Some questions about my mentor

BOY! I sure am glad you were not my mentor!

 

I'm not going to say you "have" to let a trainee charge up their equipment on your truck. But you can't impinge on their 10 hours off-duty. Now that 10 hours may or may not line up with times that their family at home is going about their normal routine. Allowing a trainee to call, text or Skype his/her family members helps keep his mind on WHY he is out there in the first place. And it helps assure those of us stuck at home a chance to connect with our loved one who we are missing a lot. It is hard for the drivers, but it is JUST AS HARD on those of us at home. Sometimes harder. We still have to fix stuff that gets broken, which sometimes means we have to call someone in where hubby would have taken 10 minutes to fix the shorted out socket on the brake light. Or clean up the mess when the washer explodes, get it outside, and try find someone to help us get another one in. It helps US to talk with our trainees to reassure ourselves (and them) that we are doing everything in our power to keep the home fires (figuratively) burning.

I'm sure your trainees had the times of their lives. That's all cool and stuff. And I agree, they should ask permission to use your stuff (fridge, storage, etc.). That's why there are "limits" to what a trainee should bring on a truck. Now, they should have brought, or should purchase as soon as they can, a DC charger for their notebooks and phones. Which means that they can charge while the truck is rolling.

That being said, I think that there has to be some give and take, on both sides. Don't try set up house in someone else's house. And let your visitor be relaxed enough to do their job: learn.

 

I would bring the student home with me if I trusted them.

 

Seems that most new drivers are broke and the pay that you get while with your mentor is low. So how would any new driver have the time of his life at a casino? The only upside is the inexpensive buffet.

 

Wow. To answer your question, you bet I am questioning how you "train," and I use the word very loosely. I can sure see how a student would have "fun" on your truck--as long as you defined the limits of fun and get most, if not all, of it. And I sure can see how two people using "your" fridge would be okay or that you would "most likely" allow a student to use one of "your" precious recepticles to recharge a battery--as long as the student responded smartly with "SIR!" before and after the request. And always at attention, of course.

I sure can see how you would "train" a student to be a good, safe driver and not distracted from anything but the road. Oh, wait. No, that's not true. I sure hope when the time comes I get a human mentor that understands the trucking industry is NOT the military, there are no wars to be fought or missions to be accomplished with precision and efficiency, and the techniques used in the one do not work in the other. I do not want another drill sargeant in my face, veins bulging, because I miss a gear or use two teaspoons more of fuel while shifting.

I would lose patience with your rigid, totally selfish approach to our togetherness in about 15 minutes.

 

I'm talking about this:

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...32121-no-food-no-water-bathroom-expected.html

A good mentor never forgets where he or she came from.

And yes, I am questioning how you train, when by your own words, you run a "boot camp" in a 6'x8' space. Time to put your feet back on the ground. That blue shirt does not make you better than anybody else.

 

Payback, perhaps?

 

I thought it was against swift rules to be in tyhe top bunk while the truck is moving. I get boundries and asking permission. I can guarantee that the stupid question book would come out a lot. Especially when you were sleepijg. How could I learn without questions. I suppose your students only drive at night. I know respect is earned but how can you expect respect if your not giving any. I would take a lot of bathroom breaks. couldn't stop me from using my stuff in the bathroom. But then again not my problem just my opinion

 

All you were saying is that a mentor is not required to let a trainee charge anything like a notebook if the trainer chooses not to let them. They can charge it when at a terminal or truck stop.

ok, that is a fair enough position but to me it seems like a text book case of only child syndrome. Ya know, that terrible disease that typically effects only-children, but does occasionally strike truck driver trainers (more times than not here on TTR). It may also effect children whose parents divorce but I don't know anything about that. Looks like symptoms include: playing mind games with members of the opposite sex, a cripling desire for instant gratification, the inability to compromise or share, and a total disregard for anyones thoughts or feelings but their own.

In my honest opinion having been a corporate a trainer for several years it is a fallacy to presume that a trainee or intern is your slave and that he/she is there to do all of your bidding. Remember that brief section of American history regarding how the africans that had been sold into slavery were entirely dependent on their owners to provide housing, building materials, clothing, and everything else needed for cooking and eating?

well, the slaves did the best they could w/ what little they had including a full work week but even they still got Sundays off and were sometimes even allowed to go to church. The slaves didn't dare complain for fear of receiving a whipping or worse punishment but as we all know those days are over and the white man has had to cope with it for some time now. Some not so well as others.


I am sure that most people in "modern America" do not care for the opinion of a chauvinist who has a greedy sense of self entitlement. At last glance this was a trucking Forum & not a Drill Sergeants ranting page. Silently Sailing just like any other trainee was assigned a truck to be trained OTR driving and everything that comes with it. Not to be trapped in a pseudo "Boot/slave labor camp" w/ a dominating, rude, oppressive and selfish task master.

The cab of the truck should be a set up to be a proper learning environment that equally suits the teacher and student. When I was in school an educator was always given my undivided attenion and I always showed them respect for their expertise alone.

However, if they were disagreeable people with a chip on their shoulder I would simply withdraw from their class (add/drop) if after a 1 on 1 meeting could not hash the issues out.

It is never worth enduring the possible lessons that could be taught by a jerk, no matter how good the teacher seems/claims to be in a hostile environment. It isn't written anywhere that a student has to put up with bad behavior.


Remember in a past thread where cutloose said "Carry Wasp Spray and if the matters seems real bad, use your lighter with it?" i keep a can in my bag.

 

Sounds like a driver who doesn't need to be a mentor. learning 24/7? I dont think so, if you want them to log it legal then they're gonna be way over HOS if they aren't getting their 10 hour breaks. I also call BS on the "having to let the truck idle for charging off a 300W inverter. I can have my truck off for over 12 hours with my laptop, speakers, and phone and never even pull the batteries.

Sailing I hope the next 1 goes better for you.