Taking a turn in 3rd gear

He's just a senior driver the company uses to train.The funny thing is just a few hours earlier in the day he was telling me how well i was doing and how i was picking up and dropping bins faster then some guys that had been working there for years.Maybe it was the beer I smelled on him at 5 am from the night before catching up with him.Got an email from the supervisor saying there going to send me out with someone else on Monday for another opinion.

 

Dude. I would find another job, and then tell the idiot that he isn't driving, and let them fire you.

 

All I have to say is, what a worthless, power tripping SOB. How in the hell can you scold someone for taking a turn at a speed THEY feel comfortable? "All turns in 4th gear" What kind of logic is that? Depending on the turn, I've taken them in various gears depending on how heavy I was loaded and the degree of actual turning I was doing. Off a busy access road? A tight, busy city street? rural highway? slight turn? tight turn? loaded? unloaded? etc etc. There's several factors at play, and in all honesty it's as simple as going by feel as you're approaching said turn and determining the correct speed at which to make the turn, and that will be different depending on the individual and their comfort level, as well as abilities. Finally, for a trainer to demand you take a turn in "4th gear" and if you didn't want to "play ball" then you could take a hike basically, is idiotic. These companies really need to start putting LEGITIMATE trainers in place because wacky stories like this are all too common.

 

I would just tell someone that if they're comfortable with me rolling or otherwise wrecking the truck while they're back there sleeping then sure, Ill go faster around corners than i feel my ability to maintain control is.

Should shut them the #### up about it.

 

How were you's getting along before this happened? why i ask is perhaps there's something else that had happened in the past that he had an issue with and just decided to take it out on you, it seems weird that he's making an issue about what gear you went around the corner with i mean seriously whats wrong with 3 rd gear? If anything he should be thanking you for being safe. Unless there's more to this story than what your really telling us?

 

Before this incident there was no problem he was complimenting me on well i was picking up the process of the job.Trust me there were plenty of things i could of said he was constantly on his phone to his family while driving ,yellow lights to this guy means floor it and anyone who changed lanes in front of him was cutting him off.It has taken a lot for me to not say anything the last week or so all i would keep telling myself is training will be done soon just a few more days.

 

I usually just take the turn in whatever gear I’m in... depress clutch, hit brake and turn at whatever safe speed... if I need to do so after or mid turn, I’ll shift into whatever gear.

If you feel comfortable in third gear, do it in third gear. You were in the right there. The only reason that guy should pipe up is if you did it dangerously.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Most of those idiots in the Vancouver area couldn't drive a straight stick up a dead dog's ###.

 

Either that trainer really didn't like you or he is as unprofessional as they come. You should have went to you either your dispatch manager or your dispatch managers supervisor. And report him. I'm not for taking away a man's job but if he kicked you outta the truck then all bets are off.

 

I would also like to add that Swift when I was training had trainers teaching that we make right turns at 3mph and left turns at no more than 4-5. In cdl school, they actually pulled my airbrakes in the middle of a curve because I was in 7th gear, but had my foot on the clutch and brake doing 10mph. Empty...

In the middle of a curve.

3rd gear is fine. It’s not his cdl or his DAC. In fact, I would recommend to remember this moment when you start to get confident and making turns faster... remember that you had the right idea and slow down. That’s the number one accident cause of guys behind their first few months is complacency and hubris. We just had a guy at our company take a 35mph curve at 15mph and roll the truck. The fact that he was doing 20mph less than the posted speed limit didn’t save the truck, the load, or his career. There is never a bad time to slow down except once it’s too late.