Can Driver Trainers Learn From Trainees?

Yeah, ....... but what about ME?!

I learned at LEAST as much from some of my trainees as they did from me, I'm sure.

Check this one out, --------------> One of my female students was a young, twenty-something, cutie. But what I like best about her was that she was a real go-getter --- anxious to learn and get 'er done attitude. What she lacked in skill, she more than made up for by asking questions, then THINKING before applying said answers to whatever application applied at the time.

At one tricky dock, she asked me how I would set up to make the back-in to the dock. I gladly told her what MY choice would be. I didn't mention there were other choices --- didn't want to confuse her. I need not have worried about that.

As she began her approach, I was on the ground to spot for her. One thing I haven't been able to master is telling a driver OR trainee "when" to do "what" while they're backing. I CAN explain the basics, but as I learned myself, only YOU know how you want to set up for a back-in --- and why. SOMEtimes, it's neat to show off --- just a tad.
HEY!
It makes up for all those times when you kiss the dock perfectly,.......
and there's nobody there to see it.
If you make a perfect back-in,......
and there's nobody there to see it,........
did it really happen.
Sorta like "the one that got away."
But, ....................I digress.
My bad.

Anyway, ............... as a spotter, I can tell a driver when they're on a collision course, and make suggestions to correct that situation, but it takes time to acquire that "feel" it takes to be a backin' fool. I can't make that happen. Some will get it, some won't. Most inbetwixt. All depends on APTITUDE,...........along with ATTITUDE. Both can be acquired skills.

But she's not setting up the way I told her I would.
But wait!
Hmmmmmmm
The way she IS setting up, IS another way to get 'er done.
I decided to let her try it that way.
Two pull-ups, and she kissed the dock.
This kid is GOOD!

Keeping that in mind,.................. up in Washington State, we were entitled to motel roomS (separate roomS), and we thought it would be a nice place to sit a spell and relax, waiting for the next dispatch, the next morning.

As we pulled into a nicer motel, I noticed they had a lot of big truck parking, which I mentioned to my trainee, the same one.
Then, I asked if she noticed ANYthing remotely wrong with the way the parking was laid out.
She didn't.
But she was driving and I had more time to look around.

They're all blind side backs.
I figured I hear "driver change!" time from her.
Didn't.
Instead,.................
"OH! Cool.
Can I do it?"

Catch that, ....... not TRY it,...... nope,...... DO it.
Sure! Go for it.

As I was watching, several drivers and their wife/co-drivers. walked up and began watching also.
My trainee set up the back very well. And she kept glancing over at me to be sure.
As luck would have it, there were NO other trucks or trailers within three or four spaces, and nothing nearby to hit. But THAT can make it even MORE difficult.

As she's backing, the other drivers remarked how well she was doing.
Two pull-up, that's all. And she was pretty square with the lines painted on the ground.

"Who is she?", they asked.

I told them she was my trainer and was showin' me how to get 'er done.

The went over to talk to her and pat her on the back.

She wondered why.
I told her what I'd told them about her teaching me.

She wondered why I did that.
What can I say?
I sometimes do stuff like that.
Never said I was "normal".

But that's another story,................... and it gets better.
IMO, of course.

 

>Yeah!
And they say there's no rewards in trucking!
Some days, you're the bug.
Some days you're the windshield.

BTW, whenever one of those BIG buggers splatter on MY windshield, I think...........
he/she/it won't have the guts to do THAT again!

 

Well, whom ever said, "He who laughs last, laughs best", knew of which they were speaking. I, for one, sure don't mind waiting in line for the last laugh.

Consider this one, ---- same trainee,..........................

We were dispatched to pick up a load of Hansen Juices at an old warehouse in Central California. One of those old wooden buildings with an open to the weather, long dock, -- no doors, no lines painted on the ground, just a straight dock.

On one end of that straight dock was a ramp for forklifts to go from ground level to the dock level, and it had MANY battle scars in the concrete as well as very bent pipe railings. That was the last, or first -- depending on how you look at it -- dock position, and an obvious tricky back-up into.

I was driving as we entered the facility and I noticed a group of good ol' boys standing around, waiting. They noticed me as I parked and exited the truck to check in and get a dock assignment. I was told that the next available dock was mine.

As I was returning to the truck, I overheard the good ol' boys talking about that last dock position and it seems they were betting on whomever got that dock as to whether or not they'd hit anything or everything. All depends I suppose.

Well, as luck would have it, the next available dock was that one on the end. The killer dock.
Normally, I might start sweating bullets about then, but I had a feeling my trainee would want to get 'er done.
Hmmmmmmmm
and
$$$$??

I decided to try my luck betting with the good ol' boys.

"Shux Howdy!", I muttered.
"Wouldn't you know it! Dang my luck.
Looks like the killer dock is mine."

Oh REALLY?!
"Yup"
And I went to the truck to inform my trainee what dock we were to back into, or UP to. As I predicted, she wanted to give it a try, and I was more than ready to let her.
I told her I'd be watching from the dock as she backed in. I used a hand held 40 channel CB to direct her this time so I could keep an eye on the ramp that was on her blind side, as she couldn't it see during a 45 degree back.

She began to back slowly and was in the process of setting herself up when I returned to the dock where the good ol' boys had gathered. When they saw me, they did a double take.
HuH?!
Who's driving the truck?

"My trainee is", I told 'em.
"I think SHE can handle it."

Then began the under the breath chuckles, and the bet was on the table.

"Mind if I get in on the betting?", I inquired.
They were more than happy to take my money, they told me.

To make a long story short(er), as usual, my trainee did a marvelous job of backing. When she set the brakes, she was perfectly square with the dock and hadn't even come close to hitting anything because she exited the truck a couple of times to check her progress during her backing.

Jaws dropped.
And so did a few dollars, --- which I split with my trainee.
All totaled, we made about twenty bucks each in less than an hour.

She worried --- What if I hadn't made it backing in that dock?
I pointed out that she hadn't failed yet. I just went with the odds.

Why didn't you tell me first?, she wondered.

I didn't want you to choke up, was my answer.

It's twue!
It's twue!

Later that day, in return, she bought me a big ol' hot fudge sundae.
I like hot fudge sundaes.
And we both had a steak dinner.
Thanx to the good ol' boys.

Moral of the story?
There ARE rewards in the trucking industry.