Fears of a getting a bad trainer

Hey all! I've been watching a ton of YouTube videos(easily 30+ as of the time I'm writing this) of people recollecting about the horrors they faced when getting their intro company driver training.

With that said, is there a resource available to check on a potential trainer? When I was in college I used ratemyprofessor.com. I used that website to review every professor before selecting their class. It made my college experience a whole lot better.

If something like that doesn't exist, how much power does a student have when they get assigned to a trainer and that trainer is not good for XXX reason?

Like for instance, if the trainer has very poor personal hygiene. Or something like smoking. I'm a smoker but I know I would only every smoke if the truck is moving, never in the sleeper. Or if the trainer just isn't a trainer and isn't doing any sort of actual training(treating training as team driving).

There are a lot more possible scenarios, but you get the point I'm trying to make with this thread.

Thank you in advance for the wisdom of experience here!

 

You're overthinking the trainer subject. If it gets too bad, ask for a different trainer.
Majority of YouTube videos about trainers are made by misfits

 

The majority of videos I've seen were about trainers kicking students off their truck. Only 3 or 4 of them have been a student wanting off the trainers truck.

I just want to make sure it's not frowned upon for requesting a different trainer. Weather I should just suck it up and power through or not.

 

I lucked out; was a recent Navy vet and my trainer was fairly recent Army vet. We got along great and never had a problem.
Ask for a military vet trainer.
Oh, I also went to TDI, but, in Tennessee.

 

Here's an idea.....

I'm a Schneider veteran.

If you start out with say, Swift....or Werner (who's currently hiring in central FL -- BTW)...you will probably be on a trainer's truck for about 3 weeks...but probably no less.

If you start with Schneider -- you will be on a trainer's truck for NO MORE THAN ONE WEEK.

I was on my trainer's truck for a mere 4 & a half days.

Then Schneider assigned me a tractor.

All this -- with no previous cool military experience, like you've had.

The takeaway here? If you do get a sucky trainer with Schneider (like I did) -- it will be over with almost immediately.

For someone like you -- who already knows how to drive -- that's something to think about.

-- L

 

All depends on what the issue is.
Is it petty, "I don't like country music"?
Or is it important to your career, "he makes me drive over my hours."
And also, how long do I have to spend with this guy?

Just calm down. You'll find out when you find out. And if it ain't working', call your people and bail out. Chances are, he's already had people bail out on him. But, be specific.

Best of luck

 

Yeah I'm not worried about TDI. I know a couple people that have gone to the one I'm going to in Sanford and all of them said I'll be perfectly fine there.

I will deff remember to request a military vet as that would almost certainly align with me!

 

I was going to go to swift as they have the Walmart dedicated contract with the DC I work weekends at. But if Schneider if also hiring then I will reach out to them right before I start school. If I can go otr right away then I wouldn't mind driving the 1.5 hours to Orlando which is where they are at. Not a bad drive if I'm only doing it from my home reset times.

Thank you for the recommendation ma'am!

 

I'm not worried about petty things. I can roll with things like music differentiations. It's mainly hygiene and being a trainer and not treating it like team driving. Any DOT violations is a definite no go and I'll exit the truck immediately. I will have 5-7k in my bank account just in case something stupid like that happens and I need to get somewhere if something serious were to happen.

 

Ma'am?

There are at least 2 or 3 guys here on the Forum....who have avatars of attractive women.

I'm one of them.

-- L