the one problem with my new job

i have had a couple of really good days hauling stone. i hauled 7 loads of stone saturday and everything went great. did a highway blacktop job a couple of days last week and everything went well. here is the problem i had a guy ride with me yesterday training me on a parking lot job. this job was in a area of heavy traffic. some things i have heard from both him and a couple of the other drivers i dont like. yesterday he had me run a red light, it was on an intersection with a right hand turn so i was slowed down in 6th gear. the light turns yellow, and he told me to blow the light. i was already going slow so i had time to stop. he said the light wasn't even "warmed up" and was still "pink". there is no pink traffic light, the light was red and if there was a cop there i would have gotten a ticket. he told me to consistently run 5-7 mph OVER the speed limit, if the zone is 35 he says run 40 and if its 55 run 60. i hear other drivers tell me that when they are on a tonnage job they run 80. i WILL NOT run a truck at 80 mph under any circumstances. the guy training me also said that i give myself too much following distance. i give myself plenty of space, trucks don't stop like cars. he said all i require is 3 seconds. he wants me to be up on the next guy's bumper so i can avoid stopping for red lights. the yellow speed sign says 35, he complained i was slowing down for that curve. if the curve is rated at 35, i tend to take it at 35. safety is priority number 1, my clean MVR is my priority. i went to this employer with a clean license im not going to screw it up for him. im not going to jail because i end up killing someone for him. i cant say anything else bad about the owner, he seems like a decent person but it seems like he tries to run his guys hard, perhaps dis-regarding safety and the law a little.

the vehicle i am driving is a 10 wheel dump truck.

im concerned about my MVR, getting in an accident, and killing someone. advice? i have worked here about 2 weeks but if they want me to recklessly forget it i will have to seek other employment.

 

i was going to talk to the owner and ask him about what i am being told and what he expects of me. i stopped at select door and spoke with them but the guy that handles hiring is not in today. they said they would call me tomorrow. i think if something clearly isnt working after only a week or so and has major problems, particularly safety related leave before i get in too deep and then screw up bad. they seem like nice people but forcing, asking, or even hinting that i do something stupid or illegal is not acceptable.

is it reasonable to assume that if the yellow recommended speed sign says do 35 mph, then you do 35 mph when in a truck, going much faster is running an unnecessary risk?

 

the guy that was training was constantly pushing me, come on get this thing up to speed he says.

 

i always tried to drive in a such a way that is not overly stressful. following too close makes for a stressful situation. the entire time you are driving you are worried that the guy ahead of you is going to jack the brakes.