay, weeks away from home, turnover rates well over 100% annually, trainers with little training or experience themselves in turn teaching individuals with few qualifications to be decent employees, let alone the real time responsibilities of class 8 trucking.
The industry is never going to attract long term stability in it's workforce with a plan like this. No other industry would tolerate 100%+ turnover rates in a safety sensitive position as drivers. Is this how crane operators are trained and treated? How about locomotive engineers?

It is a formula that is doomed to failure, and the public, through regulation is demanding and getting changes, most of which will do more harm than good.

 

I could take the time to read every post but... murder is iligal it's not always a bad thing, sometimes murder is ok but it's still jail.