TNT With Prime Mean Trainer Need Advice

Hi! I have one goal. To get my cdl and support my family with a stable income. I trifecta'd on my test! On day 7 with TNT at Prime. Same trainer as psd. My trainer has some really bad anger issues and I'm doing my absolute best to make him happy. I'm learning rather averagely for someone who has never drove a big rig before with very little driving experience in the first place at age 22. (30,000 miles in a car )I'm going to have a breakdown though. My trainer is very controlling and cruel. I'm his third student. So he's new at teaching as well. Also has a lot of nasty things to say about his previous students. Honestly I really don't feel comfortable listening to it. Doing reefer right now and want to switch to flat bed. Haven't had a shower since I started TNT. I feel like quitting everyday because of this personality that I'm dealing with. But I know I have to work my butt off through this to be able to be on my own. I'm not sure how much I can take. I want a new trainer but I'm not sure how to approach this. I'm a kind individual and it's easy to walk all over me. Have been happily driving 11 hour shifts this whole time for experience. I love it. I have been learning mostly everything myself while just getting yelled at rather than getting taught. It seems like this guy is here for himself and his money. I mean the guy's made me cry !! I need this more than ever for me and my family and I know Prime is a great company to start out with. Please, fellow trucking truth members, I'm begging for advice on how to deal with the situation. I'm scared to call anybody at Prime because of the fear of losing this wonderful opportunity.

Call someone at prime today. Just look for Rainy D's Prime training journal. Prime will help you. Good luck. Hopefully She will chime in here.

Don't be afraid to call somebody. I don't work for Prime so my experience is with a different company, but my advice is still the same. I'm sure Rainy will chime in here as well. She had some prerty bad issues with trainers but Prime worked with her and she still works for them today.

My advice is make a phone call to someone at Prime in private without telling your trainer what you're doing and explain everything to them, including that you're afraid of how your trainer will respond if he finds out you ratted him out. Maybe they can route you guys through a terminal before telling him what's going on so you don't have to deal with any repercussions on the truck. Just an idea.

Don't give up. Trucking is alot of fun and training is just temporary. Once you get with a more positive trainer you'll be back to having a blast in no time. Good luck.

My advice is make a phone call to someone at Prime in private without telling your trainer what you're doing and explain everything to them, including that you're afraid of how your trainer will respond if he finds out you ratted him out. Maybe they can route you guys through a terminal before telling him what's going on so you don't have to deal with any repercussions on the truck. Just an idea.

Stewart, that's great advice from Paul. That phone call needs to be done in private so the trainer can't hear you. I know that may be difficult , but you're smart enough to work that out. Include in that conversation the fact that you guys have not showered in seven days.

At orientation they should gave given you a contact person and a phone number in case you have issues like this. If you don't remember, or can't find it try and ask for Stan, I think he can help you.

It sounds like you ended up with a lease operator who is doing this for some cheap labor. Prime will help you get it straightened out, but stick with the facts like not getting to shower. A lot of the other stuff can be twisted around and denied by the trainer without evidence.

I agree. I used to train for Prime. The trainers are told the expectation is that the trainee will get a shower at least every other day. Tell them you haven't had a shower in seven days, and anyway you'd like to go flatbed.

They're going to ask why you want to switch to flatbed, so you need to be ready to answer that question. I don't think it's automatic that they'll let you switch divisions at this point and may try to talk you into staying reefer for a year. Just be ready for that part of the conversation.

Dear stew, I had the same problem my first couple of weeks with my trainer...I called my FM to notify him of the situation, but told him if things didnt change, I would want to be transferred to another truck. I have a bad temper after so many times of pressing my buttons (especially when Im doing my best to listen and hear what is being told to me, and being yelled at and criticized for small things.) I remember the very day my trainer was getting ****ed because he was getting crappy loads and taking it out on me, I finally snapped, and reminded him that if he didn't quit yelling at me I was going to hop off the truck right in the middle of traffic, and that he could enjoy starting over with a brand new PSD. Boy let me tell ya, after I threw that at him, he has been on his best behavior and started speaking to me like a student, and not like some dumb slave to his lease/op needs...but If you cant resolve it with him personally, it would definitely be wise to notify HR or your FM! Good luck bud, I hope it gets better for ya out there. Be Safe!!

You're going to be fine, just make the call to your driver development rep. They will most likely route you to the nearest terminal and get you out with another trainer. My second mentor was like that. I guess he was used to yelling and screaming at twenty something young people like yourself. Let's just say he was ill prepared for the likes of somebody like me climbing on to his truck that first day back in July. LOL!

Again, you're going to be fine.

Best wishes and good luck, JJ

Put in a call to Brooke Mosley. Steve Larsen is another you can call. The main switchboard will put u thru. You can even email her. As suggested tell her about the lack of showers and verbal abuse. IF you fear him and his anger issues then call ASAP. Tell them you fear for your safety if that is the case.

Not only did she handle my situation but she got Miss Myoshi on a different truck. If you want to go flatbed they should have out u flatbed from the beginning because even after TNT you would still need 30 days with a flatbedder.

Where are you guys now? If you are at a terminal go talk to someone now. If not, call and they will reroute you. They might not even tell him why he's being rerouted back to the terminal.

Make a list of the things he said the dates and times. List when and where you showered. Take any pics of the truck issues (people like that are often slobs or have DOT violations) and record him on your phone if possible.

There are TNT trainers begging for trainees so it shouldn't be a problem.

Keep us posted on what happens. Who's your FM now?

Some of you are too nice. If anybody was treating me like that I would beat their A$$ back into last week. What is up with some of these Training horror stories. These Companies need to get a handle on things. I might understand if it was Jim Bob's Trucking with 3 trucks, but these are Big National Carriers!

Some of you are too nice. If anybody was treating me like that I would beat their A$$ back into last week. What is up with some of these Training horror stories. These Companies need to get a handle on things. I might understand if it was Jim Bob's Trucking with 3 trucks, but these are Big National Carriers!

Many of the "problem trainers" are either new to training or the students have not had the guts to report them. Students do not realize the companies will believe them, or they fear getting fired as a trouble maker.