New Trainer at CRST needs advice

Well at least you know its not for you,good effort though it takes a special kind of person to deal with us kids during training.i say us kids cuz im only 24

 

Sounds like you made a good move.

 

That was an eloquent rant. I've boldfaced part of the essence of what I've come up against with new drivers, the lack of understanding that the job means getting the load delivered on time (let alone having some common courtesy for whoever is in the truck with you). It seems that some new drivers are still in "school mode", mentally feeling they can bail on their responsibilities. Sleeping in past time to log in and start going, taking numerous long breaks, and thinking more about all the neat restaurants they can visit rather than pushing on those extra miles today in order to make the delivery tomorrow and run additional miles tomorrow.

While the great majority of trainees "get it" and work hard and take pride in running miles safely, others are ill prepared to work and think trucking equals "freedom" to do whatever they want without regard for performing.

 

Some trainers are a holes plain and simple but I'm glad I was train by a professional clean Saftey trucker. You got to love those trainers who only use students as a mile money maker for them instead of teaching them how to drive a truck safely​

 

Most of you guys have a misguided concept that a trainers job is to teach the student how to drive. This isn't true. If the student cannot drive to save their life, they need to go back to 'school'.

Your job as a trainer is to teach the student how to be a driver. They need to learn things like trip planning, and what to do at customers, and you learn by doing. When you pick up or drop off a load, let your student do all the work. Let them get the bay assignment, let them get the bills signed, let them bump the dock, etc. Your students need to do all the associated paperwork and scan it in each trip. This is what your students need to learn. Otherwise they're going to be lost when they go solo.

 

Not true. In an ideal world a school graduate with a CDL in hand would already know how to drive. In the real world schools give students about 6-10 hours behind the wheel, that's it. If you think someone already knows how to drive with 10 or less hours behind the wheel, well... I'm assuming you don't think that.

CDL schools are referred to as "CDL Mills" for a reason. The only thing they teach you is just enough to pass the CDL tests. The schools rely on trainers at the companies to actually teach someone to drive. After the first day behind the wheel in my truck the average trainee doubled their behind the wheel hours.

Scary, huh?... and I'm the one wearing toe holds in the floor board of the passenger seat.

 

If you can pass a CDL test, then you should be able to drive.

 

I'm assuming that's a joke

 

I hope they meant that if you get a CDL you should be able to drive without having to go through the hell of a company driver trainer. Funny ya'll think its normal for a person to starve and be dead broke in order to learn to drive. If you ask me meal allowances provided by the company should be mandatory. Hell they are making a killing on the student training mill anyway.