COVENANT -- From a wife's perspective

REDCOATWIFE, how much money has he been making through his training? that could also be a factor thats effecting his judgement

 

A break?!
Hmmmmmmmm

A well planned trip?
If it were, the trainer should have known that they'd arrive early running hard, and realized a break somewhere in the middle of the run wouldn't have made much difference in their arrival time, and would have offered his trainee a much needed and deserved time to relax a tad.

Just another example of a poor trainer.

A lunch break when his stomach was tied in knots?

I agree.
Shux Howdy! It could even be two trash barrels at a truck stop or rest area. Just measure them out to demonstrate.

That Redcoat hasn't made contact with any barrels or Jersey barriers should bolster his confidence, too.

No doubt.
And THAT'S where better drivers know to SLOW DOWN.
When that urge is missing, so is good judgement.

That's what I say, only I say it LOUDER!
LoL!
Know what?
I can hear Redcoat sayin' that.

102 inches = 8 1/2 feet

I agree.

I call that good trip planning.

YeAH!
That's something that has to be experienced. Hopefully, not too often. That and white-out conditions.
Sometimes turning the headlights off helps reduce the blinding light reflected off the fog or snow.

I used to do that.
Bummer was, when I finally woke up, they had to retrain me.

 

It depends on the location. Many times, it's a waste of time trying to avoid it. Other times...like rush hour in Chicago..you can save an hour or more. NYC, no amount of planning short of taking a nap and waiting helps during rush hour.

My trip planning is done on the fly for the most part. Basic routing and stops are fairly well known to me, through most of the country. I rely on traffic reports, CB, weather, and other factors for any additional route changes.

 

lyion here again. its good to see your realy trying to get a good understanding of how it is on the road and from what im reading your huby needs to chill out some and grind and bare it .i no its dificult for him with some trainers that wont talk to him.you say its your truck are you leaseing it are buying it? if its your truck id tell your husband that he needs to sit down with his trainer and have a talk with him about comunication and have huby tell the trainer [im here new on the road and i need you to help me thats your job comunication is a big thing out there on the road if your new and id tell huby to tell the trainer he needs the traner to give him feed back on his driving and if the trainer does wont to do his job then huby needs to get a new trainer, and tell company the trainer wont comunicate with the driver .it sounds like the trainer is a jurk but some times it takes one person to break the ice .huby ot to sit down like i said and ask the trainer why is he a trainer if hes not training which i seem to be what im reading hearing that when huby is driving the trainer is never in the seet while hes driveing and doing any training for witch is is being payed to do so.driveing 11 hours aday is a body killer,once you get in about 2,000 miles it starts telling on the body .i no when i had my first truck i was runing some weeks 4,000 miles some times more .once you get to the point you are felling your body start to fell bad you need to listen to it and take a breaka way from the truckwhen he gets on his on he will haft to shout the truck down for the 34 hour break this will give him time out of the truck to relax his body and mind and get refreshed it will come atime that hill be wonting to get back in the truck cant wate type of thing thats when you no your ready to hit the road again from a break its a good felling. .id ask for some shorter runs and once your body gets more use to it then you can run a bit more but getting some time off the truck will give huby a chance to regenarate the body. home time will be great for him .i hope what im saying will help any some way it takes time to get use to the road,i personly think starting off you shouldnt push a new driver runing 2,000 miles at first its to stressfull .it dont take long to find what you thought that the truck has lots of room comes cramp with 2 people in it . and the less strain on the body the better.

 

As usual, I'm a day late and probably a dollar short joining in.

And, as usual, I'm going to agree with AfterShock, Dance694u, and the host of others here.

That trainer is an idiot, and Redcoat would be well served by getting away from him.

I think what sets me a LITTLE apart from them is the fact that I am a rookie. In fact, I've not spent a lot more time on the road than Redcoat. I think, just maybe, I'm a little closer to him than they are.

