Dutch Maid Logistics -- Orientation/Training

I understood you as well, Kerry! Excellent diary; hope all is well. You can 'chat me up' anytime! I know, you're focused on training, as you should be...good sir.

Canaan ~ Have YOU made any decisions, yet? Tom's company is ALWAYS hiring in Ohio, if you don't want to go OTR , just have to get your CDL on your own. DML really IS a great Ohio company tho, too ~ I'll vouch for that!

Be safe, y'all!

~ Anne ~

DML is most definitely a good company to start out at, be in the middle of one's career at, and finish off into retirement at. The approach to training is very good. The company allows drivers to drive how they want. There is no micromanaging. Drivers work as much or as little as they want. There is everything from 3500+ mile/week drivers to 1500 mile/week drivers. The company is perfectly happy with both types of drivers and anything un between because they recognize that each driver is at a different point in his/her career, has different goals, and different priorities. My trainer averages 2000 mile/week, and he is happy with that because that's where he is at in his career. My trainer is basically retired and choosing to work.

I attempted to reply earlier, nice long rambling post. Might have possibly ruffled some feathers. Of course it didnt send. Short version. I applaud Kerry for his resilience. He is venting here so as not to let it cloud his vision. I would bet his trainer is learning from him as well in regards to hos and trip planning but is to proud to admit it. Group you seem a little harsh in your comments. Once again kudos to Kerry for rolling with it. Rambling as usual. Keep it hammer down and you will be running solo. Two hours into my first run I pulled over and almost puked. I felt like I was sitting outside the principals office knowing a paddling was coming. Good job man. Your positive attitude will prevail, you are well on the road to becoming a trucker not a steering wheel holder who blames everyone else for problems that may arise. God bless!

Thank you for the support. I think sometimes people here get used to the typical complaining (me having been labeled as such) that they don't realize that sometimes people are just venting. I am doing really well in training. My trainer hasn't had a lot of experience and has never been taught about running recaps and how to work his clock because he doesn't aspire to run that way. I think he has convinced himself that he has to do a 34-hour reset because he ultimately really wants to do a 34-hour reset every few days. Am I wrong for recognizing that my trainer has problems with trip planning and finding entrances to shippers? No. I would be wrong for thinking his way is the proper way to go about it (his way being completely different from what experienced drivers on here have shared about trip planning) and not seeking to do better. What kind of training diary do I have if I am not sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of my training experience? I have been honest in sharing my own mistakes. I really haven't had any major mistakes yet, partly because I spent so much time reading posts on here from experienced drivers. Also, the areas where I need the most work, my trainer is quite strong in these.

My training diary is going to be an open book for others to get a real idea of what training in trucking is like. The harsh reality is that trainers are human and being human are full of flaws. Part of being full of flaws is that even professionals can be not quite as good at one aspect of their jobs. So I was really critical that my trainer doesn't really spend time doing trip planning and it results in him having problems making pickup and delivery appointments. As I think about it, how is that wrong to make note of it? You know what? It taught me something because it showed me just how important trip planning is. Since my trainer wasn't doing it -- even from the very first trip when I wasn't able to drive yet -- I took it upon myself to do the trip planning. I was critical of my trainer being married to his GPS. Isn't that something that experienced drivers have told us newbies to avoid? Rainey, you said that for your first two years you didn't even have a GPS. Truthfully, my trainer could have gotten me in a real serious situation by forcing me to follow the GPS when he hadn't personally verified the entire route. Yes, it is my trainer's truck, but who gets the ticket if I go down a road that is restricted, even if the GPS indicates taking that route? It's my CDL. If my trainer were intentional in going a certain way to teach me something that I need to learn, by all means, I won't question it. He has done that by telling me to disregard the GPS and go a different way. When we are going somewhere that he either hasn't been or doesn't remember when he was last there and wants to just wing it, I am going to trip plan the route myself and find the safest route to take. I am giving other trainees the heads up that if they happen to be in that kind of situation to be assertive and look out for their own CDL.

Please, continue sharing your thoughts regarding my training diary. Just understand that what I have been sharing will not change. Now, I can use a bit more humility, but I won't accept the idea that my trainer is a million-miler (he doesn't have that much experience) with an excellent on-time record, and great training track record. When I point out the issues I am having in learning this business, the truth of how well my trainer is doing will be presented with it. I am sorry if this offends trainers out there. Unfortunately, not all of them are as well-rounded as you are, Rainey. Truthfully, I would love to be able to have you as a trainer, Rainey. There would be no stone unturned in what I would be learning in a truck with you.

Last night I decided to go to a bar to have a couple of drinks since I will not be driving for the next few days while my trainer is on home time. I went alone and planned to have a couple of beers alone. I got there and 3 DML employees were there: an experienced driver, a mechanic, and another trainee. The three of them were playing pool and basically asked me to join them. I arrived alone, but I am not one to be antisocial.

The experienced driver had been there for a bit and had been getting into things verbally with two women. I don't know how it started, but I know what I saw while I was there. He was using a racial slur and wouldn't stop when told to stop using that word. One of the women called him out and told him to step outside to fight. He continued running his mouth and the woman finally had enough. Both women started hitting him when he called one of them a n-word lover. I hate violence, so when I saw that it was going to continue to escalate, I stepped in to try to stop them. We were finally able to get things settled down and the driver out the door.

When I posted my question about personal details, this kind of driver is exactly the type of person I was worried about being given as a trainer. This driver is a trainer and he was at the terminal , ready for a trainee. Imagine how this guy would have reacted when he sees the photo of my wife that I have as a background on my phone. Do you think that a guy who calls a woman in a bar a n-word lover is going to treat me well when he sees the photo of a black woman on my phone? Yes, at some point he would see it as people notice those things when you go about using your phone for every day purposes.

