Warner good or bad?

fear. they're scared. I'm finding a lot of the student drivers...aren't in the industry because they want to be, they're in the industry because they have no other choice. They can't find a good job in their home city, they can't make any money at those jobs, most have a lot of debt and driving a truck is a way out for them. Only problem is, most of them are scared to learn how to actually drive the truck and to drive it in all conditions or least learn how to drive it in most adverse weather conditions.

These guys coming out of Florida...the first time they get in the mountains, they're scared to death and refuse to drive. Same goes when the snow, sleet, ice and heavy rains start coming down. Werner's policy is, if you're you don't feel safe, you don't drive, and these students that are too scared and timid, they just use it as an excuse to get out of driving in that situation/condition. Which is why the trucking industry has a lot of the accidents they do year round.

IMO, if you refuse any part of your training, it should be grounds for automatic termination, because by not learning in those situations and weather conditions...you're just screwing yourself over because when you're in the middle of Central Kansas or Nebraska in the dead of winter, and the snow starts falling and the rest stops and truck stops are all full and there's no place to park...you're gonna have to drive to a safe spot. DOT and LEO's are writing tickets and having trucks towed for being on the sides of highways and on the on-ramps and off-ramps.

Another problem is, these companies are a part of the problem because they don't raise their standards for trainees.

 

That is great, and yep I don't agree with the way Werner wants to train, and yes been there through the winter when all those accidents happened.

but maybe you could explain this clearer for davezilla as he still doesn't get it.

my students pre-pass still hasn't been working, he still getting red lighted only time he gets a green light is when scale is closed.

again there is good and bad in all companies including Werner, it boils down to what is most important to one person or another. Just because Werner didn't cut it for me or others doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. It's better to go into a place armed and ready vs being defenseless.

theres a reason why it's said that knowledge is power.

 

I would have to agree with you, but as for that not driving because the student doesn't feel safe is a bunch of bull. I threw that whole training thing away and I trained my way. As a trainer I made my students drive, and as a trainer and if you sitting in the seat observing your student, one can tell when he/she has it his/her breaking point, in order to find a place to switch out.

if they absolutely refused to try, your right straight to a terminal they went to be dropped off, I refused to waste my time helping someone who just wanted things handed to them.

 

im not sure. maybe its malfunctioning?

werner is "ok". they arent the big bad wolf a lot of people make them out to be. you wont get rich there thats for sure. but you can make ends meet and get by until you get your experience and can move onto better things.

its true though. my trainer told me, if tou dont feel safe i ca t make you drive. i dont agree with that thought process but it is werners policy. Safety told me, if you dont feel safe, pull over and shut it down.

but i agree. when i become a trainer i will be the same way you are. you either learn and do it my way or ill drop you off and you can be someone elses problem and responsibility.

 

The one important thing I did was communicate, communication is the key, I told them if they were tired tell me, if they needed to stop and stretch tell me, if they were to nervous, scared tell me. This way if I didn't catch it then I had them helping me catch it.

but at the same time when they said this I did 2 things, first was to watch them more closely, and 2nd have them drive a little further down the road before stopping and either getting out or switching. This helped not only with building their confidence to drive but also help build the stamina in order to stay in the seat. Now also depending on what time, how long they drove etc.....it helped in one other area which is to know ones breaking point.

my students had to hit there breaking point, once they were there I had em drive for 1 hour then find a place to park. Why? Because when one hits their breaking point at most one may need to spend an hour just to find a place to park safely, by this time they knew the breaking point signs, new they could do 1 hour up road if had too, and could catch the signs early enough to where one wouldn't necessarily need to drive to breaking point, but could stop early enough.

why this way, well there are several things that can get one tangled up that are just not planned, road construction, accident, weather etc....etc... And I know that they would be able to handle most situations when life throws us a curve ball on the highways and byways of life.

 

I've never ever ever had a student even ask to shut down. Most students dont want to look like wusses, they'll drive until the crash or pass out. I had a real tough guy who got pulled over for swerving because he was too embarrassed to ask for a break...despite that I woke up to check on him several times.

The thing that gets people killed is their pride, not lack of training. For instance, I saw one of our trucks get blown across the interstate and off a cliff that was higher than the length of the truck...the winds were 55mph blowing directly sideways... That's pride or stupidity...everyone who wasn't at full gross was shut down. Also saw a swifty blown off the road as soon as he got out of the truckstop...not even a quarter mile on the interstate.

The reality is that it's not winter wrecks...the most unsafe driving states are in the southeast. Florida, Geogia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The safest states? Up in the northeast...such as Massachusetts. The winter thing is only part of the story.

For instance, the two worst intersections for truck rollovers arent some small back-road...they two worst intersections for rollovers are both Interstates in the Carolina's. One intersection between two interstates had 28 rollovers! Outside the Carolina's and Florida, there aren't any intersections with more than 10 rollovers. How can the other 40 something states not have over 10, but they have dozens? It's crazy.

Sorry If I'm hurting anybody's feelins, but there is a direct correlation between southern drivers and increased wrecks. I once went to our Lakeland yard on christmas, and not one truck besides mine...did not have damage. Really? What the hell guys? I don't see many damaged trucks in other terminals...Maybe one in 20...but 100%? That's crazy.

Pride and impatience is deadly guys...

 

This! This is soooo true. Students just don't want to give in and admit they can't finish a run. They end up overloading themselves. That's why I just let them drive what they are going to drive and ignore the hours. I'll keep them until they are safe...then let them off so they can go have some nice family time. I was out for 10 weeks because I only got 40 ours in my first two weeks, then two weeks of breakdowns. I'm not going to do that to the students... First few weeks is all about driving safely, then the last few weeks is about safe backing. Never had a student so much as scratch his own truck or trailer.

The time isn't important, it's the quality of the mentoring. That's why Crete can put out good students in 3 weeks... And still be one of the top two large carriers that take new students.

 

So wait.. If I read your post correctly you are/were a trainer and had a student that you knew was tired because you checked on him, knew he was swerving and still let him continue until he got pulled over? That's some piss poor training right there.
Is that what passes for a trainer these days?

 

From the sound of this guy it really doesn't suprise me one bit. And that's how the cycle of crappy drivers are fueled... From crappy trainers

 

i had no issues with this because my number one rule is safety, and I don't give second chances, if the student broke any of my safety rules, they were done and off the truck. Not saying anything to me, about being tired, needing to stretch etc.. Was a major safety no no especially for a student, I didn't and wouldn't allow a student to push himself, that was my job to do not his.