so should I report my past employer/trainer?

Why were you up for 24 hours? Do you mean 14 hours?

If you meant 14 hours, then that's a normal work day. While many students first get behind the wheel and can't handle a full shift of driving and need to work up to being able to drive 9-11 hours in a shift, others are capable right off the bat.

If you meant you were awake for 24 hours that begs the question... WHY? I'm not understanding this at all. Perhaps you are saying you were in the sleeper berth while your trainer was driving and found it difficult to sleep? Please explain.

One thing that it seems some students/trainees don't understand is that when it comes time to log Sleeper Berth then it is your responsibility to sleep. Not picking on you North_easy in this regard, but using this particular post to point out that SB time is NOT for spending hours and hours gabbing on the phone or taking calls at all hours from your friends and family or playing video games, etc. etc. I've seen quite a range of SB time distractions from my trainees and a few have been particularly bad about it. "Oh Golly! I have to start driving in three hours!" Then they complain they are tired when it comes time for them to drive. SB time is a time to be responsible to get your sleep.

When I'm under load I never watch a movie when I'm taking a 10. I don't want the pressure of trying to stay awake that long. When I'm done driving my shift and get in the SB I'm tired and sleep is my first priority. Movies are for longer breaks than a 10.

 

You're a trainer ....after just a year...Ok , That's another topic....When a "student driver" is under the wheel that student is to be trained....not just given his head like a horse. HOS here are mute. The company has hired a student , and supposedly they have a trained , experienced driver hired to do that training. The company should ( I know they don't / won't ) but they should have a student for the 1st month to maybe 2 months ( depending on how a particular student progresses ) drive and operate the truck while the trainer sits and observes , giving advice , showing them the correct way , helping them learn to size-up situations...in other words train the student. This thing that companies are doing isn't training these folks , it's actually setting them up to maybe fail ( be involved in an accident ) since they don't have the proper training. Using students to further their pocket books is wrong and it does the entire industry no help , it only puts more and more students into potentially life threatening situations.

The companies that make the choice to hire newbies , and take on the huge responsibility of training them , should make double sure that the training they receive is top shelf. they should make sure that the trainers are capable , experienced , and have been given training on how to train themselves....this isn't being done , and hasn't been for years....the all mighty dollar has caused this , when you want quantity over quality...you're asking for trouble.

Please don't take this as a personal attack on yourself , because it isn't meant to be like that in any way....but , in no way , form or fashion , should a rookie be allowed to become a trainer.....in any scenario. It's not possible to teach what you don't know yourself. A trainer should have at the very least 5 to 7 years of experience driving , along with a great deal of patience , and the correct mind-set , in order to be capable to give a student what the student needs. That's just the opinion of an old hand , not a direct reflection on you , or any one else. It's only an opinion , but one backed-up with close to 40 years of accident free experience.

 

If I am understanding you correctly.... your trainer was on the Dollar General account... I too am a trainer for Werner and Currently on the Dollar General account... the DG account has its pros and cons when it comes to training.. what I like about it for training... my students get to drive on winding back highways.. not just on interstates... they get good backing.. tight quarter backing.. backing in off busy streets and highways...

The biggest down side.. is with the time spent unloading the trailers.. there are only a limited amount of driving hours.. so it does take longer for students to get their training hours done... they need to be willing to drive when the opportunity is there..

Another downside... most students are not ready or able to handle the long days and physical demands of the DG account.. where 14 hour days are common, and so is working after your 14 hours to get the trailer unloaded..

The other problem that is common... many students come to orientaion with nothing.. so they are happy with the measly $450 a week they get and dont mind if the training drags out...

Now, there is a very good reason for getting to the DG store at 6am... actually a couple... first, not uncommon to have to back in off the highway or street.. it is better to do that at 5am or 6am then at 7am or later when traffic is heavier. . Also, the fisrt dlivery usually starts at 6am.. the manager and staff get there to open the store for the delivery.. so it is expected and professional for the driver to be there and ready at 6am... also, on your unload days you want to be able to get to all stores and unloaded.. the managers are usually there in the mornings and until 6pm.. if you do t start your first delivery as soon as possible.. you may end up not being able to unload the last store u til the next day.. which means your paycheck is slashed... as well as you may lose your preassigned load and be given a different load.. which means your fleet manager and load planner have to rearrange loads.... it will also mess up your home time load...

Lepton is spot on... from my experience... and myself included.. when newdrivers come into this industry there is way more that we dont know and understand than what we do know... all we know is the very minimum that we were taught to get our CDL License... so, we often do not understand what and whys of a trainer...

Before getting into trucking I was in construction... getting your CDL doesn't mean you know how to be a professional truck driver... just as buying a tool belt and some tools doesn't mean I know how to build a house... it is just the bear minimum you need to have to start training and learning...

I got my CDL in 2009... and still today I can I will learn something and realize what my trainer was doing and why.. and I thought he was just being a jerk...

 

What did you think you would be doing.......sight seeing....since you are in a team operation that means 1 sleeps ..the other drives......this isn't rocket science...

 

I agree.But how about if the driver calls DOT and have them meet you where you're parked before you start your day will that also cost the driver points?

 

Why are you folks beating a dead horse? What's done is done, nothing can change the past!

bottom line...that students are told in orientation but either forget or fall to the pressure of a greedy "quasi-trainer"...is that the student has the right and responsibility to SAY NO! Believe it or not, safety is the primary goal and the new driver needs to learn this!

Patty...when have you ever heard of any DOT?LEO meeting up with any truck from a student calling in a complaint...let alone from anyone calling in a complaint? Even the companies that have that 1-800 call in number on the back of the trailers don't give the call in complaint much merit. It's a catch-22...

 

Exactly..these students need to understand they have much more control than they think...your trainer isn't training you , report him immediately...something of a safety issue on truck or trailer....fix it , or get it fixed before moving the equipment...in either instance refuse to move the vehicle til you get some sort of resolution to the problem...grow a pair...don't let yourself become a victim.

 

DOT never write up the company. We as the driver are given all tickets. The only time a company is fined is during a DOT audit. Those usually come after a poor rating of some kind.

 

Yep...back in the 80's GSF was running paper logs....I can't remember the reason , but I think 1 driver in CA. dc was involved in a fatal accident. DOT audited the company , and found several inconsistencies....They were put on probation for a year and told to consider running the tattle-tale's. They did for a while , and then in the early 90's went to the XATA e-logs. All of this was due to a driver's accident.