OTR training with mentors for 4-6 weeks...

[coolbreeze]

I have to ask...how in the hell does one get by living in a BOX with another stranger for 4-6 weeks?!!!!!
B-R-U-T-A-L

I would love to hear your stories. The good, bad, and uglies of it. How did you cope and get by?
That long a time with a stranger in a sleeper it's a wonder you don't hear more hellish stories.

If you ask me, this has got to be the hardest part of traiing for an OTR job. Ugh.

[Uturn2001]

Even though I was gone away from home the entire 6 weeks of my OTR training, the entire time was not spent running around and living 24/7 in the glorified walk-in closet.

My trainer went home a few times for a couple of days off here and there and when he did I got put up in a motel near where he lived.

[Ski1958]

Even though I was gone away from home the entire 6 weeks of my OTR training, the entire time was not spent running around and living 24/7 in the glorified walk-in closet.

My trainer went home a few times for a couple of days off here and there and when he did I got put up in a motel near where he lived.

I am pretty new so its fresh in my mind, I went through 3 trainers. all were pretty good, its not like you live with them for weeks at a time. they slept I drove, I slept they drove. then I was with a regional trainer and was put up in a motel over the weekends

[redsfan]

I am pretty new so its fresh in my mind, I went through 3 trainers. all were pretty good, its not like you live with them for weeks at a time. they slept I drove, I slept they drove. then I was with a regional trainer and was put up in a motel over the weekends

Ok, this not exactly what I call training. It's been said on here a million times, but I ask the question again... How in the heck can the trainer be doing his or her job if the are in the bunk sleeping???

[Ski1958]

Sorry maybe I miss wrote, All of my trainers did not hit the bunk untill they were 100 % satisified that I was compedent to drive. The trainers sat next to me and evulated my driving before they were satisfied.

after evulation and filling out my drivers hadbook a call was made to the fleet manager for permission to run as a team ....

How in the heck can the trainer be doing his or her job if the are in the bunk sleeping???

They can't. Most outfits dispatch their newbies\trainers as a team operation and call it "training". Basically the trainer gets the miles while the newbie gets pimped.

I know that Swift, Werner, CR England, Stevens, Central Refrigerated, Prime, CRST, and a whole slew of other dirtbag OTR companies run their training trucks as teams.

Roehl and I believe Schnieder and CFI don't subscribe to this practice. Kudos to them!

[Malaki86]

Add USXpress to the list of companies that has the trainer sitting in the jump seat instead of sleeping.

[Ski1958]

Well putting it that way, I did feel at times as I was making my little $50,00 a day little put out to say the least. I am just a newbe at this and not very educated in the rules. But it seems to me then that trainees should not go otr, but only Local / regional where they can shut down every night ? or the company should not dispatch long huals ?. the trainer gets pressure to deliver on time but has to be with the trainee all the time which means on duty not driving ? which also means that would take away from their driving time ?......

[Ski1958]

Well putting it that way, I did feel at times as I was making my little $50,00 a day little put out to say the least. I am just a newbe at this and not very educated in the rules. But it seems to me then that trainees should not go otr, but only Local / regional where they can shut down every night ? or the company should not dispatch long huals ?. the trainer gets pressure to deliver on time but has to be with the trainee all the time which means on duty not driving ? which also means that would take away from their driving time ?......

[Uturn2001]

Add USXpress to the list of companies that has the trainer sitting in the jump seat instead of sleeping.

That depends on the trainer and the dispatcher. I have run with a few so called USX trainers who bragged about doing 5-6000 miles per week with their trainees, and requiring the trainees to drive at least 2500 miles per week from day 1.

[redsfan]

Well putting it that way, I did feel at times as I was making my little $50,00 a day little put out to say the least. I am just a newbe at this and not very educated in the rules. But it seems to me then that trainees should not go otr, but only Local / regional where they can shut down every night ? or the company should not dispatch long huals ?. the trainer gets pressure to deliver on time but has to be with the trainee all the time which means on duty not driving ? which also means that would take away from their driving time ?......

Not only does the trainer get pressure, the trainee should also. That is a huge part of the job, learning how to deliver on time. Technically, even if the trainer spends 11 hours in the jump seat he could take over and drive 3 once the trainee's 11 hours are up. Not common practice, but I have heard of a couple of trainer's doing this on occasion when time was tight. I could see where that might even be a little beneficial to the trainee to see how the trainer handles the truck from time to time, but nothing can be learned when either one is in the sleeper.

I know with Maverick, they insist that the trainee drive 100% of the time that the two of you are together, unless it's some type of emergency, and that the trainer must be in the jump seat the entire time. As a matter of fact, if they find out that the trainer is doing the driving, they won't be a trainer for long. I know of one trainer who caught a ton of flack from them for driving 2 hours one day.

