What to expect during my mentorship

When I got my CLD I did the free training with a mega trucking company, well maybe not mega then, they only had 1,800. They did a pretty good job at teaching us how to drive. They had us do more city drive learning the turns and dealing with cars.

Their are all kinda of little things, like you need 4 lanes to make a right turn or you have to split the lanes. If turning left you pull up till you shoulder is at front corner of car or truck. Then you turn and the trailer should clear the car without hitting it. Always stop with two feet behind a car or stop line. Because if the car need to backup or another truck is turning, you never have back up. Your already leaving room if the car needs to backup or if a truck is turning and he cuts it short he has a little extra room for trailer to cross the stop line. You NEVER want to back up at intersection or on the road.

 

Keep your fingers crossed that you get a mentor you get along with. Some of them are there for the little bump in pay, and don't care much about their student. Hopefully you'll have somebody that will be in the passenger seat while you drive giving you advice, and not asleep in the bunk collecting half of your mileage pay while he sleeps. If you don't feel that he's putting enough effort into teaching you the basics, call your manager and tell them you want somebody else. No sense in wasting time.

A few things you'll want to really pay attention to are,
1. Backing
2. Learning to chain up tires
3. Sliding trailer tandems
4. Pre-trip and post-trip inspections
5. Trip planning
6. Legal weights and how to adjust trailer and skid plate

Count on it not being much fun cooped up with another person in such a small space for a few weeks. You're there to learn, and if he's willing to do the job right it will pay off for you in the long run. Once you learn the basics, it will be up to you to develop good habits to get the job done right in the future.

Good luck.

 

Dont complain, ask alot of questions and follow every rule he has in that truck.

 

Mentorship...yea.

Maybe you'll get the trainer that ####s himself and doest bathe, maybe you'll get the guy that uses you as the mule to boost his miles & pay and doesnt teach you anything. Maybe you'll get the guy who is a miserable ahole.

What other bad trainer posts have we had here over time? Maybe others can add to the list.

Good Luck OP!

 

Just observe more than anything. You will pick up some things regardless of how good they are at training.

Take your time. If you don’t do anything stupid, it’s a win. Relax and take your time. Better to be late than do something stupid. There will be wrong/missed turns. Relax and stop and figure it out if safe.

Just remember 1 motto about little things like missing turns, etc

“If that’s the worst thing that happens today, it’s a good day”

 

I want you to eat a can of Stagg Dynamite Hot Chili twice daily. Morning and in the evening. Strait from the can. For the duration of you're training.

 

Stop with the mentor stuff. They're just guys who get a bump in pay for "training" a newb.