Short Mentor/Training Programs

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

tscottme said: ↑

I understand your situation. Riding with a trainer is usually the hardest time many drivers have coming into the industry, it sounds like you have that in spades. How was your backing? How many miles/hours did you drive in a day? Were you responsible for finding your way to the customer or was that determined by your trainer and you just followed directions? If you are looking to not have someone hovering around you in the truck you really need to show your ability to already do the things this job requires. Anyone can go down the interstate highway without much training, it's the backing, navigating city streets, and administrative duties that count the most. For example, if you daily counted on finding pull-thru parking spots you need a trainer with you. If you count on driving less than 10 hours a day, and only during daytime you need time with a trainer. You might be a natural or quick study and have the skills right now to do this job on your own, we can't really judge from our keyboards.

I'm sure you've tried explaining your need to be left alone to your past trainers. I'm also pretty introverted, but I moved so much during my childhood I learned to fake being "normal". Perhaps you didn't explain clearly enough to get the point across. It's also possible your trainer only hears what he wants to hear, there's an epidemic of that in the industry. Quite a few trainers take up training to make more money and to have more social interaction than being solo. It's possible with the right trainer you can find one that essentially supervises but doesn't hover. I cannot over emphasize how you must make your point CALMLY and CLEARLY, not mumble 'back off' once at the start and then interpret everything as 'closing in on you'.

I'd ask you if you do ride with a trainer you calmly but very directly say "I appreciate your experience, you are Captain of the ship, but it's very important that you watch my driving and only intervene or offer suggestions as a last resort. I understand that means my fate is in my hands. I risk getting kicked out of the job. I intend to use this time to demonstrate I am ready to solo." And then know you have to demonstrate solo driving ability or get kicked out. Expressing frustration at being monitored or corrected would tell me you are not ready for the job. You do the job safely with no corrections would suggest you are ready to go solo. That means anticipating what other drivers are going to do and not just quickly brushing off your own oversight of the situational details. I don't know if you are a genuine introvert (being around people drains your energy) or maybe you are more like a Millennial who's been pampered and told you can do no wrong your whole life. You need to honestly evaluate you.

I think you really have to honestly judge if your skills are road ready now or if you would rather ride with a stranger or find another industry. It's possible you are good to go, but it's pretty unusual to be good to go with so little experience. I'm not doubting your skills just suggesting you better be good NOW, not just defensive about getting instructions if you are seeking to go solo. You are really walking out onto a very long thin plank over a deep gorge. You better be steady.
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Thanks for all the good advices friend. I really appreciate.

My backing was good actually. We got some tied manœuvres into really small location so it was a good experience to have. My trainer let me ran a lot. I told him I wanted to get my hours fast and he seemed to be good with it. Especially the 1st week since I needed to have 50 hours for us to move into the "team driving mode" and of course the paper works and log was totally new to me so he basically help me thru it or was doing it himself having me watching. He also teached me how to flow the gear. And I had hard time down shifting that way ! But yeah the first week was instructive and then it's just became repeatedly.

Overall I grateful for the experience and I really understand the need of learning from someone who have experience since it can be a dangerous job.

I just think that you'll have to learn on your own the hard way anyway ... I'm mean I have more than a month of experience of I total it. And of course i don't think I'm 100% ready . What I mean is, I think to be able to say to a driver is an experience one. He needs to have at least 6 months on the road. 2 or 5/6 weeks he's not gonna give you that. But maybe I'm wrong.
What do you think friend ?
Peace ✌️✌️

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

AM14 said: ↑

Was that initial CA to GA run illegal or did you not want to work that much to make the drop? Pretty crummy to bail after one load after your friend stuck his neck out for you. If the boss was making you run over hours then ok you made the right choice in leaving.
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Hey friend thanks for your respond.

I really thought I made it clear. But I obsviously didn't.

O will just say, that type of run should not be accepted by any body ( period )

PEACE ✌️ ✌️

pattyj · Dec 31, 2016

Ridgeline said: ↑

This is what you said in your first post -

"Anyway I had to quit that place too after only a weeks on my own.
The reason was ... the owner was a psychopath! He made me ran from CA to GA and back in a really short period of time."
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49ersFrenchTrucker said: ↑

Hey friend thanks for your respond.

I really thought I made it clear. But I obsviously didn't.

O will just say, that type of run should not be accepted by any body ( period )

PEACE ✌️ ✌️
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Tell us how many miles total from GA to Calif and how long did your boss give you to do the round?

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

tinytim said: ↑

You have a lot more to go on than I do. I can only base it on what you posted here and that's how it looked. My apologies if I'm wrong.

If I were hiring and you were applying your short history doesn't look good. On the other hand it's not all that unusual for new drivers to go through a few employers in a short time. Looking ahead though you don't want to have 12 trucking jobs on your resume in a 3 year period. The only one's who will hire you then are the crappy ones since it's obvious you won't stick around long.

The only reason to leave one job is if it means a step up. It seems that what you thought you were doing when you quit Swift after two weeks. At this point take your time picking a company and do your best to stay there for a long time. Like I said in my 1st post, the more short term jobs you have the less chance you have of getting on with a good company.
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Thanks men. Yes I'll see if someone is willing to hire me again ( I know it's gonna be challenging with my past experience) and if I have to go with a crapy company for a little while , so be it, I'll do it to get the experience. I really want to be a part of the trucking industry. And I'll indeed try harder if a company give me a 2nd chances. And by that I mean, if the only option I have it's the go back 6 weeks with a trainers. I'll do it. I hope it's not gonna be the case but will see.

