My First Week, Should I Be Further Along?

Hello all, I hope everyone is having a good playoff Sunday.

A couple weeks ago I graduated from a great 16-week program in Alexandria, MN. I did a lot of research before deciding to go there. It was a longer course than what I could have took elsewhere, but a lot of the other programs were what you might call "driver mills". The instructors were thorough, stringent and provided an excellent learning experience. I graduated at the top of my class of what started at 12 students and ended up at 8. Like most, I struggled with shifting and backing right off the bat and feel I still have quite a bit of fine tuning to accomplish. We learned 10, super 10, & 13 speed transmissions. We were in a different truck every day, so getting one or the other mastered was difficult. The thought is that you would be able to drive everything and ultimately you become a better driver by switching it up.

Originally, I went to school to drive passenger bus and soon found that tractor trailer felt like a good fit. Also, I didn't want to let my training go to the wayside by just driving passenger bus, since most of the education had to do with combination vehicles. My plan was to go over the road for a year or more to gain experience and perfect my skills. My home situation does not really permit me being gone 2 or 3 weeks a month though. So, I decided to start looking at local companies that I could drive local for and I found one.

Starting out I was put with a driver last Saturday shuttling trailers from a packing plant back and forth from our yard to theirs. I did great and the driver I was with relayed that to the owner. I did paperwork and orientation stuff the following Monday and Tuesday I was sent on my own to deliver a load down near Minneapolis. Maybe I should have declined as I didn't feel close to ready after only one day, but I went anyway. The truck I was assigned had an 18-speed transmission and that was tough out of the gate. I know it's the same as 13, except you're also splitting the bottom, but it was still hard to get used to. I got down there and the lot was very busy. While navigating my way through all the chaos, I was spotting the drop trailer area and check-in office. the plan was to loop around to the left pull up and then back in a spot to go check in. Well while doing so, I took my eyes off the right mirror for a couple seconds and ended up scraping the rear of my 53' across the front end of another truck. I was beside myself. I was better than this. it was textbook what not to do. I was trained for this! We exchanged information, insurance company, police report etc. The guy was flaming ****ed at first as I apologize acknowledging that I knew he was trying to make money too and this will now cost him down time for repairs. I guess the only good thing that came out of it is that it was not a reportable. After all that, I got checked in and was told I had to drop the trailer in a door, then pick up another trailer from a different door. I was flustered and it took me 5 or 6 pull ups to finally get the trailer in the hole. Dropped it, hooked the other one and got the hell out of there.

After I got back to the yard, dispatch informed me that they would be putting me with the service manager the next day (Wednesday) to run a load up to Fargo and show me some of the places we go. This surprised me because I thought for sure I wouldn't have a job anymore. While I was driving up there he asked if that is how the school taught me, referring to double clutching. I said yes and that we were not allowed to float gears. He took over driving and instructed me how to not use the clutch and explained that it wears out the clutch to use it. After I got back in the driver seat, I was completely discombobulated, I tried like hell to not grind gears, but to no avail. Before I was fairly smooth on up shifting, but downshifting was still not great. We didn't run in school with completely loaded trailers so my first couple days have been tough with that, as the shifting seems a bit different the heavier you are. Now that I'm not supposed to use a clutch, I'm not sure if I can erase what I've learned and show enough progression to this employer. I got through it though, some smooth and some rough shifts.

The next day (Thursday) it was very crappy weather, sleet, snow and very icy conditions. I was sent to southern MN and in to WI with the first driver I had on Saturday in his truck. 13-speed, which I do much better with. He drove the whole way down and into WI. We saw cars in the ditch and even a jackknife. The weather cleared and I drove back home. He told me to go back to using the clutch and what I was taught. He never asked me not to use the clutch anyway, that was the other guy. He thought that was too much to get into after what I already learned. It seemed like a pretty good day, but with the conditions, not too much in the way of progression.

Friday, I went with the same driver as Saturday and yesterday in my 18-speed. So, three days now with this driver and one day with the service manager. This guy is a nice guy, asks a lot of questions about my schooling and offers a lot of advice. He seems to care about my progression and success quite a bit. Today was different though. He had been quiet the whole way to our first stop. To be continued...

