Trainers- heaven or hell?

Moderators if this has been posted somewhere else, can you guide me there?
I am very entertained by reading the "Trainer stories" posted in this forum, some funny some sad but i assume all are funny after enough time has passed. I also have to assume the best stories we will never hear because those drivers jumped out of their trainers trucks never to drive again.
If you have a good tale to tell about it i would love to read them.
I can start with the good trainers i had, I was 24 yrs old -1985-86 i had my new CDL license i just purchased from some truck driving school (i forget the name). I was a professional driver with 2 whole weeks of professional school training which consisted of twice on the road driving, twice around the cul-de-sac driving, about 4 times of 100 yard alley (Dock backing) --and 10 miles (walking) of following the truck back and forth while other students did the 100 yard alley and once failing my PA CDL state driving exam LOL --We tested at and by the regular PA drivers license centers back then.
1st application was at a place i had seen along the road -- took my resume in and gave it to the receptionist, secretary and before i could get back out the front door a guy came running out from the back office offering me a job, said i would have to load unload trucks first before i drove (it was a bed bugger outfit). I declined and said i would look for a job driving first to which i was told no one would let me drive a truck.
2nd application was from the newspaper (no internet then ) Went out to a small outfit, small office with mechanics shop maybe 20 trucks ? CDS was the name (now defunct) gave them my resume, filled out an app might have even talked to someone there, went home and was contacted within a couple of days saying i was going to California Sunday morning and to be at the shop by 8. That was easy - although i knew in the back of my mind someone is going to ask me to take a road test right ? Randy was his name, extremely nice guy, we had some time to kill so i ran down to a convince store and loaded up a cooler that i had with ice, lunch meat and cheese, crackers etc. when we got rolling i told Randy it was for both of us to eat and drink out of (not a bad way to break the ice with your trainer by the way).
Let me back up a little, just before we took off the manager of the place, a high energy kind of a guy came running out and was joking with us and teasing me about being a truck driver --then he stops --and says "Oh s... i didnt road test this guy" (Me). Now my heart is pounding (i dont test well) In my mind i am picturing my first fail at the licensing center which aint helping. Randy and the manager are going back and forth, Randy saying "Dont worry about it he will be fine and i will road test him on the road" and the manager relaying some sort of horror story about another rookie that went out with a trainer across the USA. Now i cant hear what the manager is saying totally because by then all i can hear is my heart beating and i think i was starting to loose my vision too, the only thing that brought me back around was when i realize the manager was eyeballing me and telling Randy "Its on you".
I grabbed the hand holds hoping my legs wouldn't give way and climbed in the passenger seat and we were gone.
Randy drove for what seemed like 2 days straight and only stopped in Missouri for a 4 hour sleep while i milled around a truck stop.
My turn to drive: I honestly dont remember much about the first time i took the wheel --but i know it was in the desert or some state that the roads were pretty straight -- And if my memory serves me right -- we swapped seats while moving --he probably didnt want me grinding the gears to a nub, and shortly after deciding i wasn't going to roll us over Randy went to the sleeper. Man that brand new KW ant eater really did drive like a Cadillac. The rest of the trip was a blur, but i know we just talked and joked around for 5000 miles and the only training i really remember was Randy giving me a little lecture about not pulling over in a wide spot off the highway to water the tires and how much safer it was to use an "On ramp " instead. Randy even stopped at the wide spot on 40 (Arizona side ) right at the Bridge to California and i went swimming in the Colorado river.
Week 2 different trainer same KW: Dave was another great guy, real even keeled and i don't remember him talking a ton, but being all wound up he probably couldn't get a word in anyway. I loaded the cooler on my dime again and we were off. Oh by the way the words "Trainers' were never used --there was a lead driver who called the shots if need be and the only other difference i could tell were that they received the truck money and payed for things like motel if need be etc. to be payed back to them or reimbursed and i believe they we could draw money on the Com data card --i think that is what they were called back then too.
When Dave turned the truck over to me again, of course the test jitters were starting again ( i was already hired but i knew Dave would be watching or laughing ) -- I pulled out and ground a few pounds till Dave went into the sleeper - which of course immediately stopped the gear metal shedding. Poor Dave, i must have sang (loud) to every song the cranked up radio played whether i knew the words or not, for what seemed like all night.
I did have a slight mishap, When Dave hit the sleeper he told me to stop for fuel when it got low, so seeing a very small fuel station off the highway (probably 40) which seemed to have the lights on and be open (Moonlit night in the desert) I pulled in and panicked when i realized the place wasn't open and it sure seemed to me i might tear the roof off the refer going through the pumps -i am sure they were high enough but back then i wasn't going to chance it.
So i started to do some kinda backing maneuver (the place was like the size of a mini mart) I just started trying all kinda rookie backing expertise and was starting to sweat when i finally came to my senses and realizing i wasn't fixing anything and the sleeper side fins were getting mighty close to the trailer i decided to wake Dave up. LOL
Dave was calm and between the Dave and the owner of the fuel station, Yes --he lived behind the station and the headlights and the sound of the big truck outside his house doing all that fancy driving woke him up.
I feared i would be stripped of my driving privileges for the night and Dave would take over (it was after midnight)-- but after apologies to Dave and the station owner (both were cool ) they just guided me out, Station owner went back to sleep,Dave climbed back in the sleeper and i was "Trucking".
Next Company trainer -different company : Team transport - flatbed - trainer Dave: Training was more about chaining a load than driving --all i can say is that he was very cool also --and favored me over the other rookie that was also on the same truck training -we just trained local and picked up close loads at the mills and such for other drivers to haul while we were being trained. Lucky for me i had more in common with Dave the trainer than the other trainee who had to do all the work because i was favored a little.
All in all i had great trainers and no bad experiences like i read in some of these threads --oh by the way newbies -- i also bought Armour all, and cleaners and cleaned the trucks inside while sitting in the passenger seat BSing most of these trainers consider the trucks their own--it helps to be interested.
Hope you enjoyed -- the hell version coming next LOL

