My Trainer Just Snapped

Anything new yet?

Ok to finish the saga his DM kept arguing with him this morning about there was no freight moving east on I-10 or 20 heading yo the Carolina's. I pointed out three other company trucks we could see from our truck that had to be heading somewhere.

So then the produce manager called me directly and wanted to know what was going on between my trainer and I. I could tell he was agitated and this conversation wasn't going to end well. So being a smart ass that I am I told him nothing we are getting along pretty good, why did he say something different. Well he demanded to know why we weren't moving so I told him to call my trainer because hat was between them and to leave me out of it. Well I then handed my trainer my phone. Then I started regretting doing that because I had visions of my phone going out the window and bouncing down the asphalt.

My trainer handed me the phone and calmly said he wants to talk to you. The first phrase out of the managers mouth was somewhere in the neighborhood of threatening my job.

So as professionally as I could I made sure he knew I didn't work for him and not to threaten my job and I hung up.

My trainer told me to go eat something because he was going to Walmart to buy a huge suitcase yo pack his things.

I called me student counselor and explained everything to her and she was furious that they wanted me to drive the truck with or without my trainers permission.

Needless to say one of the other trucks in the parking lot had a load that was going to S. Carolina and we exchanged loads with that driver.

So crisis adverted and I am currently sitting in S. Carolina getting unloaded and we will be to his house in plenty of time to see his brother get off the plane in the morning.

Might be worn out but the end result is completely worth it.

Excellent!

Yeah these power struggles happen from time to time. A great driver knows his worth and can't allow the company to walk all over him. At the same time a company knows its worth and can't allow their drivers to call all of the shots. Sometimes you get a standoff like this. I've been in them myself.

One time I had an awesome dispatcher that I had been with for a few years. He always took excellent care of me and I always did an excellent job. Then one day out of the blue I get a message saying that my dispatcher had too many drivers on his board and they arbitrarily moved a bunch of us to another board. I was livid. There was no way anyone could possibly do a better job than the guy I had worked with for years. So I told my company, "Look, you have a long list of guys on his board that have only been there a short time. Move them. You don't move me. I've been on this board for years and I won't move to another board as long as my dispatcher is still with the company. So find someone else to move. I'm not moving this truck until I'm back on his board."

Well it took a couple of hours and several phone calls with various managers but they finally realized I was the wrong guy to do this to and I wasn't going to compromise. So they moved me back to my original board and things resumed normally.

That's life in trucking. It's a highly competitive and highly dynamic environment where everyone is always jockeying for a better position. These power struggles happen from time to time.

I totally agree with Brett.

I was raised to pick your battles and fight for what you believe is right. You don't have to fight every battle to prove you are a man .

I think my trainer believed in his cause and he wasn't going to back down.

Choose you battles wisley and try not to bite the hand that feeds you, but remember the neighbor might feed you if you are hungry.

On a good note when we shut down today I only have 7 hours left behind the wheel in training. So Monday I should finish up and then by the end of next week I am hoping to have my own truck.

Good luck drivers and stay safe.

Congratulations Muleskinner!