Hi everyone I have been reading a ton of posts on here and this site is amazing with a lot of useful things and people. I have been training for about 4 weeks with two different Mentor's and need one last one to help me get to the finish line. I have just under 100 hours out of 240. I can float really good and am pretty good at double clutch but in both categories sometimes miss a gear first try out if I have to skip gears because of braking. Highways and mountain roads I'm doing good at and have done some long stretches. I know the basics of Qualqom and some basics of the paper work. I deffinately try to get along and do my part. The first Mentor was amazing and looking back I should have stayed with him but the constant time off that he did was really hurting me and my girlfriend as it was a lot of miles to get me to the terminal and back and I was behind on hours. The second Mentor was a freakin nightmare. As soon as he realized I could actually drive on the highway no problems and shift his 13 gear o-o truck a smile came upon his face and he heard cha-ching = no training only me doing the highway stuff and him doing the backing and me doing the night and while he slept and then me flying through the air on the bunk as he did the day while he sang old 70 funk tunes at the top of his lungs (good times![]()
).
At this point I really want to get my backing down and learn some logistics and time management. But really the backing if only for an hour or something could really get me going. I want to get some serious hours and get some serious miles for my mentor so I can get my truck and he/she can get their pay but need some backing ... even an hour sheez.
I'm out of Fontana.
Ready to roll but can wait till monday easy as my cordinator doesn't expect anything till then but if we can set up before then I'm sure we can work it out with your DM.
My cordinator wants me going anyways so I can get caught up on hours.
By the way you can call me all hours area 5six2 - 44six - 7967
I need a new Mentor from Swift ... anyone out there?
Discussion in 'Swift' started by scrappy koala, Feb 1, 2014.
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I know this is a slow time of year, but to only have 100 hours behind the wheel after 4 weeks is pretty bad. My training was in May and June, and total time took 6 weeks to get 240 hours.
Even if you switched mentors now, you will likely be team driving for almost all your remaining hours. IMHO you might be best served to talk to your current mentor to emphasize that you really need to spend time backing and you want to really work on time budgeting, preplanning, and every aspect of working with customers. I would also add that you should make sure you understand the ABC's of managing the QC system step by step for each load and understand how to scan each trip sheet with BOL's and other supporting documents.
If you really think that changing mentors at this stage is your best option, then by all means push to make sure you get a new mentor. It will be up to the training manager to assign a mentor. When you get into the new truck you should request running solo only for about 10-20 hours (1-2 days), working all aspects of pickups, deliveries, and paperwork. Then plan on running as a team.
Freight is very slow this time of year, so it might take a while to run the final 140 hours. Good luck to you. -
Simply put "F'ennn " runnnnnnnn
First Mentor was gold though he was amazing but he is not OTR ... but #### he is an amazing driver/mentor -
Sounds like you need a reality check. If your first trainer was as you say real good, and you ask for a new one, then your Fool. A trainer Inc not there to be a baby sitter.it is doubtful that anyone is going to take a loaded trailer and dedicate time for hours to do backing.however you should be backing it in for delivery and pickups. Maybe at the fuel stop.
It would be nice, but get real. The first thing you have to learn about trucking is patience. Be very patience grasshopper....
Do not take this as a flame it is not just trying to get you to reality. Teaching is not baby sitting. Good luck and be safe.dog-c Thanks this. -
Who said anything about a loaded trailer. We have empty ones at every terminal at Swift. An hour of time is not that much over the course of 3 weeks. To me if I was getting paid double to "Train" not "Baby Sit" I could spare an hour over the course of a few weeks. You wouldn't even spend an hour on a student for the most important part of their carreer? 50% of crashes at Swift are due to backing and all I'm asking for is 20minutes a week at terminal with an empty trailer????
Hmmm oh well was worth a shot I guess.
I'll make it through the 3 weeks and train myself in the end I suspect most truckers end up doing some of that anyways. -
The point of learning backing trailers is to be in a controlled environment, with someone supervising you. Backing is not that hard once you learn the spatial environment of maneuvering a '53.
The point is to gradually teach you in a controlled manner so that swift reduces its liability in teaching you and doesn't have to shell out money to pay for a damaged trailer because of your over ambition. Take it slow man it will come to you in time. -
Thanks dog-c I will take your advice and take it slowly. Going to do my best to learn and make sure I don't get a preventable.
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The point is every environment is controlled, that's why you have a brake pedal and doors. If at anytime you are not in control then you better set your brakes.
You need to learn in a real world environment. The school is suppose to teach you the in yard basics.
In the real world anytime you are in doubt backing a trailer then set the brake get out and evaluate the situation. The trainers job is to teach you how to handle the real world. The stuff in the yard is not going to get you ready for the ability to think your way out of a problem, that is what the trainer is for. Teaching and giving you the tools to think your way through bad or difficult situations.
But my way to train is to teach you in the real world how to handle these. I have been training drivers for over 15 years. Most still call me on a semi regular basis, just because we have stayed friends over the years. Training in the real world works.
My trainees start driving the night shift and they back into every dock while they are with me. By the time they are on there own they know exactly what there doing. Logbook included. -
When I was with my mentor we spend some time every few days in truck stops to practice backing.
It's really not that hard to find a few minutes for a couple backs, or a half hour or so to practice blind side. -
Find yourself a mentor at like a Walmart account you will be backing a minimum of 2 times a day and up to 10.... If I was a mentor I would Super solo train only. But I won't be a mentor seeing some of these
"special " drivers swift hires. I would probably find a way to run over myself. Heck maybe I'm the "special" one. I'm going to have to think about that
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