 

Oh sorry, i didn't think anyone was reading this thread --definitely will post the "Hell" trainer (not really a trainer but lead driver) -- when i get a chance -thanks for reading.

 

Oh also to add to the original story, one of the things that i forgot --Randy asked me if i had ever seen "Hoover Dam" and of course i hadn't - we went out of route and eventually drove right across the dam (you could do that back then) and parked on the other side in a dirt lot just as the sun was coming up --it was so cool we were the only ones there and just in time as to see the bats that were just making their way to their homes or caves.
I hope some of you drivers get to see some of that type of stuff, i know its hard with the computers and companies tracking your every move so closely now.

 

The trainer (Lead driver) from "Hell" (company -CDS -pulling a reefer ), Part (1),
I get to the yard on a early Sunday morning yr 1985 -86 ? (probably around 8ish), ready for my next trip with cooler in hand loaded with lunch meat and cheese, snacks, crackers etc. I had just spent the last 2 weeks with great lead drivers Randy and Dave as posted in the story above and had a great time with both, No problems.
At some point i meet the next "Lead driver" -I cant remember his name so i am not going to use one for him --you will know when i am talking about "Him". 1st look and impression of him made me rear my head back a little kinda in a startled way, he was sporting greasy hair and had an extremely acne covered face which was of course quite greasy and pock marked he looked a little like the boy from the movie "Mask" starring Cher the singer and ... He seemed to be a little older than me- (I was 24 -25), In general he was about the ugliest dude or most disgusting i had ever seen. I know what your thinking, i am no beauty, and getting uglier every year and i also sported a pock marked face at the time -- and i could really give 2 s... s about what another guy looked like, it just caught me off guard-- That was the last i thought about his appearance but no matter, as long as he was cool i was happy, i shook his hand and we were off.
I believe he drove first, we had on dry freight -"Big wheels -Toys" (very Light) -from Canonsburg PA (our yard) going to either Elsegundo, Watts, or Compton -Las Angeles California - I know it was one of the 2 that "Fred Sanford" used to mention on the sitcom "Sanford n Son" --and i think we went through both places anyways. Shortly after taking off he wanted some food from the cooler, so i got the food out and he dug through it all and ate what he wanted, at that point i decided i didn't want to eat any of the food in the cooler any more since he touched just about every thing or slice of cheese and lunch meat that we had and i wasn't to sure of his hygiene- but no biggy , i bought it for both of us and if i didn't want to eat it -it was on me. That day continued on with no problems, and i climbed in the sleeper at some point to sleep.
My turn to drive, -most likely through the night and then back to him again when i was done. There were no set times on who would drive and when i was done driving at that point -i said to him if you get tired and cant drive anymore no matter when -i could would, drive again. I really didnt care much about the logs, although i filled them out, i was just under the impression it would be a slap on the wrist for logging wrong. So far, he drove, I drove and he was driving again -- I woke up and climbed out of the sleeper (by the way i think this truck was a Cab over Peterbilt) First question i asked him was "Where are we?" --His answer "I dont know" he said he got tired about an hour after i crawled in the sleeper, so he laid across the dog house and went to sleep. F.... me, i asked him why he didn't wake me but he really didn't have an answer. So i drove again, now i know we had an appointment and we were behind now --with the other 2 guys Randy and Dave i think we were getting to California in about 42 hours if i remember correctly.
