Truckers Report Jobs

Find Trucking Jobs

Company Driver Company Driver Dry Van Dry Van Flatbed Flatbed Refrigerated Refrigerated Specialized Specialized Owner Operator Owner Operator
More Trucking Job Searches ⌄ Fewer Trucking Job Searches
⌃

Need Advice On How To Handle A Bad Trainer

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by adiablushing, Mar 12, 2012.

Page 1 of 3
  1. Mar 12, 2012 #1
    adiablushing

    adiablushing Bobtail Member

    19
    27
    Feb 12, 2012
    Oklahoma
    0
    I hope I am putting this in the right place. If not mods please forgive me and move it to the appropriate area.

    My fiance is in phase one with a trainer for C R England and is extremely frustrated and stressed. I was hoping someone could give me some advice that I can pass on to him. Just to clarify we are both prior Army and both have multiple deployments under our belts so this isn't a whine fest, I hate that he is having such a bad experience. To help keep clarity in what I am talking about my fiances name is Robert.

    I guess to begin the trainer he is with is a pig. He has worn the same clothes for the past 4 days and even sleeps in them and hasn't bathed in that time frame. The lack of bathing isn't because showers haven't been available. Robert has been able to bathe for the most part every other day. My fiance says that the truck is littered with soda bottles, coffee cups, and food containers. If the trainer spills something he doesn't clean it up and the nastiest of all is the guy picks his nose and then wipes it on the seat. These are just the sanitary issues btw.

    As far as the training goes Robert is driving on average ten hours a day while his trainer in two and a half weeks has never driven more than 8. (This part I am hoping drivers will know what I am talking about) There is some kind of camera or sensor on the truck that knows (might alert you?) when you go over the lines on the road. The trainer has rigged a piece of paper or something up to where it can not sense that and according to Robert the guy is constantly hitting the rumble strips.

    From what Robert has told me there are evaluations that are supposed to be filled out every Sunday. After they are done this guy is supposed to go over them with Robert then have Robert sign them. Three Sundays in the truck and he has yet to do any of the evaluations and has even told Robert he will eventually get around to doing them.

    The trainer talks down to everyone including Robert and always tries to make himself sound important. For example they were doing a delivery somewhere and the lady who was in charge of the facility was talking about the job she does and said its a lot of responsibility to run a facility like that. The trainer looked at her and said " You don't know what responsibility is until you have to train the idiots I do while you are driving this cargo doing 60mph. That is real responsibility."

    There are other things too but honestly it is hard for me to remember all the issues. The reason I am writing this is because I can hear how stressed it is making my fiance. But he doesn't know what to do. He isn't sure if this is the norm and he should just suck it up and drive on or if this is not normal. He is afraid that if he reports this guy and asks for a new trainer that it will just bite him in the butt and the guy will write false stuff in his evaluations once he finally decides to do them. He worries that even though by the books this guy is wrong maybe what is in the books isn't what is actually practiced. Anyone who can offer some advice it would be appreciated.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2012
    adiablushing, Mar 12, 2012
    adiablushing, Mar 12, 2012
    #1
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Mar 12, 2012 #2
    vinsanity

    vinsanity Road Train Member

    1,760
    689
    Nov 23, 2009
    South Florida
    0
    You haven't really touched on the training aspect. Is he being trained properly? My advice is to suck it up with the personal issues as they are only spending a month together. Most companies have the student evaluate the trainer after the training period is over. Complaining now will just prolong the training period, if the company does anything about it anyway.

    Now if he isn't being taught anything then that's a different matter.
     
    vinsanity, Mar 12, 2012
    vinsanity, Mar 12, 2012
    #2
  4. Mar 12, 2012 #3
    STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

    14,963
    29,154
    Oct 3, 2011
    Longview, TX
    0
    This is an unfortunate part of the industry that some of these "types" actually make it into "training" positions. All he can do is bring this up to the training coordinator ... not sure what the title is but there has to be a liaison between the driver and a supervisor in the main office, besides the trainer himself. I would demand another trainer in as diplomatic a way as possible. Whatever he does, do not "walk off". These sort of people will never change there ways, and to expect that particular situation to get better with a "raised awareness" is a waste of time and aggravation.

    All companies should have (and utilize) a "post-trainer rating system" that would ideally remove these types from the system or at least identify them as such and one pig could be matched up with another pig, perhaps. But the major carrier systems are probably such that they really don't care how a trainer is, so long as he's willing to "train".

    BTW, more money for training would only attract more of these types who desire to make as much money as possible for the least amount of effort, so that's not the answer.
     
