If you are a trainer, I need some advice

If he can't find his way around it is not a trucking problem; I am sure it is the same in his POV. Probably should have a desk job

 

I believe this condition is prevalent across multiple industries — people are to attached to technology and can’t break the habit. I keep a notebook of hand written notes on how to get in and out of customers yards or tricky truck stops. Might be overkill, but the folks generations before technology came along kept a journal and could find their way about anywhere.

 

And it also helps to listen to others and be teachable —the last part is in short supply in today’s world —IMHO.

 

Could be he is not just meant for trucking.

Not that he's a bad guy, he could be a genius accountant or plumber or something.

It takes awhile when you're on yourown to fully develop all the skills needed.

I had several guys that had never even opened an atlas.

I used to give them a fill in the blank test of the U.S. when they got on the truck. How do you get to Maryland when you don't know where it is?

There were only a handful I signed off. The rest I took into safety, said they need more time in training, live long and prosper.

My best advice is give him the shove from the nest. He'll make some mistakes, but if he doesn't learn from them, then maybe it's simply not meant to be.

 

I think its a permanent generational problem. Technology is to blame but education is as well.

If all of this modern stuff was go go away in 5 minutes back to 1910 I'll be ok. It would be rough but we will make it. I thank my parents for taking me all over to cover the things that are not covered in school.

Trainers are in a position to teach everything about getting a truck into and out of places. When I was training I was teaching spouse how to use the atlas, motor carriers and so on. She got good with it. Passed the Pittsburgh to Snowshoe test up 220. If I did not see that old snowshoe in the morning we will work on where she make mistake in navigation.

The internet became availible with a dialup card on the lap top for updating and then the Rand Streets GPS program only needed the physical address show a dot but otherwise still a very comprehensive map.

I did make one GPS mistake and that was a valid one in Delaware. People would laugh but it's possible.

Teaching trainees today would be a task I would not want to do. They don't have the old fashioned no technology ability. IE Motor carriers atlas and so on. The other problem is they have to fly on their own. The trainer is nice but they are going to have to leave that nest and fly right. Otherwise find a different industry or a desk job where they cannot get into trouble.

I do use some techology, as shown by the recent US33 Thread vs US250. That was a fun exercise.

However the trainees today have to understand knowing information in the mind from all sources to get a big truck where it needs to go. I have had problems where its not exactly where you would want to take a big rig into because you might get stuck down there. So your information needs to be right. If it involves stopping at a patrol car and ask him which building contains this particular shipper, he has a book (*In California where some high secret warehouses are not numbered) that shows actual numbers and who occupies that space in his patrol car.) which pointed out the second one down the street and all's well.

At some point when the newbies grow up and need to train truckers, I hope by god they learn through blood, sweat and tears how to do it the hard way then the easy way by then.

 

#### man you are way more relaxed than me when it comes to telling people info, it annoys me when i have to repeat myself because people heads is in their phones or they are zoned out instead of paying attention, the gps is one of the greatest things ever invented for a trucker but if you dont know how to find your way without it , it might as well be thrown out the window,

 

I mean leave him on his own. Don't answer the phone.

There was a kid related to someone in management when I was at CEMEX. He went through every trainer in Phoenix, like 5, EIGHT months later he finally got his own mixer.

Or be prepared to answer the phone a lot.