PEACE ✌️

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

nax said: ↑

What I don't get is the expectation that all new drivers are the same, and therefore should "just deal with it", coz that's the trucking life.

I appreciate the people who responded to the OP without demeaning his reaction to the "not-so-pleasant" experience.

Some of us newbies are NOT "millenials" or have NEVER been coddled all our lives...but cannot stand nonsense either.
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Thanks for the support men!
I'm surprised to see all the negativity around these people.

They take a sentence out of your post and they judge you like they know you for 20 years.

Sad !

Peace men ✌️✌️

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

pattyj said: ↑

Tell us how many miles total from GA to Calif and how long did your boss give you to do the round?
Click to expand...

I really don't understand why I need to be so specific about it ....

I think I made myself clear already.

And if I don't . It's all good men....
I don't think you are here to help me or advices me anyway.

Good luck to you. Be safe and PEACE ✌️✌️

tscottme · Dec 31, 2016

49ersFrenchTrucker said: ↑

Thanks for all the good advices friend. I really appreciate.

My backing was good actually. We got some tied manœuvres into really small location so it was a good experience to have. My trainer let me ran a lot. I told him I wanted to get my hours fast and he seemed to be good with it. Especially the 1st week since I needed to have 50 hours for us to move into the "team driving mode" and of course the paper works and log was totally new to me so he basically help me thru it or was doing it himself having me watching. He also teached me how to flow the gear. And I had hard time down shifting that way ! But yeah the first week was instructive and then it's just became repeatedly.

Overall I grateful for the experience and I really understand the need of learning from someone who have experience since it can be a dangerous job.

I just think that you'll have to learn on your own the hard way anyway ... I'm mean I have more than a month of experience of I total it. And of course i don't think I'm 100% ready . What I mean is, I think to be able to say to a driver is an experience one. He needs to have at least 6 months on the road. 2 or 5/6 weeks he's not gonna give you that. But maybe I'm wrong.
What do you think friend ?
Peace ✌️✌️
Click to expand...

The trucking company is in a bind. You are asking them to trust a stranger with a record that doesn't look especially good. They are responsible for damage you may create. Their best defence is to accept new drivers that act like other new drivers that succeed, and you look different.

I would ask you what specifically was the problem when you were teaming/training. If the trainer was sitting in the passenger seat or sleeper making no comments, does that seem intolerable? Or, is the trouble sleeping while trucks bounces, causing grumpiness, causing irritation about the other person? I'm trying to isolate if you're so introverted you can't stand to have another person in the truck or if your problem is some form of conflict or training issue? Certainly 2 people in 1 truck is crowded.

Do your hobbies get to away from people & give you energy? Does being around people drain your energy or make you tired? Say you are watching TV with others, after a long time of nobody speaking, do you feel uncomfortable or think "I'm glad I'm not having to make small talk"? Your issue might be fixed with getting the right trainer who
sleeps while you drive and vice versa. Are there particular tasks or duties that are the biggest problem or is it that there is someone taking up so much space in an already small space.

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

Scooter Jones said: ↑

I went to work for May Trucking in '09 when I got into the industry. I was on the truck for only 9 days. Not saying that's the norm, but my trainer was comfortable with recommending I solo out.

Being on a truck with someone else in their space is hard. What I recommend is to get out of that space alone as much as you can. I took a laptop with me and would go hang out by myself during rest periods (in truck stops) and surf the web, watch movies, listen to music, read, talk on the phone with my wife & friends, etc.
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Thanks for sharing this friend!

Yeah I really don't want to go thru this again but if I have to, I'm gonna try to communicate with the trainer and let him now right away that I'm that kind of person who don't like being so close to people for that long lol and hoping he will understand and not be offended.

Peace men ✌️✌️

tscottme · Dec 31, 2016

49ersFrenchTrucker said: ↑

I really don't understand why I need to be so specific about it ....

I think I made myself clear already.

And if I don't . It's all good men....
I don't think you are here to help me or advices me anyway.

Good luck to you. Be safe and PEACE ✌️✌️
Click to expand...

Depending on why you quit because of the GA to CA trip would give valuable insight about your issue. If the 2000 mile trip is only possible by tons of illegal driving, that's one thing. If the issue is you think it unreasonable to drive a full 11 hours for several days, that's quite another. If the truck was deficient or unsafe, that's another.

49ersTrucker · Dec 31, 2016

tscottme said: ↑

The trucking company is in a bind. You are asking them to trust a stranger with a record that doesn't look especially good. They are responsible for damage you may create. Their best defence is to accept new drivers that act like other new drivers that succeed, and you look different.

I would ask you what specifically was the problem when you were teaming/training. If the trainer was sitting in the passenger seat or sleeper making no comments, does that seem intolerable? Or, is the trouble sleeping while trucks bounces, causing grumpiness, causing irritation about the other person? I'm trying to isolate if you're so introverted you can't stand to have another person in the truck or if your problem is some form of conflict or training issue? Certainly 2 people in 1 truck is crowded.

Do your hobbies get to away from people & give you energy? Does being around people drain your energy or make you tired? Say you are watching TV with others, after a long time of nobody speaking, do you feel uncomfortable or think "I'm glad I'm not having to make small talk"? Your issue might be fixed with getting the right trainer who
sleeps while you drive and vice versa. Are there particular tasks or duties that are the biggest problem or is it that there is someone taking up so much space in an already small space.
Click to expand...

Thanks for responding friend!

Men I don't know, I just felt miserable every day. I think, having no or almost no privacy was the problem. I couldn't even talk on the phone without my trainer listening. And the only timesI was by myself were the restroom stop or shower lol it's hard men !

Peace ✌️

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