I started heading up Flagstaff Arizona and it started snowing at some point i could hear a big buzz on the CB, people were screaming about sliding into the ditch and each other, so when i finally got to that scene at the base of a big steep incline there were lights all over --looked like a x-mas tree made of tractor and trailer,s. Lucky me, there was a pull off right at the base and i was the first one to pull in there i just sat there for a while as others (Trucks) joined me cause you couldn't get up the mountain. After some time i laid across the dog house and shut my eyes. When i awoke it was daylight and the hill was clear, so i tried to get out but i was stuck in a frozen puddle --so i started rocking the truck. That woke "Him" up and he told me not to do that cause it would break the truck --but i ignored him, 1) it couldn't been frozen that deeply cause i hadn't been asleep that long and 2) i figured how am i going to break a big truck --anyway i was right -it broke free. I carried on through the snow -my first time --it was fine i just went slow --actually it was kinda nice there wasn't much traffic.
At some point we finally get to LA California. Some warehouse for "Toys r us" is where we were to deliver (they weren't in the east where i lived yet) , we were late so they didn't unload us that day not by much mind you just some hours that were lost because of him sleeping when he should have been driving, the time lost when i was iced in wasn't that long and couldn't be avoided not to mention if he had driven when he should have -- we would have been on time. OK so no biggy right!, He decides to park in an empty lot in one of the above mentioned neighborhoods which i knew from the show "Sanford and Son's" weren't great to begin with --next to us was a liquor store and across the street a take out walk up chicken joint! Its still daylight and it seemed alright so far but i grew up in the city and didn't just climb off of a john deer tractor like he may have and knew where we were sitting wasn't a great idea. He goes in the liquor store and gets a six pack, i go to the chicken joint and get some dinner and while sitting there the neighborhood people are starting to stir. One of the locals climbs up the steps on the lead drivers side and hits him up for money and he gives him a buck or two, at that point i tell the lead driver "it isn't safe here and we should move"- he pulls rank on me and tells me "I am the lead driver and will move the truck when i say" --"AAhh OK"! .
The local also asks whats in the trailer, and i start to say its empty my lead driver tells him its full of toy's --"Idiot". In the mean time while sitting there one local asks me if i want to buy his sister for the night, not to mention a couple others that have climbed up my steps (passenger side) and hit me up for money which i explain that i am broke and haven't been paid yet and the fool next to me has already handed over at least $5.00 to numerous locals. I again ask the fool or tell the fool we need to move which he doesn't do yet, by now i am sporting the tire thumper and explain that i will probably be able to take a few locals out with the thumper but "he" probably wont make it out alive. After some more time of locals climbing all around the truck and watching an argument in the street about one local accusing the other of robbing his house and saying he was going home to get his gun, Mr "Lead Driver" finally thinks its a good time to move --"Thank God". We finally move back over to the street "Toys r us" is on and spend the night.
One word of warning for those of you yet to hit California --the neighborhoods are deceiving and hard to tell if you are sitting in a bad one. The houses out there are brightly colored or not so run down as bad neighborhoods in the East, i guess because of the weather and there isn't as much wood rot to identify the run down neighborhoods, but even though the houses look alright all have security bars on the windows.