I'm what my wife calls a "passive alpha"... kinda like my dog. I'm non-confrontational (to a point, and getting to that point means baaaaaad things are gonna happen) - but my wife is.. um.. shall we say "forceful"? I'd probably do just what Redcoat is doing... shut up and take it. My wife, if she knew the situation, would probably be on the phone to Covenant suggesting (politely) that something be done about it.

I remember my first few times in heavy traffic and construction and night and rain and and and and...

I have a collection of little square bricks that I've swept off my driver's seat after each event. Now.. no more bricks... but the manufacturing process is still in place.

I drive the speed limit (or lower) in construction zones, and I watch my trailer tandems all the way through.

so.. let me take these in no particular order:

1) Now is not the time to quit. That would be like giving up on pizza because the first one you tried is burned.

2) Now IS the time to request a different trainer. As others have said, simply put it as a request to the company. No real reason need be given, either - just a simple "Philosophical differences" should be plenty. There's plenty of time later on to make safety aware of issues (assuming they have him fill out a 'how was your training' form)

3) Yes, take a week or so off. Put your head back on straight. Get some sleep.

4) Think HARD about what you did and didn't like about the past 2 weeks on the road. How much of the bad was *directly* related to the trainer, and how much directly related to actually being a trucker?

5) It doesn't sound as though Covenant is treating either of you badly at all - but even so, maybe consider yet another company. I know you mentioned at least a couple others at the outset.. but there are still more companies for beginners. For example, I'm as happy as can be expected here at May Trucking. My trainer did an adequate job (looking back, I can see things I think he did wrong... but they were not safety related, so I'm ok). He NEVER pushed me to go faster, in fact, everything was at MY pace. He thought I was ready to solo at 2 weeks, I wanted another week.

Just a thought, there.

6) I'm convinced that 95% of this job is simple confidence. Redcoat's trainer should be working hard to instill that in Redcoat - and he is failing utterly to do so. (no, "confidence" does not mean "I can drive a zillion miles an hour", it means "I can do the job". BIG difference)

7) that trainer is pure-D wrong when it comes to breaks. A driver has 11 hours of drive time in a day (keeping it simple here). He has 14 hours in which he can complete those 11 hours of driving. So, do a PTI, and take 15 minute breaks every two hours... add this up. Zero hour: 15. Hour 2: 15 Hour 4: 15 Hour 6: 15 Hour 8: 15 Hour 10: 15... That's a whopping hour and a half. You still have an hour and a half left in which to drive an hour...

That trainer would HATE me. I'm sure it frustrated my trainer a bit, but I stop every couple hours. It keeps me more alert and makes the day go by faster (and keeps the truck from smelling like an outhouse)

Sure, if you crank it you can get an earlier start the next day, eventually saving some usable hours. Problem is, as I see it, by then you've run up against your 70 and have to take 34 off anyway. You might be able to squeeze in a short-haul, but the kind of driver who pushes like this - in my limited experience - will likely complain about it, and maybe even refuse a short load. In other words, really gaining nothing but an ulcer.

8) Yes, it's the trainee's job to do everything. He should be doing all the QC work. He should be trip planning. He should be talking to the customers at shipping and receiving. He should be driving, backing, parking, fueling...

But the trainer should be there to guide, assist, and correct at all points. Even when the trainee has demonstrated competence, the trainer should be there "just in case". Not intruding, but being a quiet support.

For that reason, I don't like the companies that treat trainees as the junior half of a team. It's a 'sink or swim' approach - and if you sink, you can take others with you. I think you should learn to drive the truck first, THEN see if you are cut out for team driving.

9) Call Aftershock some more. He has words of wisdom to impart.

Plus, he's a lonely old fart and needs the company.

10) Re-read item 4

 

YeAH!
But who's counting?

HeY!
No kiddin'?
Has Redcoat seen the Iowa 80 Truck Stop,...... Exit 284 --- if I recall, .......yet?
Man-0Man!
That's a great place to un-wind.
Big parking lot, too.
Everything from an antique toy collection on display to a candy shop for truckers.
And by "candy" I mean polished aluminum, stainless steel, and chrome everything. If you wanna see a grown Big truck trucker drool, that's the place to do it.
Restaurant wasn't bad either.
As I recall.