    STexan, Mar 12, 2012
    STexan, Mar 12, 2012
    #3
    RockinChair Thanks this.
  5. Mar 12, 2012 #4
    vinsanity

    vinsanity Road Train Member

    1,760
    689
    Nov 23, 2009
    South Florida
    0
    Regarding more money....If it was combined with better training hiring practices it would help to attract a better class of people. The company I currently work for pays trainers very little. I would actually make less money as a trainer.
     
    vinsanity, Mar 12, 2012
    vinsanity, Mar 12, 2012
    #4
  7. Mar 12, 2012 #5
    LaBubba

    LaBubba Light Load Member

    172
    102
    Feb 21, 2011
    Bastrop,LA
    0
    Most companies have a student driver managers.He should contact them and let them know he would like another trainer.No one should have to put up with having to live with a pig.
    When I was training w/Werner my trainer was a very clean and professional and had about 10 years exp.A lot of Werner trainers only had about 6-8 months OTR.
    The company I now work with(CTL) their trainers are in the passenger seat anytime the truck is moving with the trainee driving and put the trainee up in a motel at night and the trainer sleeps in the truck.They only get paid the miles the truck runs plus about $4.00 per hr.while training.
    I know a lot of companies run trainers like teams IMO you can't train if you are in the sleeper.
    Good luck to you fiancee and thanks to both of you for your service.
     
    LaBubba, Mar 12, 2012
    LaBubba, Mar 12, 2012
    #5
    RockinChair Thanks this.
  8. Mar 12, 2012 #6
    adiablushing

    adiablushing Bobtail Member

    19
    27
    Feb 12, 2012
    Oklahoma
    0
    @vinsanity - Sorry like I said its a lot to take in and process. From what I understand some things are being taught but some things are not. Since I am not a driver I don't know what is supposed to be taught other than things that Robert makes specific points about. I know that most things are being missed. Pre trip inspections are non existent and haven't been done since they first got in the truck. The trainer does teach him the ways to cheat and get around things such as the sensor for lines being bypassed. The evals not being done I feel is a training issue not a personal one. How can some one learn if they don't know what they are doing wrong and get feedback. My understanding also is that the trainer spends most of his time in his bunk when Robert is driving. Hope that helps clarify a bit.
     
    adiablushing, Mar 12, 2012
    adiablushing, Mar 12, 2012
    #6
  9. Mar 12, 2012 #7
    Dstraw

    Dstraw Bobtail Member

    43
    19
    Feb 27, 2012
    Somewhere
    0
    Get another trainer. No need to go into all the bad things he is or isn't doing. Even CR has to know everyone doesn't work well together...I hope.
     
    Dstraw, Mar 12, 2012
    Dstraw, Mar 12, 2012
    #7
    RockinChair and LaBubba Thank this.
  10. Mar 12, 2012 #8
    Dewey120

    Dewey120 Road Train Member

    1,025
    456
    Mar 17, 2010
    Southern California
    0
    The student needs to keep in touch, via Qualcomm, anything that he deems unsafe with the training coordinator. The training packet details what the phase 1 trainer has to go over with the student and if the trainer is not following those guidelines he (the student) can get another trainer.

    Back when I used to be a phase 1 trainer a lot of the students had more than just one trainer. On the training packet itself it has room for 3 different trainers.

    One of my last students was former Navy and he had two different phase 1 trainers before me. When I saw this on his packet I was worried but after a couple of days I realized it was the trainers that had the problem not him (the student).
     
    Dewey120, Mar 12, 2012
    Dewey120, Mar 12, 2012
    #8
    adiablushing Thanks this.
  11. Mar 12, 2012 #9
    rockee

    rockee Road Train Member

    1,393
    673
    Apr 17, 2007
    Pacific Northwest
    0
    Might just be a coin toss. He can ask for another trainer and get one but it's possible he might get his trainers brother and it's possible it will come around and bite him in the butt. Of course it could be a complete 180 and turn out satisfactory for your boyfriend. Yes the guy is a pig and a moron but that's on him and in most interactions with the public, if Robert stays his distance somewhat people will realize he is not "with this guy".

    As far as the training goes, if the guy is not teaching him anything at all it might be best to ask for another trainer or....he can ask his trainer to start showing him how to do things. A lot of things he will learn by watching his trainer and know what not to do, and also by watching other drivers out on the road and at shippers/receivers. Pre-trips he can do on his own as well as post trips. Unless it's totally unbearable I think I would stick it out but no matter what he does there will always be the question of "what if".
     
    rockee, Mar 12, 2012
    rockee, Mar 12, 2012
    #9
  12. Mar 12, 2012 #10
    Okieron

    Okieron Crusty Okie

    1,641
    1,024
    Dec 23, 2009
    muskogee, ok
    0
    you've gotten the best advice you can get! get him to contact someone at the office.
     
    Okieron, Mar 12, 2012
    Okieron, Mar 12, 2012
    #10
    LaBubba Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

    • Page 1 of 3