Moving on, next day we try to deliver again -sat all day --nope- contact our dispatch --we are told they wont take it off till such and such day --i cant remember exactly but it seemed like 5 (may be exaggerating) days total before we get it off. We finally moved to a truck stop if you could call it that, i think it had ratty showers which i paid for happily. In the evening "Lead Driver" asked me if i would leave the truck for a while so he could have some company, I was fine with that knowing that he probably wasn't going to get any without paying for it. I went next door to a bar with some country band and had some beers at the bar, i sat next to some trucker who was a cattle hauler and looked the part. Cattle hauler was older,skinny and tall with all the costume -cowboy hat, tanned leather face, and a jean jacket- the real deal --i bet his horse was outside. We ended up Bs ing and he taught me something like you had to zap the cows with a cattle prod if they laid down so the others wouldn't trample them to death. The band was good, and me and "Cowboy" drank some, he bought me 2 tequilas which came in those old water glasses that you get in an old diner --and they were filled to the top-- i bought him a couple too, but the night was hazy and all i can remember was talking to some girl that wouldn't take me home at the end of the night LOL and a fight breaking out just like in the "Blues Brothers" movie when the beer bottles went flying while they were jamming. Lucky i got out of there alive and 2 big glasses of tequila are way to much for me.
Next day: I am little hung over and at some point i see "Lead Driver" at the pay phone so i go over and wait for the pay phone myself --i was probably going to call our yard -because you had to call in everyday at around 8:00 and he didn't ever seem to do it, meanwhile i hear "Lead Driver" tell who ever he was talking to on the phone all about having his "Lot Lizard" he had last night --by the way i slept on the "Doghouse" and was glad to do it --i don't know what was in the sleeper. After "Lead Driver" hung up the phone i had to ask him who he was talking to cause i surely couldn't see telling anyone about that --he actually said --get this -"HIS MOTHER" --and he wasn't joking -i asked again to make sure --for some reason i got the impression his mother might have been a lot lizard herself -really. I asked "lead Driver" why he wasn't using the "Truck Money" or "Lead Driver money" to get us a hotel room cause that was what it was for -(of course i knew he spent it ) -he just looked at me stupidly.
Ok day 2 or 3 sitting in a truck stop , staring out the windshield a beautiful California Blonde and i mean way too hot for that dirt truck lot, comes up and hands me a flyer for something --she was going around to all the trucks and putting the flyers under the wiper blades and such- i ask her if there was anything to do around here, meaning where we were sitting at and she said she really didn't know and walked away (I wasn't hitting on her, i was just bored), after a while she came back and said there was a truck stop down the road about 10 miles and if i wanted to meet her there we could have some drinks and play pool -- I couldn't believe my luck cause i aint that lucky and she was outa my league-- of course i said yes and said i would be there as soon as the other driver got back. "Mr Lead Driver" came back to the truck shortly and i explained the situation, he said he was not moving the truck -- i couldn't believe him - he had no reason to do that -- we had no qualcoms or GPS trackers hell the company didn't even give you any routes - "Heres the delivery address --good bye", Diesel was like .50 cents a gallon or less in 1985- 86 and frankly the company could give a crap about 10 miles anyway. This is the point i started disliking "lead Driver", up to that point i had no problem with him except that i knew he was a little off.
Now mind you, all this time it was costing me money to sit there, we weren't moving so we weren't making money --i mean i had a wallet full of my own money --but still i was paying for showers and food and sitting there because of his 10 hour vacation when he should have drove --or told me to.
Part 2 to follow "The load home" it gets worse ! My apologies for my poor writing ability's and the misuse of or lack of the comma's and such --!