Trainers!!! How long before one should be a trainer

In any case, I think we can pretty much mostly agree that a trainer should have at least 2 years experience.

The first time I went through the gorge on I40 between NC and TN going west, my trainer was in the back sleeping. It was raining, not hard, but enough to turn my knuckles white. I had never even driven through mountains or anything of this sort before, and by the time I got out of the curves and the speed limit went up, there must have been, I KID YOU NOT, 30 or 40 trucks all lined up behind me waiting to pass. There was nobody in front of me either. I felt bad for going the whole stretch at 35-40mph but hey, at least myself or nobody else died.

I think we can all agree that it is situations like that that are why we need trainers with more experience to guide the noobs like I myself was through times like this.

These companies that put students out on the road really need to re-think their entire training programs.

When I said that it doesn't take any time to be a safe driver, I meant that it means it's the attitude, and going into the job with the right mindset. The attitude is what doesn't take long to learn but a good trainer should be instilling those values from the get go.

It does take a longer time to actually learn the job and all those situations and backing in tricky places, etc. that has been mentioned. A good trainer should be able to teach all this also as much as possible.

 

Get a grip man...wargames would drive you under the table. Who are you to say trucking isnt for anyone? I dont care how grouchy someone is aslong as they can drive... what is this ###### kindergarten? Now now children no cussing or you cant drive the big trwucks...

 

I can handle it all, but if I need to put on chains I will park instead. I don't care that much about on time service. I'm a girl so I'm not as strong as a man and after putting on 4 sets of chains why even bother driving? I just will not do it and screw the load. I will park.

 

I don't care. If I feel the need I will slow down. I drive safe because I am responsible for what my truck does. That I40 gorge is not a fun place when it rains or snows or gets very windy. It's just one of those places where I will slow down. I go up and down Donner Pass at speed unless it's wet. There's places I travel that I don't worry too much but there's always those places where I will slow down and if weather conditions suck enough I stop. I hate driving the I80 through Wyoming and I will drop to the I70 every time even if it adds miles. I don't like it. 3 years driving and Wyoming still scares me. And it's much worse in winter with the drifting snow. I'd rather take on NYC, Jersey, and Chicago rush hour all at once rather than the 80 through Wyoming any day.

 

Big ones Wargames, you got big ones. Kudos to you.

You weren't alone in some of those feelings.... just try to walk away from the keyboard when you have them, and b-r-e-a-t-h-e-e-e .

BoyWander also for being gracious enough not to enflame the situation.

That said, what have we all agreed upon?

 

LOL, I still go down the gorge at posted speed of 45 and that's when it's dry. Yeah and those trucks are lined up behind me too.

After being harassed on the CB by a super trucker going down the gorge one time, I told him don't let me hold you up...go ahead and pass me.

He tried talking another driver into going with him and that driver's response was, "No thank you, I'm loaded to the top, I'm just fine right here".

I again offered to let him pass me up, I'd slow down, and then added, I'm sure smokey won't mind either..

He shut up and waited till we got down.

That's one of the things that new drivers need to be taught....to do the right thing in spite of pressure to exceed their capabilities, from external or internal voices.

 

AMEN! Of course I don't have a CB so they can say whatever they want to. I will drive in my comfort zone..... o.o

 

Experience comes from the Mindset. YOU Learn as you go and your able to have correct thought process as you do. Hands on training only works if you put your mind into it. With the Right training you can go further without the right training you set yourself up for FAIL

There are some new drivers who will be just like us old vets and make a career out of it while the odds are not in their favor yet some will be naturals while others are only in it because they lost their jobs.

A TRAINER should be of the said mindset and be willing to pass his or her's knowledge on to that student and take as much time as needed with both verbal and driver training. Ive seen Trainers yelling at students in truck stops belating them because they cant back up or whatever instead of taking control of the situation and dealing with it in a proper manner. I even took a young Lady with me who Quit her job at a Truck Mill because the trainer was more interested in Sleeper Training 101. He screamed at her and did just the opposite of what a Real trainer should have done. The young lady i took on within 2 weeks she had the confidence to handle a big rig because i taught her the correct way. She wrote me after she signed on with another company and told me the 2 weeks i took to show her the correct way she learned more than the 5 weeks with the Mill Trainer. To this day she is still my friend and still drives a truck and that was in 1995. I did get a few grey hairs from showing her but hey at least i did something good. lol

 

It's a tough call. Even at 3 years I'm probably capable of being able to train someone but I still have some limited areas. Like some of those major mountain ranges you guys talk about I've either never been across (Cabbage) or have only been across once or twice (Donner). Heck I didn't even know I had been up Grapevine until someone told me where it was. I didn't know what it was called, I just knew it was a very long steep incline between LA and Bakersfield, kinda like Monteagle except you have to turn your AC off.

 

Ahhh... that truckers can't agree on the price of a free cup of coffee? LOL!!