A Thread for the Trainer

As a trainer I would say TURN THE SOB IN!!!!! What kind of example does it set for future truckdrivers if their trainer is being a stupid idiot and least of how can they train if they are being stupid. If they (the company needs evidence. use your cell phone camera, ask the company to do a random drug test that includes the trainer. If you really want to get nasty tell the dot. Got enough hints. These ding dongs need to be taken out of training if not off the road entirely Be safe Be good Be gone.

 

that's what I figured...just thought it might be hard to do as a trainer. I brought it up since I do some training in "my other life" and know that sometimes you get a rogue trainer that's in it for really odd reasons, and it usually requires an act of congress to get them removed or at least "counseled" into doing things right.

Once again, not trying to start stuff, just curious since I'm on the other side of the fence as a trainer (MSF) and was wondering how y'all deal with some of these issues.

My hat is off to you folks...can't imagine being stuck in a truck 24/7 with some students!!!!

 

I'll be 56 when I start my post-school training. I'm glad to see others in my age group out there but I hope I won't give my trainer any of the problems mentioned in this thread.
I've been driving a school bus for less than a month but have already been asked by the Transportation Supervisor if I would be willing to train new drivers. I know school busses are not 18 wheelers and don't swivel on a fifth wheel but the safety consciousness required to keep the little ones from getting hurt is a must.
I didn't take the CDL Class B test lightly and went in prepared to pass the test. The examiner that gave me the road test is who put a bug in my supervisor's ear about having me train new drivers.
This may sound like "horn tooting" but all I'm really trying to say is I do not/will not take the responsibility of safely operating an 80,000 lb vehicle lightly either.
I'm deadly serious about becoming a professional truck driver. Yes, I do want to see more of this country. Yes, I do want to make money. No, I'll pass on both of those things if I find I can't cut it. Not everybody can but I still hope to be out there with you all sometime next year.
Be safe and thanks for taking the time to pass on your knowledge and experience!
ONWB

 

// im going there next week and i hope i dont have to wait that long// who was your trainer

 

I had a great trainer when I first started..I could never be one myself..

 

Hi Oldnewbiegonnable. I'm 53. I want to do this job badly. Not because I have to but because I want to. But most importantly I have 'stick-with-it-ness'.

I hate quitting. I hate quitting even more when I know it would please some sob lol.

Times are tough. They will get tougher soon I fear. BUT if we just hang in a year, I honestly believe business will have to pick up! Retail supplies can only shrink so far 'to save business costs' before they must pick up. And when they do, good drivers will be hunted and tagged like 12 point bucks by transport companies in need lol.

 

Wanna talk about a bad trainee? When I was a trainer at Werner (back in the day) I had 1 student who seemed to have everything together, we loaded at SweetWater Paper in Austell Ga (only remember as I was there last week) he did the route plan to go to Bangor Maine...... we stopped at the Pilot up on 285 for fuel and I hopped in the back to take a nap, to wake up 2 hours later expecting to be in South Carolina.....we were in good ol Alabama!!!!!! for some reason even though he knew where we were going he looked at a map and started for Bangor Oregon! needless to say he didnt make it past the Atlanta terminal and I have no clue if he is still driving but I certainly hope not. My life is a lot better now that Im not a trainer anymore lol 3 yrs of that was enough

 

lol I had a long time trainer at Swift tell me he had a student that was supposed to exit to I-75 nb off of 285 and he went to sleep confident in the drivers ability after a couple of weeks with him. He said he woke up five hours later and they were still on 285! He said he couldn't find the exit and just kept looping around. Oh the horror! The HORROR!

 

Ok guys & gals I have one that will beat all of you... I had a newbee last year I thought I was on hidden camera. 22-23 year old. Showed up with as he said "training aids". Now hold on, this is going to get weird,funny and sad all in one. He brought out a American flag wraped in duct tape, a 2x4 stand with a potato masher secured on the top, 3 nerf footballs, and a dinner plate with a little lever duct taped on the backside. Now he put the flag in the stand and potato masher upsidedown, taped the nerf footballs to the floor. He said he was going to mimick me as I was driving. He was going to use the flag as the gear shift, the nerf balls as the 3 pedals, the dinner plate as the steering wheel and the little lever on the back of the plate as the turn signal lever!!!!!!!! Itold him he was going to learn by actually driving the truck. I let him keep the juck in place as I drove out of the lot just to see him do it. He played with his toys as far as the freeway (3 blocks) then he never touched them again. I was offended by the flag and told him so. I also had to do everything I could to keep from laughing myself off the road!!! Yes I failed him after 1 week. Inmature punk who thought this job was a time to just see how wild he could drive. Sad and scary.

 

ok that is bad, all I can say is WOW