[SteveInDixon]

I have been researching going into truck driving for the past 3 years. At first all I had to go with was the web sites for the truck driving schools, and the company web sites. They both painted nice rosey pictures. It wasn't until I found this site probably 18 months ago that the "true" life of a trucker's day came to light. And I am shocked at what truckers have to put up with.

Trainers: Trainers should meet strict requirements. I don't think anyone with under 1 million miles should be a trainer. I also think trainers need to be evaluated mentally to make sure they have the "teaching" mentality to be a trainer.

I have read DOZENS of stories on this site as well as I have talked to several drivers that have quit their companies because of the trainers. Now, you spend 3 to 4,000 dollars to train a driver, it doesn't make sense that you put them with an unqualified trainer.

As for me, after much, MUCH research, I have decided to apply to Watkins-Shepard. One of the big reasons I'm applying there is that after your 30 days in class, you're on your own. No trainer. And from what I haven't read here, there seems to be no problems with Watkins-Shepard having good drivers. I applied today. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

[JewelsnTools]

I agree that a training position should be one that's earned. It's not a small thing to teach another person.
After a number of different, ridiculous sessions that others called "training", I ended up choking and coughing my way into this profession.
You're also VERY right about trainers needing to have the stability of personality and proper motivation for training.
I'd love to see some sort of standard for training, some objective measurement for success for a student. There are several basic, important, areas that any student needs to have covered BEFORE being released on his/her own.
I feel better now. Good luck with W/S!
...and thanks for saying that about trainers!

[GMAN]

I spoke with a driver the other day who told me that he was asked to be a trainer after only 3 months. :shock: Until you have a few years experience under your belt, you have little to teach a new driver. You are still learning yourself. I think we would have a much better crop of drivers if we required trainers to have a few years experience.

[ramrod]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I spoke with a driver the other day who told me that he was asked to be a trainer after only 3 months. :shock: Until you have a few years experience under your belt, you have little to teach a new driver. You are still learning yourself. I think we would have a much better crop of drivers if we required trainers to have a few years experience.

Spooky that. Don't recall the company, but I read on one companies website that only 3 months experience was required to train.

Scary.........

[Drew10]

Dont get me wrong here. The best way to learn a new field is to teach it.
With that said, Im not condoning how companies utilize drivers as "trainers". There does need to be a higher standard, and the standard I believe does exist. The problem is supervision of the standard.
Also, its not so much what you know and how you aquired the knowledge that is beneficial to a trainee, but rather patience and temperment, and the ability to practice what you are preaching as a trainer.
Most of the "training companies" dont have the mega years of experience or the million mile drivers, let alone finding the ones they do have that desire to be trainers. Not to mention the companies desire to take advantage of a "Cheap Team Truck".
Dont know if I mentioned it here or not but, I was a Pilot, (Commerical and Flight Instructor), In flying, the newly minted Commercial Pilots are pretty much useless to employers until they get experience. The easiest way for them to do this is to "teach" or become Flight Instructors to gain the experience they need. So like Truck driving, we have the fledgling teaching the "wannabe" the new occupation.
In a nutshell, the greatest attribute for a Trainer/Instructor is Patients and Temperment.

[kc0iv]

Originally Posted by Drew10

Dont get me wrong here. The best way to learn a new field is to teach it.
With that said, Im not condoning how companies utilize drivers as "trainers". There does need to be a higher standard, and the standard I believe does exist. The problem is supervision of the standard.
Also, its not so much what you know and how you aquired the knowledge that is beneficial to a trainee, but rather patience and temperment, and the ability to practice what you are preaching as a trainer.
Most of the "training companies" dont have the mega years of experience or the million mile drivers, let alone finding the ones they do have that desire to be trainers. Not to mention the companies desire to take advantage of a "Cheap Team Truck".

You hit the nail on the head when you said "companies desire to take advantage of a "Cheap Team Truck."

The first thing I would do is stop this practice. I would require the trainer to log "On Duty - Driving" anytime a trainee was driving. I would also require the truck to display a sign anytime a trainee was present in the truck.

