Lease/Op Trainers

Im looking for feedback from current or former lease-operators who have trained at a mega-carrier.

I’m 30, been team driving for 2+ years. I have the perfect personality to be a trainer and I want to maximize my earning potential over the next few years. I cleared $80k my first year in this industry and $100k my second year. My goal as a lease/op trainer is to clear $140k (pre-tax). Have any of you done this or come close? Where did you work and what were some of the pros/cons.

If you failed at your lease purchase I’m sorry but I don’t want to hear from you. If you’re an owner/op or a company driver who would never lease a truck I don’t want to hear from you. Only successful lease/ops who have trained or are familiar with those who have.

 

I simply asked for the naysayers to move on and not chime in. I love when you guys act like this is rocket science. What do you mean I don’t know enough to train a new driver after being behind the wheel every day for 2 YEARS!? I’ve been in almost every situation you can encounter behind the wheel. Been to every city and every weather situation possible.

When I started at Swift my mentor had 3 decades of experience (25+ Heavy haul teamsters) and had been training at Swift for 4 years when I got on his truck. He’ll tell you to this day I’m the best student he’s ever had. We still talk every week and he is beloved by all of his prior students. He had a great system in place. He’d get up at 6am and push off down the road for a couple hours while I slept. I’d take over around 8 or 9. He’d stay up with me for a few hours then take a nap (curtains open in case I needed anything). I’d finish around 8 or 9 and he’d drive a few more hours then shut the truck down by midnight. Slept from 12-6. We comfortably averaged over 5k miles a week and had plenty of time for backing, learning the Qualcomm, learning how to properly pre-trip and trip plan, learning how to communicate with the planners ahead of arrival, etc. How to maintain proper distance, avoid the yellow lines, merge, keep the hood in the center of the lane, use as much road as possible when turning, safely navigate construction zones, how to climb and descend hills, how to use the exhaust brake. How to drive so that he’d hardly feel me shift, brake, turn, or accelerate. He kept himself and his truck in phenomenal condition and taught me how to be a professional.

If you know how to manage your time and have a solid work ethic, combined with the right type of personality you can be a good trainer and be productive at the same time. Of course I intend to maximize my earning potential but that doesn’t mean I will put profit over the well-being or safety of anybody.

Saw somebody say it’s starting to stink up in here. Well you’d sh** your pants if you knew how much money our boss paid up front to retain me after peak season. Again, if you can’t add any value to this thread then please find someone else’s time to waste.

 

You also once read that if you’re not a lease operator trainer then you’re in the wrong thread and to go kick rocks.