A Thread for the Trainer

I don't train for a few reasons.

The first is liability. A student can do good the entire time he/she is on my truck, but if they get into a accident within their probationary period, it falls back on me.

The second is what you noted. Even though I'm a company driver, I take care of my equipment. Mainly because of the fact that when the truck brakes down, I'm not making any money. So when I get the student that cant shift and tears up my transmission, I'm down for about a week waiting on repairs.

Case in point:

A buddy of mine I went to orientation with started to train when he leased a truck. The student was driving on I-84 approaching Cabbage. He told the student to go into a lower gear. What did the student do? The student went from 8 high to granny low. Needless to say, they went down cabbage with no transmission.

That's why I will never train.

 

WOW thats what thay hire to work out here

 

So I went and did it. I know the flames will be coming but whatever. I took on my first student and am finding it very rewarding.

I know everyone says you need a million miles or so many years experience to train. Here's my feeling. In this company training lasts 3-6 weeks. I don't care how much experience you have you can only teach so much in that span of time. Also I remember what is was like to be a student. The nervousness and fear.

One thing I never realized was how much I have learned since I started driving until I took on my first student. He calls me a backing jedi. I know better.

When I first got this guy he was green, very green. Only been out of texas for cdl school. Shifting was atrocious, he had a lot to learn. It hasn't even been 2 weeks and his shifting is mostly good now, some downshifting issues to correct. Backing is good he's getting the hang of how to properly set up for a back. Company paperwork is coming along and next week he starts paper log training.

In all I have to say this is a very rewarding experience and I'm glad I did it. I'm finding I am learning from my student as well as teaching him. I have every confidence that he will upgrade to 1st seat with no problems by the time he leaves my truck and he will be a safe and productive driver, not a mindless steering wheel holder. I am tired of seeing the ignorant, selfish, improperly taught drivers out there. I have a chance to turn out some safe, courteous, productive drivers who will be a credit to the industry, I will not upgrade any student I believe is not up to my standards. If you can't/won't drive safe I will not pass you. That is my main thing, all else is secondary.

Anyway There it is. Hate me if you want but don't judge until you have been in my truck.

Incidentally I'm asking every student to come here and register since I learned a lot of what I know from you fine folks.

EDIT: just wanted to say the only thing I didn't count on was how tiring training can be. Pretty stressful on the trainers. I have to find my zen place to get the patience I need sometimes.

 

Some drivers will come on here a see gravdigr, only has one year driving, so how can he train? Well, I have read post from gravdigr when you first jumped on here. He has many years in the construction trades driving, yards, sites.
If anyone questions his experience, Ill back him up. Darn good driver.
Thanks for training The Pee-Wee`s the right way.

 

Puts a whole new light on the trainers you rode with huh?

It is an eye opening experience to have a rookie in control..a whole new meaning to the word pucker factor sometimes too.

You've got the right attitude..just don't lose it like some do over time.Just remember..you as a trainer have as much right to send a rookie back to the terminal as they have to request a new trainer..but you hae to justify the request..IE completely unsafe attitude..unwillingness to listen and follow instructions..argumentative..etc

Petey

 

Yeah...I think I slept maybe 18 good hours the first week. Co giving team runs with a green trainee and I can't sleep back there until I know he won't put us in a ditch or worse.

I hope I never get the guy I have to send back. But I have gotten guys in the cemetery that couldn't drive a lawnmower no matter how much I worked with them.

Thanks for the support wargames, I was seriously considering not mentioning I became a trainer here but then where would I go to ask any questions I may have about it.

 

Most companies have a subforum on here, and the best support you will have (not that you won't get good support here) is from fellow trainers working for your company..

Each company has their "right" way of doing things. Always double check with yours. That bein said, having trained myself I'll always try to answer your questions with an honest answer.

Petey

 

Grave Digger...I am in the same boat as you. Just finished my second student. I find the job extremely tiring because you are always on. Our training is 10k miles so by the middle of the 3rd week I am dead tired and wish I could get away from the student for a few hours. Don't get me wrong, both students couldn't be nicer, but, I just never had an hour to myself.

I spoke to my manager and she had a seasoned trainer from her fleet call me. He advised finding ways to separate. Have the student work on a trip plan while you go take a shower and then look over his trip plan while he takes a shower. That's almost 2 hours right there. Dont eat together, go at a different times.

The good news in my outfit is we don't drive team with students. They are solo miles. That allows for sleep. Once in a while we will drive a modified team effort, just to get to a destination by a certain time to enable a better dispatch. Early in the trip, I wil drive as many hours as necessary but by the end of training I will go several days without driving.

For instance, we have to deliver loads to the broker when in Laredo. If you arrive after 4 on friday, you may get stuck sleeping with the load until Monday. So, we drive a little harder to get in by noon of Friday, drop the load and get a dispatch for the rest of the weekend.

It is gratifying to see them progress. It is fun when they call every few weeks just to say hello or to ask advice on something.

We put our CB handles on the doors of the trucks. It is the trainer's job to give the student a handle. My first guy was named Heavy Loads, because I don't think we had a single load under 43,000 and that is dry vans. The skinny little driver weighs about 125 pounds so it is comical seeing him get out from behind a door that says Heavy Loads.

The second guy had a problem catching signs during training so I had him read them out loud. His goal was to read it before I did. So, he was always talking, sometime asking me a question, sometimes reading, I never knew which. His last name was French, so his doors read French Talker. Doesn't know a lick of french but, he can fight that battle when he goes to Canada.

All in all, its fun. KEep up your great attitude. Good trainers don't just do it for the money. They want to put safe drivers out there.

Experience has little to do with being a good trainer. If you can go 125k miles on time and safe, you have something to offer the newbies. If you can communicate what you know, you have all that it takes. You don't have to win rodeos to be a great trainer. If you learn from teaching, you are one of the great ones.

Be Safe, have fun.

RR