Are you a trainer?

Uh errr...no comment.

 

What do you older hand's think is a reasonable time for someone to become a trainer. I definetly agree 6 mos or 2yrs is definetly not enough. Heck, most companies don't even give you enough time with a trtainer, so when your on your own, your still learning new things from day to day!!

 

Personally I'd like to see 5 years, accident free. If that meant the driver had to drive for 15 years before he got a 5 year stretch accident free, so be it.

But that will never happen. The number of drivers with that kind of experience willing to train, is very thin. I was asked 3 times before I took the position.

And you're right, you don't have enough time with a trainer to learn much. And that's why they aren't concerned about the experience of the trainers. Few will have enough time to even scratch the surface of what they know.

If they cover the basics and run the truck as a solo, you'll be okay. If they run you as a team, you're on your own.

 

My company used the senior driver at the terminal and they were all spotless on their record. You'd have driver trainers accident free for 20 years with a gasoline tanker in the city and believe me that's hard to do.

But the company knew their value and treated them right. Once a year they'd go off on a company retreat for a week and some of the perks were crazy.

I honestly believe there should be another endoresment for it. Pay that trainer more all the time and just not when he's training. I believe a driver with 10 years should be the minimum and the record has to be clean. That would cover all the specialized hauling too which requires a little more experience to do. Let the government include checking the companies driving training program when they hold inspections or audits.

6 months is a joke since the CDL schools lack training in defensive driving or taking care of the truck. Professionalism has to be learned and not just because you're getting paid to drive.

 

Good post but the companies that need good trainers the most are lucky if they can get a driver to stay 2 years , never mind 10 years .

 

It took 3 years of hard work and rave reviews from my dispatcher to get me to train. I trained drivers for JB Hunt back in the mid nineties. I rarely train anyone anymore as the company I work for does not have a training program anymore.

Being a trainer requires A LOT of patience. The extra money is paltry compared to the risk we take every day. Some drivers are capable and competent after as little as a year (need 4 seasons imo minimum) behind the wheel, while others never seem to quite get the hang of it.

Sadly, some driver trainers really do not care about their trainees. All they want is the extra log book to rack up as many miles as possible.

 

Proper training would not rack up extra miles . You should be on duty all the while the trainee is behind the wheel . I do appreciate your honest comment some "drivers " never get the hang of it and 4 seasons are required to be competent . It's real joke students in states like Florida think their CDL has some value when you can run the length of the state and never see a steep grade and never see one snowflake on the road . I heard a customer in SC tell me he had a Schneider tanker driver a day late with a delivery because he came down Monteagle on his first solo trip and he was so shook up when he got to the bottom he just parked it for the day .

 

I did training at my last company I had 6 years total OTR 5.5 accident free. I had driven in any kind of freaking slop you could think of and was given the FUN job as my Personal director told me. I was the so called Finisher if they failed me they were CANNED. The comapny I was with had a 3 month training program 2 months with the first trainer were for the first month the trainee did all the driving and the trainer was in the jump seat on duty also helping that person figure out their shortcomings. The second month was spilt 50/50 50% they ran a total of 15 hours a day that way the trainee could beging to get used to sleeping with the truck moving. TThe last 2 weeks were team running. Then they were mated with the Finshers. We were given a sheet with any problems the trainers had and if the Trainees had made any improvements. We were told if they could not improve we had the power to THROW THEM OFF the truck at any time at the next bus stop. I ended up with a total of 5 Trainees of them 4 failed me. That is correct I flunked 80% of my trainees I could tell they did not have the tempers to last in the industry. One stated that he wanted to run over cars anytime he could he did not make it out of the yard. The second that faied refused to run over 400 miles a shift and would not do more in 10 hours the company expected 1200 miles a day out of its teams. The third did 40 grand in damage in a backing accident to 2 trucks at the same time one of which was a working SHOW TRUCK. The last one paniced coming down Parley into SLC and threw the truck into NEUTRAL and scremed you get us down this SON OF A ##### I WANT TO DIE he could not figure out a Super 10 his trainer had an automated 10. The only one that did make was one that he was borderline when we started however he listened and in fact he knew that I was his last chance to make it he gave it his best and did his best and when I did my last test Baker into NEvada and told him to pull into Whiskey Petes so I could by him dinner he knew he had made it. He called me a couple weeks ago he is now a trainer and is training he drivers the same way I did not what they learn in the MILL.

 

Hi, I was a trainer for swift and I will tell you that all the extra money that the company says you can make is a joke,also if your student gets in a accident or gets a ticket you are held accountable for it and makes the trainer pay. I got terminated from swift because I got 3 accidents which were so minor and the police said we can't report it because there is no damage or injuries.I run 7 days a week and over the 3 years I drove I got 320,000
miles. I have been home a week now looking for another driving Job. I was in IL with a student and then Swift decided I was to much of a risk with three accidents that cost almost nothing in repair. I had to get my own way back on a grayhound which took me 2.5 days to get home to Washington state. Stick with being a driver and nothing else,let those that enjoy all the stress and dealing with stupid dispatchers do the training. Being just a plain driver for just about any company is Ok and about the same in treatment as a driver.

 

I was a trainer until this past year. I have nine years experience and had 5 guys total in my tractor with me. I sure didn't do it for the money, although that was a nice perk. If a driver chooses to be a trainer, forget the money; don't do it for the money! That is a purely selfish motive and you won't be helping clean up the industry. Do it because you want to pass along your experiences in helping make the driving industry a better place to be and helping drivers who come into your truck to be successful!

You need to have a lot of patience to bring a driver into your personal living space and show him what is needed to be a great professional driver and be an asset to the company. You also must be capable of explaining details clearly and explicitly so that there's no guessing on his part.

I was asked one time if we would team to get a load; NO WAY would I have done that. My co-driver was ticked off when he found out and thought that I didn't trust him. I told him that it took me several weeks to adjust when my wife and I were teaming, that he and were just getting started and there was a major trust issue in terms of knowing what he could and couldn't do. As it turned out, he was put out of my truck a few days later for refusal to obey a reasonable request (slow down a 65 mph truck in a 55 mph work zone which was known for handing out tickets to anyone, including trucks). Boy was he pissed!

6 months experience? Your first year is your roughest year and you are still learning! No way should one train with only 6 months experience behind the wheel! Then again, there are some drivers with 20+ years who shouldn't be trainers either. It is a draining experience at times when you have to honestly evaluate everything your trainee is doing and look for good points, as well as bad, then know how to phrase it so he understands and can work more on that weak spot.

The hardest part of my trainer days was dealing with my driver manager, honestly. He really had no business being the driver manager for trainers. He and I had to part ways a few months later and it was the best thing I ever did.

I won't go back to training. I like having to answer only to myself when a load's got to move, and not having a smart aleck former Swiftie with 5 months experience thinking he knows more than me (the driver I referenced above). I'm still learning everyday I drive and if I can pass along some of what I have learned here, in addition to learning from others who have tons more experience than I, that's just fine with me!