Would like to hear from all the newer werner drivers

I have completely finished my training and will be assigned a truck on Monday. Most of the training that I did was team driving. The trainers would observe how I drove from the bunk at times. they would always be awake when going into a major metropolitan area. for example, the first time I drove through chicago the trainer was awake and by my side. I met up with traffic that was a little busier than I had ever seen. A ball game had just let out and it was a friday night. He told me lanes to get into and stay in. Most of my driving was done at night. The trainers would always check to see if I was ok, be it sleepy or hungry.... I was happy with the trainers that I had.

 

My trainer has been great so far. Two weeks and it's been pretty much what the other guy said. If I start to get tired while I'm driving, I stop at a truck stop and go to the bathroom/get something to drink. Whatever helps. The tired I speak of is the "driving for 3 or 4 hours straight and starting to get too comfortable" kind of tired. I've been sleeping fine in the truck, moving or not, so I haven't had a problem staying awake while I'm driving. Plus, I drink a crapload of Amp (the energy drink.. love the stuff lol) He, on the other hand.. I don't know how he does it. Like the other guy said, whenever we were in loading/dropping/etc, he'd be by my side while I was driving while he would normally be sleeping.

But yeah its been good. I stop wherever I want whenever I want. He'll usually wake up, check things out, then go back to sleep or go into the truck stop to use the bathroom or whatever. Basically same as I do when he's driving and I'm sleeping.

I really can't wait to get my own truck and fill it up with my stuff lol

 

Well, I guess. The first time I got behind the wheel and pulled out of the rest area and onto the interstate, my trainer looked at me and said "No one has ever done that before.." I was confused, thought I did something wrong. Then he said "I've never had anyone get behind the wheel for the first time, pull out, and go up through all of the gears onto the interstate without grinding a single one." *laughs* He sat next to me for about an hour as I drove down the interstate, told me where to go, then he went to sleep. Few hours later I stopped at a truckstop (students aren't allowed to drive between midnight and 6am for the first week and it was almost midnight). I backed into the middle of three open spots and we went inside. On the way my trainer joked about how if it was any of his previous students, they'd still be trying to back into that spot. He's told me a few times since then that I apparently went to a very very good truck driving school. Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect, but I guess I was ahead of the game or something.

 

I'm finishing up my extended 40 hours with the trainer and should be heading to a terminal sometime early this week.

What can I say...

My first trainer was a good guy; he was experienced (15 years driving otr), easy to get along with, and overall a good attitude. He was a fairly instructive but basically used the time behind the wheel as a true teacher. I drove 10.5 hours my first day and averaged at least 8 everyday after. My first trip was up the Grapevine heading into bakersfield and onward to Washington... he slept during the whole thing. Every mountain pass I met during my training, he was sleeping. As soon as my curfew ended, I was driving nights. I guess I didn't mind, but I'll never know if there were some things I could have done differently/better. In the end, I consider my first trainer a friend and actually was an asset to my assention into driving truck.

But... I did have to put up with the idosynchracies of being stuck in a truck with a stranger 24/7; the phone calls to his women, the arguments with his wife, the odors, just little things that can grind on you. I can imagine it being hard for some to cope with if you are not used to close co-habitation.

Now my second trainer... This person is 18 years younger than me and has been driving a truck for 2.5 years. Because of this, he knows everything and tries to teach me life lessons everyday (not driving lessons mind you) He does not instruct, he is either sleeping in the back, talking in spanish on his phone or listening to musica in espanol while I'm driving. Oh, an don't forget the television is tuned to Univision or Telemundo when parked. He does not ask for input, ask if this bothers me, etc. Nor does he give thanks when I save his/our bacon. He is inconsiderate and basically just an immature, snot-nosed know-it-all. I'm not just saying that because of his age either, that is just what he is. I've met more mature 16 year olds. I could have asked for another trainer but I didn't want to deal with the extra hassle w/o knowing I would get another crappy trainer. I've dealt with it and now I'm ready to move on. I will not keep in contact with this ### hat and have truly grown to appreciate my first trainer even with the phone calls, odors, etc.

In summation, you have to be semper gumby (always flexible) if you are going to make it. You may be thrust into a situation you are not comfortable in but you have to suck it up and drive on. The end is always in sight, just stay focused. They say the squeeky wheel gets the grease, but I think squeeking will only hamper your training and your time of completion. Suck it up, drive on and you will be making .26 a mile in no time. I know the pay sucks for now, but after a year or so I myself will be moving to bigger and better things or possibly settling into a route that gets me more hometime regardless of pay.

HTH
Super10

 

My trainer requested to be home on the 12th, and they did it.