New Truck Driver Question

Hey everyone,

New to truck driving and I had some questions. I recently graduated from a trucking school and have my CDL and have had a bad trainer with the companyI have tried to work for when I requested another trainner the let me go. I went to another company but am not happy with what I have seen and got a call from another company while in trainning that I would rather work for

I want to try this other company but but am worried that leaving during trainning will effect me in a negative way so I not sure what to do.

Should I move on and try this other company that i want to work for or stick it out with one I am with now even through I have decided that they are not the company for me?

I do not have an answer since I am not experienced but it does give me hope that you can have that many chances. I am going to try to get on with one company as a company driver and stick it out a year. Can I ask Travis? Was the trainer that bad? Has anyone had a "good" trainer? I have only heard from those who have not. What ever you do I hope it works out for your best. My opinion is stick with the company you are in now at least through training and maybe longer. You can always try the company you think you like later. Again that is just my gut feeling, not experience.

Travis.......it seems you're a malcontent.......def - "dissatisfied and complaining or making trouble."

Either you've come into the industry with the wrong expectations, you have the wrong approach, you've been given bad advice, or some mix of the three. Regardless, your time in trucking is going to be really short if you don't change your approach.....I promise.

You didn't like the trainer at the last company and the company let you go. That's a very bad sign. That means they saw no potential in you as a driver or you just weren't worth the trouble as a person. Since you have your CDL and you're new to the industry I doubt it was your driving that was the main concern......it was your attitude. I mean, they know you're new and they brought you in to train you. They didn't expect you to be a good driver. They just expected you to listen, learn, and do what you're asked to do.

Now I'll be the first to admit the trucking industry has its fair share of terrible trainers and you may have gotten one. But that's not why you were let go. You were let go because of you.

Listen, rookies are a pain in the *ss in every industry....I don't care if you're talking about welding, nursing, or the NFL.......training rookies to do their job and teaching them about the culture in the industry is a long, difficult process. In trucking it's also extremely dangerous. You have to understand that and take it upon yourself to be as little trouble as possible. If you're going to go in there griping and making demands you're going to get kicked to the curb repeatedly. If you're going to go in there with expectations about how a company is supposed to be run and how you're supposed to be trained you'll be kicked to the curb repeatedly.

And another thing.......what makes you think you're supposed to be happy with everything? You're brand new. Nobody knows you, you don't know what you're doing, you don't know how the industry works, and just having you around means a lot of time, money, work, and risk for the company and the people trying to train you. Now learning to drive a truck is a pretty cool experience at times, but gruelling and stressful for all involved most of the time. You have to pay your dues and put in your time before things start to come around for you.

Once you get through training and get some experience behind the wheel things will make more sense and start going better. But if you're the new guy and you want to be around for a while you have to listen, learn, and do what you're asked to do....preferably with a smile. It's bad enough that companies have to spend a ton of money and drivers have to risk their lives in order to get you to the point that you're a safe, productive driver. If you're going to make things more difficult on them than they already are......well you've seen what will happen.

Stick it out wherever you're at and remember........you're the new guy that has to impress everyone, not the other way around.

AMEN BRETT! Travis as a trainer you have no idea how much trouble I go through sometimes. Id really like to know your definition of a bad trainer.. Dont get me wrong they have them but more times than not a trainees bad attitude or inability to adapt out here, listen or self teach through observation is the reason for frustration on the trainees part. You as a trainee are not ENTITLED to ANYTHING and must WORK HARD for EVERYTHING will get. No one is going to hand it to you! If you continue to "jump ship" everytime things dont go your way no one will want to take a chance with you. The first year out here is ruff. If you cant make it through training you wont ever survive a solo career. You need to humble yourself, change your attitude and pull up your big boy undies and learn to roll with the punches.

To me a good trainer is going to get me to the goal of safe driver by my endeavor . I would expect that there is allot of indifference in this business with people just trying to do there job and trainers who feel they are wasting their time with a good percentage of rookie drivers and will push to get someone off there truck if they are not cutting it. I do not know this for sure but could only imagine what it would be like to be a trainer. If and when I get on board a trainers rolling domicile I am going to treat it like I walked into his house to live and work for my keep, his/her rules not mine. I am not going to even discuss things like religion, politics, Isis, or whether you should buy frozen organic strawberries over fresh. Yes and No! Nothing more. No one seems to be super nice in this business but if the trade off is a professional atmosphere remembering the goal is the job, that is the payoff. I notice even here the comrade between Drivers is based upon their experience and ability to relate to one another about their jobs or they would most likely not clique otherwise. You have to join them. They do not have to join you. Stay on the truck Travis and do your best dude, you will be able to have ability to self govern more after you are trusted.

Thank you all for the honest repiles I do appriciate them. I am going to stick it out. I am not trying to cause trouble and both my trainers have said I have potential to be a good driver but I will not do anything that could risk me loosing my CDL. The trannier from that company wanted to drive on my hours I said no he got mad.

I called the tranning manger the next day I wanted a new trannier and the reason why informed him and we went back to the yard they pulled me in a room and then let me go.

Travis listen what he did was not right however sometimes things need to be worked out in the truck.......I personally give my trainees full say so in what they will and wont do. I do not .force them to do anything and would never put them in jeapordy. Sometimes because there are 2 clocks dispatch puts the pressure on the trainer and if they feel like you cant do something they will do it themselves. He would have had to be mad but not a reason to hop off his truck. Next time you need help on how to handle a situation please come here first. We will guide you.