Racism does exist and many of you need to start accepting that there are hateful people of all colors and backgrounds in this world. It shouldn't be that way, but it is, unfortunately.

Last night I decided to go to a bar to have a couple of drinks since I will not be driving for the next few days while my trainer is on home time. I went alone and planned to have a couple of beers alone. I got there and 3 DML employees were there: an experienced driver, a mechanic, and another trainee. The three of them were playing pool and basically asked me to join them. I arrived alone, but I am not one to be antisocial.

The experienced driver had been there for a bit and had been getting into things verbally with two women. I don't know how it started, but I know what I saw while I was there. He was using a racial slur and wouldn't stop when told to stop using that word. One of the women called him out and told him to step outside to fight. He continued running his mouth and the woman finally had enough. Both women started hitting him when he called one of them a n-word lover. I hate violence, so when I saw that it was going to continue to escalate, I stepped in to try to stop them. We were finally able to get things settled down and the driver out the door.

When I posted my question about personal details, this kind of driver is exactly the type of person I was worried about being given as a trainer. This driver is a trainer and he was at the terminal , ready for a trainee. Imagine how this guy would have reacted when he sees the photo of my wife that I have as a background on my phone. Do you think that a guy who calls a woman in a bar a n-word lover is going to treat me well when he sees the photo of a black woman on my phone? Yes, at some point he would see it as people notice those things when you go about using your phone for every day purposes.

Racism does exist and many of you need to start accepting that there are hateful people of all colors and backgrounds in this world. It shouldn't be that way, but it is, unfortunately.

To clarify, he is a trainer and was at the terminal ready for a trainee when I going through orientation.

Last night I decided to go to a bar to have a couple of drinks since I will not be driving for the next few days while my trainer is on home time. I went alone and planned to have a couple of beers alone. I got there and 3 DML employees were there: an experienced driver, a mechanic, and another trainee. The three of them were playing pool and basically asked me to join them. I arrived alone, but I am not one to be antisocial.

The experienced driver had been there for a bit and had been getting into things verbally with two women. I don't know how it started, but I know what I saw while I was there. He was using a racial slur and wouldn't stop when told to stop using that word. One of the women called him out and told him to step outside to fight. He continued running his mouth and the woman finally had enough. Both women started hitting him when he called one of them a n-word lover. I hate violence, so when I saw that it was going to continue to escalate, I stepped in to try to stop them. We were finally able to get things settled down and the driver out the door.

When I posted my question about personal details, this kind of driver is exactly the type of person I was worried about being given as a trainer. This driver is a trainer and he was at the terminal , ready for a trainee. Imagine how this guy would have reacted when he sees the photo of my wife that I have as a background on my phone. Do you think that a guy who calls a woman in a bar a n-word lover is going to treat me well when he sees the photo of a black woman on my phone? Yes, at some point he would see it as people notice those things when you go about using your phone for every day purposes.

Racism does exist and many of you need to start accepting that there are hateful people of all colors and backgrounds in this world. It shouldn't be that way, but it is, unfortunately.

Let me clarify. I have a photo of a black woman (my wife) as my background on my phone.

What town? What was the name of this bar?

Damn Kerry I was just wondering how you were doing without knowing you started this thread. Come across it and here you are on your own he world is racist tirade again by either making a story up or grossly exaggerating it. Nobody said racism doesn’t exist. I’ll say again like other drivers have said. I have yet to see any acts of racism in trucking. Good luck to you Kerry.

What town? What was the name of this bar?

The Shoe Box; Willard, Ohio. Only bar in the town,pretty sure.

~ A ~

ps: I dunno what color HALF the ppl on TT are, nor creed, culture, religion, et al.

Bothers me not.

Last night I decided to go to a bar to have a couple of drinks since I will not be driving for the next few days while my trainer is on home time. I went alone and planned to have a couple of beers alone. I got there and 3 DML employees were there: an experienced driver, a mechanic, and another trainee. The three of them were playing pool and basically asked me to join them. I arrived alone, but I am not one to be antisocial.

The experienced driver had been there for a bit and had been getting into things verbally with two women. I don't know how it started, but I know what I saw while I was there. He was using a racial slur and wouldn't stop when told to stop using that word. One of the women called him out and told him to step outside to fight. He continued running his mouth and the woman finally had enough. Both women started hitting him when he called one of them a n-word lover. I hate violence, so when I saw that it was going to continue to escalate, I stepped in to try to stop them. We were finally able to get things settled down and the driver out the door.

When I posted my question about personal details, this kind of driver is exactly the type of person I was worried about being given as a trainer. This driver is a trainer and he was at the terminal , ready for a trainee. Imagine how this guy would have reacted when he sees the photo of my wife that I have as a background on my phone. Do you think that a guy who calls a woman in a bar a n-word lover is going to treat me well when he sees the photo of a black woman on my phone? Yes, at some point he would see it as people notice those things when you go about using your phone for every day purposes.

Racism does exist and many of you need to start accepting that there are hateful people of all colors and backgrounds in this world. It shouldn't be that way, but it is, unfortunately.

Let me clarify. I have a photo of a black woman (my wife) as my background on my phone.

Kerry, please focus on training, for now! Eyes on the PRIZE, good sir. (You've already got a prized wife!)

Best always;

~ Anne ~

What town? What was the name of this bar?

The Shoe Box, about a mile from the hotel where I am at. It was about a 15 to 20 minute walk for me.