We went up and delivered the load. I drove down into a very tight alley and backed up to the dock with one pull up. We unloaded and then had to drive up top to another dock to load, which was a 90-degree alley dock. This dock had a car parked at my left trailer axles and was not supposed to be parked there. He took over and couldn’t get it in there himself, without sliding the axles forward. We got done loading and asked the shipper if we could go around the block, so I could try it again myself now that the car had vacated. I drove around the block and setup, then backed it in there perfectly on the first shot.

After that we went back to our yard and he used his truck and I with mine to shuttle trailers the rest of the day from the next town over. I had a couple crappy backups, and more than a few crappy downshifts. The last two loads we used my truck only. We docked at a place neither him or I had been and I took 2 pullups to get it down the ramp. Not great, but not terrible either. This came with more crappy downshifts though.

As we were running the last load and almost 13 hours later I was getting tired and yet more crappy shifts. He proceeded to tell me I may want to do some “soul searching” over the weekend. He said he would expect I should have been further along out of school and should be further yet with the last 3 days I had drove with him. I explained that my perception from the program was, that they get you prepped to gain employment and then the company you go work for will typically take you through driver training that lasts for usually 2 to 6 weeks. He stated that he didn’t think the owner was setup for that or even have the budget for it. He indicated that he believes that the owner probably has a higher expectation for somebody out of school as well. He said my first day was pretty impressive and he told the owner that, but also that I have not made very much progression in the last few days and that he has to tell the owner that as well. He suggested maybe I should go drive straight truck at another outfit for a while until I get my shifting down. I was kind of crushed, offended and very much discouraged. We wrapped up the day and here I sit waiting for what comes next. Dispatch already told me mid Friday I’d be running with him again, but I don’t think he is really up to it. I know he didn’t sign on for it in the first place and he probably drew the short straw.

Is this a common scenario? Should I hang it up? I just feel like I need more time and consistency with the same truck, shifting technique and practice.

My plan was to go over the road for a year or more to gain experience and perfect my skills.

my perception from the program was, that they get you prepped to gain employment and then the company you go work for will typically take you through driver training that lasts for usually 2 to 6 weeks. He stated that he didn’t think the owner was setup for that or even have the budget for it.

I just feel like I need more time and consistency with the same truck, shifting technique and practice.

Veeblefetzer, You are such a case study in why we teach the whole process that we do when we show people how to make the best start in this career. So many new drivers want to start out as a local driver. Repeatedly just this week alone this whole topic has surfaced several times again. We try our dead level best to show everyone in here the advantages of going straight to these large companies who are set up with trainers and programs to get new drivers acclimated to this very demanding new career that they are starting. There is such a steep learning curve to this, and very few small companies or local driving companies are set up for this type of thing. Here you are all stressed out and wondering if you are even going to have a job or not, and had you taken our "best practices" approach to this you would find yourself with a trainer who is interested in helping you get this thing off the ground properly. As it is you are left as a nervous wreck contemplating whether you are even capable of this or not.

Of course I think you are certainly capable. You've just taken a difficult path to success because, according to your own words above, you changed your plans before you executed them. Surely you can muster some way to commit to a measly one year of OTR. That would set you up so well for a job like the one you are at now. Just think of what is going on right now. They expected you to be further along. They don't understand what the schools are actually doing. They think they are going to be getting well trained drivers from a school. These large carriers understand completely how this works, which is exactly why they will pair you with a trainer for a minimum of one month. That one year commitment is vitally important. There are some really good solid reasons why we teach people to quit trying to figure out ways to circumvent that initial commitment. Surely you realize that you are in over your head at this point, and your employer is wanting to turn you loose in your own truck so that they can start making money with you instead of babysitting you.

What do you think is going to become of your career opportunities if they decide to keep you on but let you start running solo next week? What will happen if you get into a little fender bender of some sort? Your stress level is obviously high right now, as is every rookie driver at your level of experience, but had you stuck with your original plan, and followed our recommendations, you would still have the somewhat comfortable assurance that you were still in training and you still would have someone there with you to help you make the adjustments. These smaller companies doing local type work just do not have the resources to train new drivers properly, and to be honest with you they can't afford the insurance premiums it takes to cover a driver like yourself.

