Game: Funny Training Stories

We have talked about bad training experiences...so I thought we could post some good or funny ones. ;)

One of my TNT trainers was an older guy who really shouldn't drive at night cause of his vision.

I was a few miles from a customer in the black of night on a winding road surrounded by trees and corn headed to a quarry underground customer. The speed limit was 30mph but I was going 15.

Trainer woke up: what the hell ya doing going so slow?

Me: Look how dark it is. Some Stephen king children of the corn or a guy in a hockey mask will be jumping out any minute

Him: well put your damn high beams on so you can see. (Then I flashed to show him they were on). Damn...it IS dark.

Me: I know something is going to jump in front of me I just know it. (He went on and on about I was being paranoid). Oh my GOD.... Did you see that???? ( a freaking owl flew so close to the windshield I thought it was going to hit)

Him: see what? Ain't nothing out there.

Me: old man...you didn't see the six foot wingspan on that owl....you are NOT driving this truck in the dark with me on it.

Maybe u had to be there lol

Anheuser Busch, St Louis, Arrive at 7pm- guard had told us to come at that time... 7:30- drop and hook load is ready... starts to rain- hard... Trainer has nice leather boots, I have tennis shoes that got soaked... So we weigh- Tandems 3000 lbs heavier than Drives

Me- move tandems back 4 holes.. I learned that here on TT!!!

Trainer- yep

So we go scale a second time- PERFECT... 33xxx lbs on both drives and tandems... Boy am I happy- I wasn't certain because I didn't know if holes were spaced at 400 lbs or 250 lbs- so I guessed right! Trainer complimented me

Then walk into guard

Guard- You're off aren't you

Trainer- What the....

So we're walking back out to truck

Me- I set the brakes right before we went in to see guard.. and I just remembered that setting brakes messes up the weight distribution- trainer had taught me that before.. Before I got out of truck I automatically set brakes.

Trainer- Ohhhh

So we adjust brakes, leave truck in gear... beautiful- scale says 33xxx lbs... And we walk back in to guard

Guard 1- Looks good

Guard 2- Installs seal

Trainer- Oh no... trailer door top latch did not hook, bottom latch is fine (Oh crap! Earlier I had braked just a little hard with trailer attached... I was afraid some Kegs might have moved... Opened doors- everything is fine.. closed doors- that's where I made the mistake of not checking top latch)

Guard 2- gets bolt cutters... cuts seal... close door properly... new seal, and Guard 2 writes in new seal number on paperwork

For me- this was a great night, even in the rain- did some things right in getting scaled. But in life and in trucking the details- 2 things caught me. But we quickly took care of those. I LOVED IT- Learned something and back on the road making bucks

In this case, I was the trainer. My student was driving and I was in the passenger seat observing when he asks what he should do since a trooper had his lights on behind him. Of course I told him to pull over. The trooper comes up to the window and asks if we were aware we hit two trucks on the highway. I tell the trotter that I am pretty certain we did no such thing and my poor student was freaking out.

After sitting there for a few, the trotter gets a call that they got the driver that did it. It turns out he just heard on the radio that a blue Werner truck did it and he pulled over the first one he saw.

In this case, I was the trainer. My student was driving and I was in the passenger seat observing when he asks what he should do since a trooper had his lights on behind him. Of course I told him to pull over. The trooper comes up to the window and asks if we were aware we hit two trucks on the highway. I tell the trotter that I am pretty certain we did no such thing and my poor student was freaking out.

After sitting there for a few, the trotter gets a call that they got the driver that did it. It turns out he just heard on the radio that a blue Werner truck did it and he pulled over the first one he saw.

Hahaha I remember you telling this story. Freakin hilarious!

With my permit my trainer liked to blast the radio to relax me. Sugarlands "uh oh uhoh stuck like glue.....you and me baby were stuck like glue" was really popular.

I was driving in Atlanta traffic on a hill and was fully loaded..... I was afraid to let out the clutch and stall the truck. Afraid I'd roll backwards. I said "uh oh uh oh" and he yelled "stuck like glue" not realizing I was in trouble lol

Trainer: get your foot off that brake and trust the clutch.

Me: me and the brake have a 25 year relationship..... I just met Mr. Clutch. He needs to prove his worth to me.

Delivery For Yogi Bear..

We were delivering dental supplies to a lab. Dont ask me why that stuff was shipped in a 53' dry van... Anyway, I was driving and trainer was chilling in the sleeper. We did NOT have any company provided directions nor could we reach them by phone at the number provided so I was having to rely more on gps, which is NEVER a good thing. So I see the place ok, but theres a huge median keeping me from turning in and the closest intersection was quite a long way ahead. I made my left turn at the next light onto a wide county road that was supposed to have an access road that went back to where we needed to be. I make my turn and the access road wasnt there. Arghh.. Seeing a residential subdivision ahead I pull as far to the side as i could, turn on my 4 ways and set the brakes so i could figure it out.

I was checking out the gps on screen map and again trying to reach the consignee. My trainer asked what was up and I told him. He got in the drivers seat and said he would figure it out for me. It looked like the road ahead (which t-ed off) was big enough for trucks and not restricted so he headed that way to find a turn around. At the "t" we could only turn right (towards the houses). So we are driving down this road looking for a place to turn around and then we see the sign.. State park. The road wasnt restricted so he continued lol. There were at least 6 school busses full of kids on a field trip so a large turnaround was "occcupied". He kept driving through this park. The road continued to narrow even further and became quite curvy. We found a small car parking area but it was just before a tight curve and some low branches. I got out to spot for him while he tried to back up and turn around in this tiny parking area.

Just then a park ranger drove by and i attempted to wave him down to block traffic and all these kids while he maneuvered. The ranger just waved back and continued on..??? Im like #!@!!! My trainer did get turned around by backing blind around this curve and backing into that small lot somewhat. A few tree limb scraping noises but no damage, no harm, no foul.

So we head back out of the park, and can now reach our destination on the other side of the highway. We arrive a few minutes late and when i was asked about it, i told them we took the "scenic route". They werent upset so it was all good. I went to open the trailer doors and there were leaves stuck in the upper hinges and latches so when the doors were opened, the leaves went everywhere. We still laugh about that. If i had been solo at that time i probably would have just had authorities block that intersection and back up then complete the neccessary, but quite ilkegal U-turn, but anywho whats even funnier is we later found out that that park road we were on, curves around, widens back out and returns back to the main highway haha.. So on our jaunt through the park, we really didnt even need to turn around in the park at all. No wonder the ranger went on passed us without batting an eye and had just waved.