Trainer Troubles

Errol's advice is excellent. And Fox Valley has produced many excellent drivers, including 2014 Rookie of the Year, Julie Matulle, who happens to be an H.O.Wolding driver!

So I got my trainer on Friday.I drove all day, no problems with that, my problems are as follows: he keeps asking me "what the@ $!# did they teach you in school" and telling Me that they need to quit hiring guys from Fox valley, tells me to ask questions yet when I ask he makes me feel as if I am the dumbest person in the world for asking, I am now afraid to ask a question and I'm with this guy for about 10 more days. Any suggestions from y'all would be appreciated. Thanks.

your trainer sounds like an *******. Grit your teeth. Try 2 learn what he tries 2 teach u. You'll get your own truck soon.

I am very new at this to be sure. My background is nursing as oppose to Truck Driving, but I also have a background in Education. Suffice to say that it is easier to grasp a concept when the stress level is somewhat diminished, particularly when one is trying to learn. It's fine to get in the student' s face once they actually grasped a concept, but to make them feel unworthy while a student, is just plain stupid. Doesn't the trainer realize that he is laying the foundation of not only his student, but is a representative of the company for whom he works?

A student has to feel that they can ask a question and get an intelligent answer without being bullied.

Don't misunderstand me please. I spent 9 years in the military and had some real jerks for Drill Sergeants. I was 17 years old. I survived Basic. But the bullying came later. By then I could handle it. Just a thought, that's all.

Cynthia, you understand how education and OJT is supposed work - helping the student as they gain experience and knowledge. Most trucking mentors do lean in that direction. But that empathy is not really a prerequisite for the mentor job.

Caleb seems to have a mentor that missed out on that. Yes, it seems that by definition a new driver will be a bit short in the truck driving know-how department. It's sad when a supposed teacher forgets that.

But anyway, Cynthia, welcome to Trucking Truth. Your comment above doesn't say - what brings you to the TT web site?

I spoke with my FM regarding this matter, she offered to move me to a different trainer right away but first she had to talk to him....you guessed it, I'm still in the same truck with a slightly different person. The reason I talked to my FM in the first place was due to the problems I previously stated and yesterday he had me attempt to drive over eagle mountain in Tennessee. Being only my 2nd day Otr the truck's engine protection system kicked in and killed the dad blasted thing on the mountain. I had no training or instructions to prepare me for this kind of adventure, so naturally it was my fault. We changed drivers right there which is good because directly after the crest of the mountain is the descent. 6% down grade with run away truck ramps. Now not that I'm chicken or yellow just that I'm inexperienced, I fully believe that I am capable of operating this rig in all conditions, I just feel I need more than 2 days experience along with some instruction prior to tackling such an obstacle. Well with that being said, he has been more informative as well as willing to answer questions. Some of the answers are refer to the manual, maybe he doesn't know those answers, but its better than the last two days. I have tried asking him all sorts of questions like y'all advised to no avail. I still can't get a conversation going. The answer to heaviest load, why does that matter, my response, because I was wondering how that compared to this one on adjusting the tandems...silence. I guess I'm just going to have to take what knowledge I am given little by little. My FM assured me that if I did not learn enough to pass my test-out after phase 2 that they would happily send me with another trainer, which makes me feel better.

I have tried asking him all sorts of questions like y'all advised to no avail. I still can't get a conversation going. The answer to heaviest load, why does that matter, my response, because I was wondering how that compared to this one on adjusting the tandems...silence. I guess I'm just going to have to take what knowledge I am given little by little. My FM assured me that if I did not learn enough to pass my test-out after phase 2 that they would happily send me with another trainer, which makes me feel better.

Well at least your FM is up to date on your situation. Did this guy volunteer to be a trainer? He doesn't want to share his war stories? Talking to a brick wall is better conversation? Wow!

If the FM will be happy to send you to a second trainer, are you going to be happy with two more weeks as a trainee/without your own truck?

I will be happy as I know my job well. I would rather spend a month in training than venture out on my own with no clue what I'm doing. As far as war stories, I can get enough of those at the truck stops, whether or not I can believe them is a story all its own. Lol

The "war story" thing was supposed to be a way to get your trainer to open up. I'm sure you can get all the war s story/b.s. you want.

Caleb, here's what I would do. I would start writing down (or recording, but be careful) some of your conversations with him.

Question: What was the heaviest load you hauled?
Answer: "Why does it matter?"

Keep doing that until you get about two dozen examples of questions he refuses to answer and then contact your FM again. Let dispatch know you're not learning anything from this driver. Let them know he refuses to train you properly and that you have examples showing exactly how your conversations are going. You're making the effort to learn but he's making no effort to teach. You need concrete examples though. To tell them your trainer isn't doing the job is likely going to fall on deaf ears. Telling the company you have concrete evidence demonstrating that he's not doing his job with specific examples that you're willing to send to the safety department is a completely different story.

Don't get confrontational with anyone. Don't get defensive. Just stay calm and relaxed and explain your situation without getting emotional about it. It's hard, trust me I know. But the goal is to get people in the offices to listen to what you're saying and to consider it thoughtfully. If you get emotional, start threatening people, or anything of that nature the focus will come off of what you're saying and will suddenly be on your behavior instead. Remember, you're a rookie with a complaint about a proven veteran driver. You can't just come off sounding like a big-mouth, know-it-all jerk. You have to demonstrate that you're calm, rational, and thoughtful. You've made your best effort to learn but you're not getting anything in response.

They may put you with someone else, they may not. But one of the things you're going to find in trucking is that nothing is ever even close to perfect. You have to make the best of the circumstances you have. You'll have terrible traffic, terrible weather, tight schedules, and all kinds of problems every day out there. This is just another one - a trainer who isn't interested in training. It's common, unfortunately. Hopefully they'll put you with someone else but if not you should just learn all you can and get through it.