Second requirement would be a trainer would have to have at least 5 years experience. They would also be required to attended classes on proper teaching techniques.

kc0iv

[Drew10]

You hit the nail on the head when you said "companies desire to take advantage of a "Cheap Team Truck."

The first thing I would do is stop this practice. I would require the trainer to log "On Duty - Driving" anytime a trainee was driving. I would also require the truck to display a sign anytime a trainee was present in the truck.

Second requirement would be a trainer would have to have at least 5 years experience. They would also be required to attended classes on proper teaching techniques.

kc0iv

Althought you say I hit the "nail on the head" by taking advantage of a Cheap Team Truck. (and you know this is common knowledge in the industry) Trainers in the companies that operate with this practice, have no choice on how to operate. After a determined level in the students progress the truck operates as a team truck from then on, no options. The real suggestion would be, If employed by a company that operates "Cheap Team Trucks", do not become a trainer for that company.
Also, regarding experience, and again this is a recap from my last post. I truly believe "experience" cannot be measured in "years". You know as well as me, there are alot of so called drivers out here with many years of "experience" but arent worth a crap as Truck Drivers let alone Trainers. Through aptitude training, and a desire to "teach" and having the right temperment and patience is what will make a good trainer. Not, years of "so called" experience.

[Windwalker]

While I agree with Gman, that a trainer needs to have years of experience in order to be a trainer, I can understand the point of a new driver learning more as a trainer than as a trainee. But, there is a vast difference between driving a truck and flying a plane. If you encounter ice with a plane, it may be on the runway, but most likely it's on your wings. You don't have ditches, trees, and soft dirt to contend with, or road signs and other vehicles within 10 feet when flying a plane. Now, if you were to fly that plane between NYC skyscrapers, you might come closer. And, how many times do you back that plane into a loading dock? That difference requires more experience than in flying. Situations vary far more with driving, and inexperience gets into trouble.

However, there is at least one company that I know of that puts two trainees into the same truck for about six weeks after they both finish with their trainers. There may be some logic to that part of it.

[dle]

Does anybody know how the military chooses their Instructor Pilots?

[kc0iv]

Originally Posted by Drew10

Althought you say I hit the "nail on the head" by taking advantage of a Cheap Team Truck. (and you know this is common knowledge in the industry) Trainers in the companies that operate with this practice, have no choice on how to operate. After a determined level in the students progress the truck operates as a team truck from then on, no options. The real suggestion would be, If employed by a company that operates "Cheap Team Trucks", do not become a trainer for that company.
Also, regarding experience, and again this is a recap from my last post. I truly believe "experience" cannot be measured in "years". You know as well as me, there are alot of so called drivers out here with many years of "experience" but arent worth a crap as Truck Drivers let alone Trainers. Through aptitude training, and a desire to "teach" and having the right temperment and patience is what will make a good trainer. Not, years of "so called" experience.

Yes I am sure some companies will force their trainers to operate as a team. I fully believe that if such practice occurs then the trainer should either quit as a trainer or go elsewhere. However, that being said I think most of there "trainers" are doing to make more money. Which they do my having the student drive as a team. The few extra dollars they are paid as trainers is not worth it. But when they can drive almost twice the miles those dollars add up. I know of some trainer get paid more than a team operation does. Since in a team operation the team split the total miles.

While I'm not much of a believer in government action I do believe training is one area where I feel they should be address.

Now as to experience. There is no doubt there are some drivers that should never train in fact there are some that shouldn't even be a driver. What you haven't address is how can a "trainer" teach a student something he/she doesn't know? When a trainers hasn't driven in snow and ice as a example there is no way he/she can teach that student. Or if that trainer has only driven in open country how can he/she teach big city driving? Many of these come only with experience.

I don't disagree aptitude is a important factor. But really aptitude really can't be taught. Either a person has aptitude or they don't. If that person has the right aptitude then it can be brought out and refined.

kc0iv