First Week Experience

Dean one of the most important parts of becoming a top tier performer is communication.

I’m not going to sugar coat any of this...

Before going too much further you need to calmly and clearly communicate with your trainer so he understands what you need help with, why and find out from him the best way to address those needs. Second; realize part of his anger might be the lack of training you received on load securement. Ask him why he is irritated. Confront him in a professional manner. Don’t let this fester...

That said... he sounds like a hot head, however you will be dealing with all kinds of personalities out here, many of them unabashed jackasses, many (unfortunately) with the power to make your life miserable. It’s up to you to make adjustments that enable your overall success and sanity.

Whatever you do, please keep your cool.

Good luck!

Thanks G-Town. It's hard to learn securement from someone who will rip a snap binder out of your hands and do it themselves. But I saw how the process worked watching YouTube.

Dean, you probably already know this but FYI just in case. You will see a lot of different securement methods for chains on YouTube. Some of the reason being is the different trailers and different WLL for the spoils and stake pockets. Find the specs for your specific company trailers

As others have said just hang in there and make the most of it. It isn't right to be talked down to or not be given an opportunity to learn but sometimes it's best we just keep sight of the finish line. Once you're done with this guy you won't need to deal with him again. Learn the most you can while you're with him and don't forget we have many members here cheering for you and willing you help you. If you're ever unsure about securement don't be afraid to ask.

Dean, I'm copying my response from another thread here. I hope you find it helpful.

I had a terrible trainer. I was still able to learn from him. I was miserable, but it clearly had no negative effect on my trucking future. Some people are sadistic a-holes, you and I both got one.

I suggest you stick it out and watch and learn as best you can. You can always ask questions of other drivers when you are solo. Most flatbedders will help you if you ask. We will help also, but another driver loading at the same place as you is your best bet. Just tell them you are new, and your training was insufficient. They will usually be very helpful.

As a side note, I learned a lot by sticking with my trainer. I learned about myself and self control. Those things have proven to be more effective to my success in trucking than the actual securement training.

Here's an article I wrote about my training experience...

Your Trainer Will Test You On More Than Your Driving Skills

Oh, I just remembered this - we have an extensive section on securement training in our High Road CDL Training Program. It is excellent! I highly recommend you study it diligently. You will learn a ton about what you need to know to be both safe and legal.

One more thing. You can't expect to feel 100% confident from your training. Your company knows that and you have to accept that. You are formerly military. I have noticed through the years in our forum, a pattern emerging. Typically former law enforcement and military personnel have real issues with the training in trucking. They are accustomed to thorough training scenarios. Trucking doesn't do that. It is best learned by doing. Your entire first year has to be viewed as a training experience. It's filled with variables that just can't be crammed into a training program.

You can do it. Don't sell yourself short. Trucking is hard on newcomers, but there's a reason for that. Individual initiative and commitment is prerequisite for success at trucking. Nobody holds our hands. We are expected to take the bull by the horns and conquer it. You've got what it takes - just dig a little deeper each day - you'll be glad you had the resolve, but it will take you through some difficult struggles to get there.