Prime Trainer can't train...

There's a driver I know - does training - who was prevailed upon by management to take on a trainee with 3 years experience at a competing company out for 20k miles. The trainee was someone who absolutely "knew everything about trucking." Wouldn't take direction, constantly argued with the driver I know... and even though he'd had converations with management about this trainee, he was still on the truck.

He woke-up one morning with the sleeper pretzeling around him. They both survived the wreck. The trainee who "knew everything about trucking" wouldn't take direction about slowing down in adverse weather. The trainee jacknifed the truck on 1/2" of ice doing 65 mph through an ice storm in Oklahoma City last winter.

Yeah its about the money. If the bills don't get paid, then we aren't going down the road. That's called the bottom line. If someone isn't getting their hand held enough while this is happening, then maybe they ought to go home to mama. This is the real world, there is no reset button. If one screws up, theres a huge chance you're going to die. Our management doesn't put up with very much whining. If one can't get the truck down the road and do it profitably, safely - they'll find someone who can. That's the bottom line too.

Its also very hard work. If one can't deal with a driver unload on one of our flower loads, how the hell does one think they're going to deal with 11-hours behind the wheel in and out of high-stress, high-volume traffic? There are times we've all been so tired after one of these days, that we fall asleep at the wheel when the truck is parked, and it takes a supreme effort just to get into the sleeper. How about when one has to get up after ten hours and do it all again? And again? In winter weather?

This is the very dangerous business of moving freight... on highways filled with amateur drivers who can't get to their next Starbucks fast enough - especially if they can cut off a semi in the process. Its not playing Smokey and the Bandit. And it is certainly not babysitting adults who should be grown up enough to understand they just might have to man-up enough to do a real job sometime in their lives.

Driving down a rural stretch of interstate in light traffic conditions and good weather is not something someone who has 10,000 miles of one-on-one instruction needs more hand-holding on. If one hasn't mastered that part of this in that time, my feeling is you're probably not cut out for the job. That's a really far cry from doing something like DC in late afternoon Friday traffic by one's self with the trainer in the sleeper. HUGE difference. That's not what I'm reading here. I'm also reading that in a situation where the trainer thought the vehicle was in danger and was alarmed enough to "yell" "STOP!" the trainee argued with him about it. I'm also reading that the OP had interpersonal problems with two experienced drivers in the VERY small world of an OTR truck cab in a short period of time. These probably aren't good omens for the OP's future in this business. While I wish the OP the best of luck in future endeavors, I really suggest that he may be better suited for a different line of work.

 

It certainly doesn't offend me - and as I said I wish you luck. Each individual approaches different situations in different ways - and any employment situation is never going to be a one-size fits all proposition. BTW... we don't have an exceptionally high turnover rate here.

 

Probably not a good idea to try Swift. Even the newer drivers set an image for the entire company. I like my job, I like who I'm working for and I like the hours/miles that I run. So please don't come over to Swift. I'd rather not have to follow you into a shipper or receiver and repair the damage to my image that you caused.

Cheers.

 

Nice!

 

This says it all.

 

Trainers need to be in the passenger seat, while the newbie is in the driver seat.
How can he train while he's in the bunck watching a movie or sleeping?