That's a good sign, ..... no?

Tell me he didn't stop at that restaurant in Armadillo --- where they serve a 72 oz steak, with ALL the big trimmins' ---- for free, .........
if he can it all in an hour, or quicker.

Another good sign?

"Had" (to agree)?
If he's spent much time travel in a bus on this side of the Pond, I think the awswer was obvious.

Ya reckon?

Ah HAA!
It's wise to check to weather.
It's also wise NOT to drive in bad weather unless y'all
ABSOLUTELY have to.
If it means a no-show by either side, that's Big truck truckin'.
In bad weather, I think sitting it out is the better choice. Covenant seems to be workin' with you here. Chances are good, that if y'all miss each other THIS time (maybe) they will arrange another pass (maybe) even MORE handy.

IF it occurs that this doesn't work out, it's just a taste of what truckin' is. To my way of thinkin' --- as BADLY as I've wanted to go home, if weather was bad, I felt less stressed if I knew I could pull over if necessary without worry of not making a schedule on time.
And I'd feel MUCH better, if I know NObody was driving in bad weather to pick me up --- when it may be safer for both to shut 'er down.
In WHAT?!
A motorhome?
Didn't you mention you were living in it right now?
Don't risk the home-20.

I think I can safely assume YeS --- you can ask.
And they may say No.
But what's to lose?
One way or thuther, ..... we'll LEARN sunthin',...... right?

Sounds to me like Covenant is communicatin' and workin' with y'all.
I'm sure, SOMEwhere in their sales pitch, Covenant has mentioned SOMEthing about the importance of COMMUNICATION.
You communicate VERY well, Mrs R.
If they can't/won't communicate with YOU, by golly...........
I'd be AfterShocked!

One time, I communicated to my dispatcher that my trainee's hairdresser had moved from SoCal to Idaho, -- a state I hadn't yet seen.
Guess what?
Within a week, we had a load to the very town where her hairdresser's shop is located.
And the Big truck truck trailer required a complete wash-out,......
took about 3 hours including waiting in line.
Got the Big truck washed while I was at it.
Company paid.

But my trainee didn't have to wait in line
over at the beauty shoppe.
Nope!
They took her as a walk-in.
Imagine that.
But I digress ......................................

YeS!
YeS!
YeS!
"Trails" sometimes aid in "communication".

Absolutely!

I'm thinkin' that could make a huge difference.

Covenant doesn't seem like they're not willing to work with y'all --- at least not at this point.
Without being demanding on your part --- at this point --- and within reason --- it sounds like the beginning of a potentially good relationship.
Imagine a better suited trainer AND communication with a training coordinator?
Could happen,........ if SOMEbody MAKES it happen.
Ya reckon.

And practice makes perfect.

I sure have!
Sometimes it added time but reduced miles, and other times it took more of both. The company left the routes we chose up to us.
But SOMEtimes, I wanna scrape a few doorknobs off on the narrower roads --- through scenic areas especially.

It pretty much depended on the schedule.
If it wasn't tight, or hot ---
I tried to smell the roses.

When using the secondary roads around crowded Big cities, I like that. More Mom&PoP places to stop, too.
And I like that.
Too.

And it's always a good idea to work out a Plan-B when trip planning.
That's paid off for me on many occassions.
Some call that over planning, but I call it
planning ahead.
Go figure.

You better!
So far, you've been keeping us in the dark.
Jest keeding!

 

How many times?

 

Depends, doesn't it? Me, I do it every day. I go back through the day and ask myself "was it the person, or my job?" Good or bad.

So there!

 

Yes, you can request a specific trainer. If the trainer has a trainee, or has other plans, you will have to wait or find another one... I'll see what I can find and will pm you when I get that (oh, I have someone in mind right now). He is going to NYC for a few days vacation. Don't know his plans after that... will check and then pm you. Take care.