A Thread for the Trainer

The sad but true fact of life with companies like Werner is that with only 6 months experience a feller (or lady) can become a trainer.

My trainer only had about 15 months experience.

 

I train for CRST...yea I know my mind must be way off to admit to that one! But I cant say much here. I tell all my students two things upon "graduation".

1) Keep my number and use it. Call me anytime day or night if you need help.

and

2) Sign up here! I got great advise here when I began my career and I know several of my ex-students are members here today.

 

No Rick, you were not to blunt, but that guy ended up just like you said. Always enjoy your post, you are one of the few that has a fact when you post. My father was a driver for almost 40 years and alot of what you say is the same things he has told me for years. At least now i have one of the best student drivers i have ever had, he picks things up very fast and takes notes when i teach him things. Things may be different soon for me, training days may come to an end. The person i work for is looking into another company where we can have full access to the load boards. He has been a trainer for almost 15 years and its beating him down. So it may be time to drive and get well needed rest like the normal drivers, wait, i said normal drivers.

 

im a new driver myself the school i went through had some students that can hardly drive thier own cars, one guy couldnt even read english. WOW, hope that guy is off the road.

 

There's nothing wrong with having adult ADD, some peopl....wait what was I saying?

 

alot-to-learn, "there but for the grace of God go I" is a statement that comes to mind regarding your student. Although I feel your pain (boy do I feel your pain LOL) I have seen this before. Some of these guys just get nervous, and every bit of common sense there ever had flies out the window. Not that it helps you in any way shape or form, but I have seen these guys more than once, and I have seen a couple of them turn into awesome drivers. I think "what it is", their nerves are so shot, and they want to please so badly they blow their own minds.

I could have never believed this if I hadn't seen it first hand myself. I had a student driver that just sucked in every conceivable manner. This guy couldn't back, he couldn't follow simple directions, he couldn't even play the read the road sign game with me. He was safe, and at no time did I ever feel we were in harms way, not really anyways.

Only a couple months after he got his own truck I saw him at one of our terminals. I didn't say a word to him, and kind of stayed hidden out of his eyesight. I watched this guy back an empty into a tight hole, watched him unhook and re hook to a new trailer. He never made a mistake and if I didn't know him I would have thought he had been doing it for years.

After feeling like a proud papa, I went over and talked to him (I was grinning ear to ear and wanted nothing but to shake his hand and pat him on the back). He instantly lost all of his confidence and started fumbling around like a first day rookie, and it was clear this guy was just intimidated by me. Probably not so much "me" but as the person that controlled his destiny with our company.

We discussed what I had just witnessed (him backing like a pro) and we also discussed why he lost his marbles when he saw me. I did my best to reassure him, and let him know he was a full blown company driver, and in no way did I have anything to do with his job at that company anymore. Hell, I tried to be his buddy. I think it actually helped.

 

When I trained I did the same thing. I gave all my students that made it my cell number and told them to call me with any questions they had. Better to ask me a stupid question then to get fired for a stupid mistake.

 

One cool thing about training (If you can handle doing it) Is that you can end up with a good friend. I trained one of the best that I have ever seen. A great driver, A real natural. That was 2.7 yrs ago and he is now my best friend. Still calls me every once in awhile to get advice.