New JB Hunt Driver, Bouncing Like a Ping Pong Ball During Training

Hi all! I'm a new driver for JB Hunt on one of the east coast DCS accounts and have a training question for anyone familiar, or who's dealt with similar situations. This account is supposed to involve a 6 week training period for me; I started with a trainer on days for three weeks, then was informed that I was switching to another trainer on midnights. Come to find out, I was supposed to have the second trainer the entire time, but supervision forgot they had him on vacation then a project for three weeks.

So I do 3 weeks there, since I was apparently starting all over, then they assign me to someone else (third trainer, starting around 0330) so my second trainer can conduct quarterly training for the account. I do a couple days with him, then he tells me he's got yard jockey duty and that he thinks I'll be back with my second trainer the next day. I just found out that the second trainer is still conducting training, and upon emailing supervision (the ONLY way I can ever get hold of them, eventually), they tell me to come in tomorrow evening because the manager needs to talk to me about some things (nope, I have no idea). I haven't had any significant issues since I've been here, beyond the severe lack of communication, and now I've been in training for eight weeks, apparently because of the lack of coordination. Has this been anyone else's experience with JB, or am I just lucky? I get things are disorganized and crazy all around, but 90% of this could have been eliminated with basic communication. Just wondering if this is about to go sideways on me. Thanks for any input, and everyone stay safe!

 

One of your trainers works a yard dog when not training? Sign me up.

 

@Trucking in Tennessee, lol not that I know of, think it's a fill-in deal.

 

Lack of communication is part of the game. That training part is torture. Just try and roll w it until you get your own truck.

 

Thanks @BCV , I appreciate it. I expected a lack of communication, but not while I'm staying so far on top of it. Good times.

 

Heh. They are simply training you to expect a lack of communication, so you will not be surprised when you see how much time and money they waste by not properly giving you load planning in a timely manner.

 

HA! We did a 420 mile round-run with an empty trailer the other night because the store manager wouldn't sign her paperwork for us to grab her freight, after waiting 4 hours. We're local with daycabs, so dispatch said come on back. Laughed our butts off for about 20 minutes on the way back.

 

JB Hunt from what I recall as a driver working out of Houston...

Man I hated that job!

They treat drivers like #$%@#$&%$#@! Criminals.

 

@DustyRoad They don't seem bad here, but there's a definite disconnect between the operational level and management.

 

That company was the worst six months of my trucking life. And your suspicions are correct--"communication" at JBH is a concept that is absolutely forbidden by company policy, punishable by death. At least, that's the impression I got...!