Abilene Experience

Hmm idk but he seems like a big jerk to me tho he needs to change the air in his tires for once tho

 

In my defense, I feel compelled to write a rebuttal on the previous statements. First of all I feel as though I have improved my backing since I tore up my passenger side mirror four weeks ago in Philadelphia. Second of all I believe Abilene misplaced me in stage two when clearly, I belonged in stage one. Perhaps, but not sure, maybe I would have gotten the needed time and practice to work and develop my backing skills to do the job properly and safely before going teaming/training in stage two. I told Sally that moments before I got canned. Trucking school didn't really properly teach me to back. They taught me what to do to pass the CDL test. No more, no less. Can only do so much in a few weeks. Maybe Abilene should stay away from inexperienced students like myself. I can't say either, if Abilene needs to overhaul their trainee program since I never got to go through their stage one phase. I was never road tested before given a truck. Maybe something Abilene needs to implement before turning out students too soon for the sake of moving freight. If I fail at my new company, I will likely hang it up. But, don't bet against me because I feel like I am finally ready to turn the corner and do good. BB if you would have told me weeks ago, what you have stated here, I would have considered hanging it up then. But I am as stubborn as a Basset Hound, and still believe I can do this. Maybe I am delusional, maybe I am on point. We will find out before long. I will never hurt or kill myself or anyone else in one of these rigs. All of my incidences were at very very slow speed so I believe those are correctable.
No I won't become an ice road trucker. But at this company, I won't have to. They don't carry chains. We are expected to pull over and stop. Chain law is up. We stop until chain law is down. Thanks for your time and patience with me. I don't blame either you or Johnboy. You guys did your job. Gotta hang this on Abilene. I can learn. I just needed time, but there was freight to move.

 

"Note, read the bold italic change I made in your post."

George, it's not one company, but everyone that has any sort of training program. We don't fault you, or Abilene. At the end of the day these companies need to put drivers on the road. Some make it, most don't. What is being trained and allowed to share the road with me and my family is the reason why I am hanging this up in 3.5 years. I can retire now if I wanted to, but I have a case of severe brain damage and want to be able to correct this industry, thus the reason I train.

Maybe you're right, maybe you have turned the corner, I hope so, first off for me and my family, second off because this is your dream, it was my dream ever since I was a kid 50 years ago. If you keep every incident you had here at Abilene in the forefront of your mind every day, you won't repeat those mistakes, that's a guarantee. I can't say this enough, don't rush any move you need to make and think every move through.

Patience, that is the key, and remember, follow every turn you make in your mirror until you are finished with the turn. That my friend will save you every time.

I have sat down with BB, Sally and Scott back in Richmond. Our mistake that we as trainers made was making a new friend. I'm sorry if this is going to upset some people, but we all agree that this is a job, we are trainers, our job is to train, not make new friends. I already told Sally after meeting my new trainee in Richmond and talking to him for a while that I don't feel he is in the right space, mentally or personally to do this. I spent more time with my students being a marriage counsel, financial adviser and therapist then I did training. that's not fair to me as a trainer. My job is to train, not be a Dr. Phil or Dear Abby. I now see why there's so many post's on the forum about trainer/trainee issues. We have made some adjustments to the training department that will help new trainees and trainers to succeed, up to and including putting on paper and into the file our (trainer) thoughts and opinions on where we think the trainee is headed. This has come about because of what transpired with you after going solo.

Again, if you do the basics, ask questions, and turn to other drivers and your new safety department for help, you will succeed. You don't have all the answers, hell, I don't and I've been doing this for 34 years. I'm pretty sure if I go out on Tuesday and do any of the things you did, I would be fired also, and that's with the time I have out here, you my friend have all of 8 months and only 6 weeks as a solo driver. You are under a microscope, you need to do everything in your day 110% correct, because you are new. I want you to succeed, I have a stake in your success or failure, you succeed, I succeed you fail,I've failed. I need to feed this oversized head of mine with stories of success, not failure. Be safe my friend, this now starts your new career on a new path, the incidents you had at Abilene are in your past, never forget them, but keep focused on your new job at hand.

 

What in the world? Yup, being nosey.

 

That just became a team run