I need some advice about my situation - Training related

[Silver85327]

OK so I went with SWIFT to break out in this industry. While I like my "mentor" as a person I really feel like I am not learning much with him.

I have been with him for 2 weeks.

I realize that he trains to make money and is getting paid for the miles I run. The only time in the last 2 weeks that I felt I got " training" was on my first day driving and even then I was concerned.

First let me say I am a competent person and have some experience with rigs as I used to turn wrenches on them.

But my mentor ship has gone like this

day 1 - 2 hours driving with mentor in jump seat, mentor decides I can handle it and goes to bed 2000, wakes up and takes over
day 2 - 3 hours driving with mentor in jump seat, mentor decides I can handle it and goes to bed 1900, wakes up and takes over
day 3 - we get to California mentor decides I can't handle the traffic San Diego, Torrence, Los Angeles ( doesn't even give me a chance ) delivers in San Diego decides lot is to small doesn't let me back up, goes to Torrence sends me in to pick up bills, drives to LA decides dock is to tight doesn't let me back up. Drives to long beach , ca decides I can handle it now 2200 hours tells me to head to phoenix wake him up when we get to the city limits. Arrive at yard drop load find MT mentor ( at my insistence ) lets me practice alley dock 3 times between 2 Mt's.
day 4 - puts tractor in shop take showers pick up load to Mariana Florida. Tells me from now on we are running as a team. he drives to Texas border gives me the reigns he takes over again a few hours from LA
rinse and repeat for the next 10 days. Out of 11000, miles and 8 loads I have backed at 2 cosigneeboth straight backs, and hooked the bobtail to an MT 3 or 4 times and pulled it out of the spot.

I am concerned to say the least, he keeps talking about quiting swift at the end of the year and I feel like he doesn't give a crap about my training and is just trying to make as much money as possible before he bails. I have driven during daylight hours 2 - 4 times in 2 weeks.

Should I request a new trainer? I don't feel I am getting adequate training. Even though hes a nice guy and I don't want to cause trouble for him, I have no problems going in a straight line. My map reading needs some help and my backing needs SERIOUS help.

ANY advice at all will be greatly appreciated. I have been running 9 - 10 hours a day since day 4 with 0 supervision

[Silver85327]

I also should add that he has edited my log on 1 occasion. the day before yesterday so he could get home. I started the day with 7 hours remaining on my 70 was down to 3 hours so he edited my line 4 by 30 minutes to give me more driving time. I was by no means tired or I would have flat out refused to drive but I know this to be illegal and was sweating bullets every time I saw a weigh station.

[dk132]

Maybe you should tell your trainer how you fell if hes a good guy like you said maybe you guys can work it out. If it doesn't get worked out IMHO you should ask for a new trainer. What will you do when you are running solo. Its going to make things a lot harder for you in the long run if you don't get things changed soon.

[dk132]

I also should add that he has edited my log on 1 occasion. the day before yesterday so he could get home. I started the day with 7 hours remaining on my 70 was down to 3 hours so he edited my line 4 by 30 minutes to give me more driving time. I was by no means tired or I would have flat out refused to drive but I know this to be illegal and was sweating bullets every time I saw a weigh station.

Ok you posted this while I was typing ask for a new trainer before you get yourself in trouble. I wouldn't let anyone touch my log book.

[One]

yeah, you dont let him make a mark on your log, its illegal, you are not allowed to have anyone edit your log other than you!
Secondly, you need to demand he teach you certain things. Like backing- you need to learn the proper technique and rules of thumb, tricks etc. You are not learning anything letting him drive. he needs to be in the jumpseat whenever youre driving if company policy/load schedule allows for a solo operation. Practice saying this: NO, I need to learn this, show me now!

No result? get new trainer

[lifespalette]

You need to make the call and get a new trainer. You have certain paper work that you're suppose to be going over weekly that has benchmarks and milestone that you will need to accomplish by the end of your training period. As you accomplish these goals you're suppose to sign off and date them and your trainer if he agrees is suppose to sign off and date as well..........one of these is a sheet that logs your backing.....type, place, date, etc......

How are you accomplishing these if you're driving in a team situation? I fear you're going to hit the end of your training period and then he's going to want to fabricate all the paperwork.........your paper work is reviewed by the training department and your status is based on what you've covered and what has been learned.............you could find yourself at the end of your training period having to spend more time in a training situation to meet your milestones.

