Is this how it is?

Man, I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel 9 years ago out of driving school.

I could've cared less if the "trainer" sat or laid in the bunk while I was driving. So long as he was available to answer any question I might have.

I wanted to rack up as many hours as I could behind the wheel. The only thing I was most concerned about was company policy & procedure, you know, the basic how to(s) etc.

He did a good job of that, didn't micromanage me, yell at me or anything. I soloed out in 9 days and never looked back

 

I used to let my trainees spend a few hours each week in a location such as a closed for the weekend warehouse and practice putting the trailer in and pulling out of docks and parking spaces. I’d get out of the truck and help guide them, then, have them do it over and over and over.... this spot; then that spot! Lol.. over and over.... Lol

 

My company doesn't hire out of driving school so we don't train people how to drive, we do train people how to do what we do which is pull a frameless end dump. We do it a bit differently, the trainee gets a truck and the trainer has his own. We have them follow us around for a couple weeks to learn how to SAFELY stand a 40 foot trailer vertically on two super single tires, also the how, why, when, and where of the places we go, company policy and such. As a trainer my focus is on the trainee especially that first week. No hurrying, no question is too stupid, teach no bad habits. As far as their ability to drive the truck I am watching for that in the first week as well, usually we get folks that have been pulling those huge boxes around so they do OK but what we do involves a bit of w.o.r.k. and so about half of them go back to pulling those really long big huge boxes around... We have a division for that too

 

Yeah some bad trainers want you to be perfect at backing from the start and they have no patience for your learning. Don't take it personally.

I would ask "how can I get batter at packing if you don't let me practice." I'd also ask "do you think yelling at me will make things better?"

 

I know how you feel. You get very little time in school and then a lot of times with a trainer once you leave school, they’re out for their own interests and couldn’t care less about you. Lot of them just do it either for extra $ or the company talks them into it begrudgingly.

I basically had to learn this job all on my own, with just experience and struggling out on the road with new situations and challenges. I didn’t get much help at all along the way and it took a while to get truly comfortable and confident behind the wheel. But after a while, it’s nothing barring extreme circumstances. It’ll just take a lot of patience and time on your part, what you’re going through is sadly quite common apparently...

 

I remember crying the 1st 6 months not knowing if this was for me or not: that was 15 years ago! Lol! You will figure it out: ask for help when you need it; a lot of us out here get tunnel vision and don’t really see when someone is struggling: I’m always receptive to anyone who asks me for help or advice: there are lots of others as well...

 

That doesn't sound like training or mentorship. The idea is that they draw from their experience to make you a better driver. They step in when they see something that needs to be improved.

Ask for another mentor. This guy isn't doing you any favours.

 

If you fall asleep the load will be real late.

This 'mentor' is useless to you except for getting the hours you need behind the wheel. If that's good enough for you then get your time in and move on. Otherwise request a new 'mentor'.

Regardless of how good or bad your mentor is the real learning comes once you get out on your own.