Trainers

After running regional for a few years I went with a company that told me that they needed 48 state experience and since I ran regional I needed to go out with a trainer for 2 weeks.Now at the time I had 12 years OTR and 2 regional all verifiable but rules are rules so I didn't complain.They stuck me with a "trainer" who had a whopping 6 months experience.The first day or 2 were interesting to say the least but I think I trained him more than he trained me. Going on almost 20 years now and with rules and regulations changing so often there's always new things to learn.6 months is not enough to train anyone.It may work in a warehouse environment but out on the road its like the blind leading the blind.I started and have worked for companies were if you didn't put some initiative in and fix something you weren't moving.Nowadays drivers have an issue they call breakdown and wait 2 or three hours for a 5 minute fix.Little things you pick up along the way help you out tremendously. If you have less than a year experience do you have the knowledge to know if someone is cut out for the job?Do you know if your cut out for the job? Trainers should have a minimum of three years and a safe record but unfortunately most of these training companies can't keep anyone long enough so they lower their trainer standards which in turn lower the trainees abilities that they churn out.

 

You are 100% entitled to your opinion , and I respect that. But the turnover rate has zero to do with training an individual. You may have mis-understood my post when I said that the DOT should mandate that every company that does what we affectionately call the mega's/bottom-feeders/training companies do..they should HAVE to make sure their trainers have 10 years or more experience....not at that particular company, but 10 years verifiable experience and an impeccable driving record. I mean absolutely no dis-respect to you , none at all , but as a student , Chase05...you have neither the knowledge or the experience to know what is ridiculous or impossible..at least as it pertains to driving a truck..I am 64 years old..and have driven trucks for over half my life , I just retired in 2011 with a 33 year , 3 million + , accident free safety record while driving for the same company...and I'm not experienced enough to make such a claim.

The training of a class A CDL holder should be both long and extensive...and it should be required BY LAW that it be done by a driver who not only has the skills to do so...but the patience. That does take time..I'm being generous at saying 10 years too...but that's just an old man's opinion though....

 

Many companies that hire student drivers have turn over rates of over 100%. Assuming a 4 week training period, that company would need AT LEAST 9% of it's employees to be 10 year vets that are also willing to train, and according to you, have a spotless record. Increase that percentage by 25% for each week of training you feel is necessary, and you're still assuming maximum efficiency. The standard training period seems to go up to 8 weeks, so that number for trainer's you would need would be 18%, and that's still assuming every trainer has a student 24/7, 365 days a year.

Why would a ten year vet with a spotless record stay at a starting company so long anyway..? You could claim that they should pay trainers more to get those kinds of experienced people into train, but then you're increasing the training cost when you're still going to have an outrageous turnover rate (people that will quit because they hate trucking no matter how great their training was). It just can't work.

Doing the math in it really makes me realize why companies are so desperate for trainers, lol.

 

Ridgeline is NOT mentioning the name of the company to avoid potential legal trouble. One CANNOT blame him.

 

I had just over 6 years experience when I took a break from trucking. Got hired on by Schneider and they sent me out with a TE (training engineer). He had only been driving for a year and I think I taught him more than he taught me. It was an experience to say the least. Thinking back the only thing he really taught me was how to edit my logs on the Qualcomm.

 

Sometimes it happens that way,the person getting trained knows more the the trainer,lol.