I don't like seeing rookie drivers having to go through something like this. You made a derogatory remark about certain types of schools when you said this...

a lot of the other programs were what you might call "driver mills"

Now you've actually found yourself in just such a scenario. They are trying to run you through so fast that there is no way for you to even feel remotely prepared for the task ahead of you. I would like to see you quit this job and go back to your original plan. You will greatly benefit from some proper training, and your career would be off to a much better start with less risk involved. It's your future career. You seemed to think that a longer school would be beneficial, now maybe you understand why we stress that a longer training period like you'll receive at some of the major carriers is beneficial.

I seriously wish you the best, and I hope you will push the reset button and try this again. Only this time do it with an eye on the long term goals and the big picture. Don't cheat yourself by trying to take a short cut that could cost you dearly.

It takes time to master. This is a common problem with smaller companies. They do not have the finances behind them to train too in depth. This is one of the many reasons people here are advised to get their experience OTR , then look for local. I am about 5 months into my local position and have been fortunate enough to not have had any incidences. I attribute that to a strict (from corporate) policy that requires new cdl holders go through 90 days of training. Perhaps talking to the owner would be the best step to take. That way you would be able to see what their thought process is. They surely can't expect you to be perfect with being so new. As far as being gone weeks at a time...i know it may be difficult, and I am unsure about your physical ability, health, etc. But with flatbed there are many companies that can get you home ALMOST every weekend. Just something to consider..

Old School hit the nail on the head !

Yes, driving school is there just to get you your CDL. The company you go to is where you learn the most. To be politically in-correct and blunt, your "Driver trainer" (using that term loosely) sounds like the south bound end of a North bound horse....

Part of his job is to teach you to float gears (You're NOT REQUIRED TO FLOAT) and it's up to you to use the method that works for you. And to even suggest that "you should be farther along" is just plain stupid.

I hope you can get through this. Best of luck

Thanks for the great feedback. I live on a bunch of property with my wife and mother-in-law. It's a lot of upkeep in regards to plowing and mowing, which is a big reason why I tried to remain local and also they of course would rather me be home every night, as would I. However, my family will support me in whatever I need to do, to make this work. Going OTR with a good company is the way to go, I know that. I knew that before I enrolled in school from this website. I'm hoping I might be able to leave this job open ended if they will have me back later down the proverbial road.

Having said that, the driver I was with Friday called today and wanted to apologize for being hard on me. He wanted to let me know he is making a commitment to get me training for at least a week or two, depending on what the owner says. He believes we should stay in my truck for consistency and go to every difficult place we go, one by one until comfortable. He said he had his troubles at the beginning and this employer gave him a chance and that he wants to be able to give me that chance as well. Also another driver is willing to take me OTR as well. The OTR driver knows very well that 3 or 4 days will not suffice and would be happy to have me along. This company is a lot of work when not in a truck, reefer van and food regulation wise. After a week and close to 14 hr days, I'm hoping the paycheck is well worth it. Even then I'm thinking really hard on just doing it right and going OTR with a larger company. I'll make better money, have the chance to get tuition reimbursement and above all get the training this career requires.

I'm 48 years old and don't really have the time to **** around. I need to get crackin'. I talk with the owner tomorrow hopefully and also receive my first paycheck. I'll keep posting in this thread to keep you updated and most importantly anyone else considering trucking as a career. Maybe this will serve as a testament and reinforcement regarding this sites "best practices" approach. Thanks for your thoughts today. :-)

Veeblefetzer, I just wanted to jump in quick to back up what Old School had said. He nailed it, as always. Going OTR or regional (getting home on weekends) for that first year is absolutely the best way to go for any new driver. No one is ready for the challenges of local driving in the beginning, and it's a risky way to start your career.

One problem you're going to face is that many of the major carriers have changed over to automatics. Not all of them, though. Your shifting obviously isn't going to improve in an automatic but your other driving skills certainly will, especially your backing. So you're going to become a much safer, more efficient driver going OTR for a while but you'll have to make sure you go with a company that's going to put you in a standard transmission to improve your shifting skills.

Best of luck! Let us know how things go and what you decide to do.