Don't forget at the end of your training period before you're assigned your own truck.......you're going to have to take another driving test with one of the training examiners.........they are much more demanding on this one than they were on driving test you took during orientation.

Do yourself and the students following you..........report this guy to the training department and get a new trainer. Has nothing to do with whether or not he's nice guy........it's your training......your career........and he's not doing the job.

[Silver85327]

Thanks for the words of advice. I guess I knew what I needed to do, but wanted second and third opinions. I just don't want to jam anyone up, But you all are right it is my career and if I don't get some real training its going to be a really short career.

[mikey4069]

You should not be running as a team !! Time for a new trainer .

[Skywalker]

I also should add that he has edited my log on 1 occasion. the day before yesterday so he could get home. I started the day with 7 hours remaining on my 70 was down to 3 hours so he edited my line 4 by 30 minutes to give me more driving time.

What your "trainer" (???) did was HIGHLY ILLEGAL!! If you take the time to read the FMCSR's... you will find that it is illegal for anyone except you to make a mark in that logbook. To top it all off, he falsified your log book!! And whats worse....he placed YOU in jeopardy.

I was by no means tired or I would have flat out refused to drive but I know this to be illegal and was sweating bullets every time I saw a weigh station.

You should have simply said "NO"!! and told him to keep his hands off of your logbook.... So now, whether you realize it or not....you have to sweat the next six months....because thats how long your logs are available for audit by the Fed, and you'd best hope you're not involved in an accident during the next six months and then find yourself involved in litigation... because a lawyer is going to have "pro's" dissect your logs for a six month period.

PEOPLE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, AND I DO MEAN UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW ANYONE TO MAKE A MARK IN YOUR LOGBOOK!! IF A CORRECTION NEEDS TO BE MADE TO YOUR LOGBOOK....YOU DO IT, AND DO IT IN CONFORMANCE TO THE FMCSR's!!

[shyykatt]

Sounds typical of a swift trainer. My husband was lucky and had an EXCELLENT one. You need to get someone else.

[jjh1001]

I would ask the trainer when you are going to get your 28 required documented back-ups and see what he has to say about that... in your employee manual in the back is the paperwork where you have to document at least 28 i believe backups using GOAL

[Silver85327]

Thanks for the advice people. Called my DM this morning told him my concerns and he told me he will try to get me a new trainer by Monday but it may be Tuesday before he can get someone routed within 50 miles of my town. Told me not to communicate with old trainer and if he called me to make up some excuse about being sick and not being able to go back out to avoid any confrontation with him.

[Xcis2]

For map reading and trip planning help, you may want to invest in "the national truckstop directory" at www.dieselboss.com/directory.htm or pick one up at a truck stop. If you are going for a lot of miles and your plan does not take you past a large truck stop, you are probably not traveling on a major truck route. The map for each state in the national truck stop directory will help identify a better route.
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In general, I would suggest that you use mostly interstate highways with some US highways to connect the interstates. I personally avoid state and local routes if at all possible although this is sometimes unavoidable. I believe interstates are better marked and have better facilities for large trucks. If you ever breakdown, you are a whole lot easier to be found at mile marker xxx.x on I 76 westbound than out in the boonies on some local road.
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Good luck with your new trainer or "mentor" as Swift calls them. Unfortunately, you have found out first hand that good trainers/mentors that actually train new drivers are few and far between. I am not a fan of companies that allow team driving during training. Good money for the trainer but almost universally a disservice for the newbie.

[Mr. Ford95]

Why can't companies just pay trainers a flat rate, say in between what they make on their own not training and what they make training drivers. Would that stop this "team driving" that some trainers are pulling. They are still getting paid more for training drivers but it would cut out this crap because they are no longer getting paid for what the trainee drives I think.

[kc0iv]

Why can't companies just pay trainers a flat rate, say in between what they make on their own not training and what they make training drivers. Would that stop this "team driving" that some trainers are pulling. They are still getting paid more for training drivers but it would cut out this crap because they are no longer getting paid for what the trainee drives I think.

I would go even farther. I'd require all trucks which has a student driver be marked "STUDENT DRIVER" on the front bumper just like a "over-sized load is marked".

DOT should require anytime a student is driving the instructor be in the right seat logged in as driving. This would put a stop to this nonsense.

kc0iv