[echoy97]

Sorry maybe I miss wrote, All of my trainers did not hit the bunk untill they were 100 % satisified that I was compedent to drive. The trainers sat next to me and evulated my driving before they were satisfied.

after evulation and filling out my drivers hadbook a call was made to the fleet manager for permission to run as a team ....

If he is 100% satisified, then the trainer should be completed.

If he is not 100% satisfied, then he should be training and not sleeping when you drive.

Maybe the trainer gets paid more driving as team than as a trainer, thats why he wants to drive.

[kuettel]

I know at Swift the trainer (mentor) gets paid all the miles the truck does. So the incentive is to drive team and get paid for double the miles you could drive on your own. The trainee is basically "slave" or unpaid labor. We get $50 a day ($350 a week) no matter how many hours we drive the first 14 days then it goes up to $400 a week for 14 more days and then will go up one more time.

While I agree that "team" driving is not true training, that is unfortunately the way it is done at most companies.

My second mentor (trainer) stayed awake 18 to 20 hours a day the first few days. Once he was confident that I could keep it on the turnpike he started to take hour or so naps. BUT he is awake at the least sign of any problem. This is a dedicated run and the only way to make it is to team drive, so it probably is not the best choice for a training run. It is also my mentors first week on this run and he had no idea how lengthy it was (almost 1,000 mi a day), he is not sure he will stay on this run and continue to train....... while I am a competent driver, his next trainee may not be.... and this run keeps the truck moving almost 24 hours a day the 4 days he is scheduled on it. (bread delivery)

I know that I will be very happy to be completed and in my own truck..... ahhhhhhh....... showers every day if at all possible!

[DesertRat]

I think your mentor is on the right track. the inabilty for him to adequately train is a big deal. On top of that, a dedicated run isn't teaching you a thing about effective trip planning and it's not giving you the opportunity to drive on varied terrain. He would be best to either give up the dedicated run or give up training.

[Soldierontheroad]

schneider is def 1 of the companies that have trainer injump seat. But they do allow you to use full 14 hours. I would start day and drive until i felt tired and hen TE would take over for 2 or 3 hours. Ussually i drove my full 11 and he only had 1left to drive time figured breaks in.

The diff i have noticed about schneider though is they dont keep u with a trainer for ever. standard is 10-14 days and your done. I was out with mine only 6 days and he said i was good to go. But he made me do everything from the start. So i felt i had a basic understanding of all principles afteri left him. I also sill call him if i have a question. But next step with schneider is when you get back and they give you your own truck you go out with a OSR (operations Safety Rep) For a road drive similiar to the cdl road test except its done in the city. I took mine downtown atlanta. And the run you thrugh alot of suff you will encounter. If you pass that you are turned loose on your own. (90 days laer you come back and take another test drive with them tomake sure you havnt picked up any bad habbits. Then 2c a yar we havemanditory winterand spring training Ussually spring training is anoher road test. And winter is time on the simulators handling icy driving.

[whorutommy]

I have a friend who is a trainer 3 yr.s now 4 swift and a couple of bad marriages. He is dedicated, reefer. He has over 15 yr.s otr. He is paid well, by swift. he also is prior svc. And know when he got a dead beat, gives them about 2 weeks... B4 he makes a decession, on there fate. He will let them practice backin up in yrds. between trl.s.. He goes over the route b4 he lets them drive, give them aloud stops.. And wants to be wakened if anything out of norm. If they make it 6 weeks with him its fair to say, there ok. And motivated!

[USXRecruiter4080]

Glad ours is only 3 weeks. lol.

[EcoTruckin1977]

How in the heck can the trainer be doing his or her job if the are in the bunk sleeping???

They can't. Most outfits dispatch their newbies\trainers as a team operation and call it "training". Basically the trainer gets the miles while the newbie gets pimped.

I know that Swift, Werner, CR England, Stevens, Central Refrigerated, Prime, CRST, and a whole slew of other dirtbag OTR companies run their training trucks as teams.

Roehl and I believe Schnieder and CFI don't subscribe to this practice. Kudos to them!

hmmm, I see myself getting pimped at CRST =) not that I wouldn't mind it as long as I'm paid decently to support the wife and son at home, oh and possibly the wee one on his/her way.

[EcoTruckin1977]

USXRecruiter4080 I'm assuming you're with USX? Maybe I can look up your site and see what there's to offer to a newbie driver?

[Mtc_Is_Hell]

I only trained with hogan for 2 weeks, and its a 4 week program I was released early. It wasnt that bad, I had a good trainer I guess.