Starting CDL school July 9th.

Treat them with respect! Its their truck youre getting on. Theyre sharing their limited space with you. How long youll be with a trainer depends on company policy, you, youre trainer, and youre FM. I cant speak for any other company but the one I work for.

 

A correct answer (if there is one) depends a lot on you and your "natural trucking skills" (if any) Your trainer may or may not be worthy of the title "trainer". They hand out "trainer" titles like skittles these days and how you two contrast in experience and real abilities is anyone's guess. But bottom line is they are only a man or woman, no better and no worse than you. maybe he/she has more road/trucking experience but that doesn't necessarily translate to being worthy of the utmost respect as a trucker. Experience does not ALWAYS translate to a perfect and safe-as-possible trucker. I don't feel a driver trainer/trainee relationship should resemble a drill sergeant/recruit relationship. But every person is worthy of a certain degree of respect due to that person's life experiences that may or may not relate to trucking. Again it depends on what you're comfortable with and the sense you will get inside the first hour of getting to know this individual. Don't sweat it, you'll know how to respond and I hope you get an especially good and worthy trainer.

Furthermore, there are other aspects in trucking that don't relate only to being able to navigate a 70 foot rig safely in town, in traffic, and across the nation, every single mile. How he/she might strive to plant a seed that yields a frugal and responsible professional driver who can respect other motorists and present him/herself as a quality productive citizen as opposed to just doing enough to get by is also VERY important. in some cases you will have a 28 year old training a 55 year old, and in other cases, vice versa, the point is, you will both probably have things you can "teach" the other and the other will be the better for it.

 

Which company took u on and where are u going to school at?

 

One of the biggest selling points for me was with Schneider, and only having to be out with a driver trainer for a week. There was no team driving, and the driver trainers are paid a flat $40 a day for doing it - it's not based on miles.