Profile For Zack A.

Thanks and yes I’ll read it.

Hey Zack, congratulations for getting started with your new trucking career!

Let's look at the bigger picture here. You have only been with this mentor for four days. Everything is new to you, and when we are brand new at this we sometimes have expectations that are not always exactly as they should be. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact, it is perfectly normal. Training is a time of pressure for us as newbies. You do well to question yourself like you did when you asked...

am I just over thinking?

I like your attitude and your approach to this.

By looking at the big picture I would ask myself things like...

• Am I learning the things I need to know?
• Am I getting plenty of practice behind the wheel?
• Am I becoming more confident with my driving?
• Are the experiences I am going through helping me understand how to do this on my own?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then you are doing okay with your trainer, and you can keep with it and expect to be in your own truck in a few weeks. Training is difficult for all of us. Sometimes our trainers are not the greatest teachers. Sometimes they have their own selfish motives. I had a terrible trainer, so I know the frustration. I did learn a great deal during my time with my trainer, but most of it was self learned due to the exposure I got while driving.

Trucking has a lot of grey areas. Experienced drivers may take advantage of some of those areas more willingly than a newbie would. An ABS light would be one of those grey areas I am talking about. Each of us may deal with it differently. For now let your trainer be the one who decides what to do with it. If you get stopped you can explain that you are in training and your trainer told you to continue driving. That may not stop you from getting some sort of warning or citation, but it really is all the power you have in your situation. You don't want to refuse to drive unless there is a blatant safety issue going on. An ABS light does not qualify as that to me. It is merely a warning that there is something not right that needs to be tended to as soon as it is conveniently possible.

Remember, when you are put in your own truck you can manage it just as you want. You will be the captain of your own ship. For now follow your trainer's lead unless he is trying to get you to things that are blatantly unsafe or illegal. You can still learn a great deal during training even if your trainer is not the best they have to offer. Keep that big picture in mind. You will still be learning things for the next several years. This training portion of your learning curve is short lived and over with in a few weeks. You have much more learning to do on your own without your trainer there by your side. Here's a article I wrote about my time with a trainer who was definitely not one of the best. I hope you will take the time to read it and decide for yourself if you are okay with your current situation.

What Should I Expect To Learn From My Trainer?

That’s understandable I try not to let him pressure me. I was very tired last night when I wrote this up. The whole situation just had me stressed. Me and the other new guy are currently driving on our permits we havnt been to our home state to get our hard copy cdl yet. I’m not sure if that matters or not when it comes to getting pulled over.

Since I wasn't there to see it first hand its kinda hard to Judge. However Remember you hold the steering wheel not your trainer, if he is telling you to drive like an ass don't. It's your license on the line should something happen, don't let him pressure you into doing something you are not comfortable with.

As for the ABS light, try unplugging it from your tractor for 30 seconds and then plugging it back in, a lot of the times that will reset the light. If not push a little more to get it looked at, it's probably not extremely urgent however it should be addressed especially if you are headed for bad weather.

The amber indicator light on the rear corner of the trailer, the warning symbol on the dash or both?

Both the trailer abs light on the dash and the trailer.

Been with my mentor for four days. Me and the other mentee have pointed out that abs light for the trailer is on. He told us if it stays on for days he will get it fixed. Is this right? I feel like he just wants to run us for the miles. I had to brake hard earlier today and I think that’s when the abs light popped on so he’s blaming me for it. I’ve also been having issues with him. Today he made me switch to the left lane to avoid a bunch of traffic then wanted me to turn my right signal on and try to cut into the traffic to make our exit. We ended up missing the exit and he got mad at me. I’m not sure how other people feel but I hate when someone leaves the crowded lane the. Try’s to cut back in and cut others off semis included. That was my reasoning for refusing to do so. Earlier today leaving a truck stop he wanted me to. Cut off two waiting semis and just blow past them. I told him you want me to just cut these guys off? He didn’t reply. Do I have a bad trainer? Or am I just over thinking/not listening like I should be.