Request new trainer or stay under radar?

ah its descriptions like these that make me glad I only spent 5 days with a trainer. 40,000 miles @ 6000 miles per week will take just over 6 weeks that's a long time to spend in training for someone with 9 months experience.

 

Wow ... see this is the problem, too many "oh no I may be fired if I speak up" drivers around here.

What is wrong with you people telling the OP to stick it out, screw that, we need to stop this crap.

Look OP, I am not tolerant of complacency and stupidity, especially with crap drivers. I think you can be a lot better than that thing you call a trainer.

If I were you, I would take a picture of him without a seat belt and send it right to safety with this question - CAN I also drive without a seat belt?

If they ask, tell them he does not wear one and doesn't seem to emphasis safety within the cab.

The truck being trashed is the same thing, I would take pictures of it, send it along with an the email ask if it is alright to clean it up without his permission.

Sleeping in filth, I would ask the company what is their policy on extended sick time because you will end up being sick form the filth. I would make sure that they know this isn't acceptable.

If I was told I didn't need to do a pre-trip, I would have told him mind his own *** ***** business, it is my CDL and my responsibility.

If he told me to go off duty, another email to safety would happen right then and there to ask their opinion to clarify how logging works and tell them he said it was normal company policy.

ANYTHING to get rid of the POS driver I would do in an instant and if I get fired over it, I would not care as long as he is gone.

It all comes down to this, your CDL is far more important than anyone feelings, if you want to be treated with respect, you have to respect yourself FIRST and that means not tolerate crap like this.

If others disagree with me, then start hiring people and see what scum you run across and ask yourself if you trust them with your rig that cost more than your house. I bet they would be just like me.

So speak up, don't become the problem.

 

Get your own Loves card and tell your trainer you want to use it at least every other fill up that way you know you have showers available.

No reason at all that any truck driver getting fuel at the major chain truck stops should have to skip or pay for showers. I have so many showers on my Pilot and Loves cards that I sometimes use shower credits so I can have a clean toilet to use when the stalls in the men's room are full or too filthy. I have also given showers away to drivers that ask.

 

×1000

 

Do what covers your own hind end. If you do something that jeopardizes your CDL/scores then it is your livelihood that you lose and no one at that company is going to care, you are an easily replaceable asset. So I think you should make it a point now to say you aren't skipping pretrips, you aren't running illegal logs, etc. and your partner can do whatever he wants to do on his time.

As for the bunk...if you can cover it up and stand the smell then roll with it. If you can't stand the stink or you think it will make you sick then say something. If you can idle, then don't stress the APU until it is convenient to fix it. As for the clutter, when you get behind the wheel you sweep all that garbage off the dash and onto the passenger floor, and you kick anything out of your work space over there as well. I refuse to drive with distractions on my dash or anything moving around under my feet. If he wants that trash to be there he can sit in it while he's the passenger but there is no reason your work space needs to be cluttered up with trash.

I understand what you mean about not wanting to rock the boat because I was like that too when I started out driving truck. But what I've found (in my neck of the woods anyway) is that those drivers that put their foot down and refuse to be walked all over or take risks with their livelihood to be team players might get cursed by dispatchers or mocked by fellow drivers as good-for-nothing, or too by-the-book, or jerks or whatever but they don't get walked on for long after that. Meanwhile, the drivers that try and take everything with a nod and grin are expected to keep doing so while getting served up garbage loads, rushed loads that make them lie on their logs, run trucks that should be out of service, etc. Both type of driver is still around where I work. The ones that insist on doing the right thing for them are ultimately happier than those that don't.

I don't mean be a jerk. I mean when you get told to break the rules for a load or run an illegal truck you simply say nope, not until XYZ is fixed, thanks. Otherwise, you take your load, you take your truck and you thank them for the load and you go about your day with a smile.

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And not just about this issue. Tell that medical examiner that tells you your career is finished unless you do a sleep study to stick it. Your truck is unsafe tell your fleet manager you will not move it until it is fixed.

 

Get a new trainer. "Our personalities are not compatible".

 

Then get a new trainer.

40k miles, danm, no way I'd survive that long sharing a truck with anyone.

 

there is no wrong side of dispatch or manager. do whatever you want to do 40k miles lots of time to grill yourself (short runs slow truck e-log) in trucking company like that you better be heard other wise you will be nobody
i mean if you are mister nice guy they will give you all ####ty runs. everytime fight with those dispatchers they will hesitate to put you in bad spot next time.