Companies that dispatch trainer/trainees like teams
 

I'm about to get back into trucking, having done it in the late eighties. Back then, I was a trainer and, after the newbie was safe and competent, we were dispatched like a team. I really liked that because I was paid for all the miles the trainee drove as well as my own. I'd like to find a similar situation, but it seems that most companies have their trainers do limited or zero driving. Can anyone tell me of a company that lets their trainer/trainees run?

Also, I am interested in a company that pays a percentage of the revenue rather than cents per mile, so that I am adequately compensated for running northeastern freight. Seems that Prime is one of the few that does this and hires newbies, but I've seen so many bad things on this forum about Prime that I'm afraid to hire on with them. Also, their health plan costs the most in the industry.

I'd like to hire on with one company and stay there until I retire. I want to stay out; getting by the house is not an issue for me at all.

This is a great site and I'm thrilled that I found it. Any help from a trainer who has the kind of situation that I've described would be appreciated.

You must be a really great instructor... Training someone while you are sleep in the bunk :shock: Now that takes skills...

Well if you have not driven for something like 10-15 years you are a newbie again yourself and will be going through the entire process of school, OTJ training etc.

Sleepless nights.....days.. and evenings....I love how companies sell the point that you get paid all miles rolled....hell you are pretty much awake for all miles rolled ...... :shock: .... only getting sleep when the student driver is going to be driving a long stretch of interstate for a few hrs and will not need to exit ,and possibly get lost (some can get lost here too).......with most of the new drivers i see at the terminals I would venture to say their will..NOT...be a point where your student is capable of driving like a team in fact the extra cash you do make will most likely go right back into blood pressure meds...



These companies don't pay extra for being a trainer they just offer the extra miles from the extra log book on board ..and the ability to run that truck like a team...A CHEAP team.....And if you don't run your student like a team with these companies your just needlessly cramping a small living space with another driver....

I believe if you are training the student should do all the driving while the trainer is there to watch and give advice. When the student runs out of hours for that day the truck shuts down just like if it was a solo driver

Cant you guys answer a man's simple question? Hes grown enough to not need bs.

My trainer at Stevens only went into the bunk when he was confident that I was able to pilot the truck without trouble. It didn't take long with me, I took to it like a duck in water. 8)

That's great , but at a company like Werner you don't get paid to train ...you get paid for extra miles the truck rolls with that 2nd log book on board .........



To answer the mans question Werner has that exact set up....however you will make the same money as a solo driver at crete off 2k less miles a week as at Werner you would only be making about .28 CPM after they take away .02 CPM from your pay rate when you become a trainer ..and that's if they honor you past experience....Most companies that offer this kind of program do so because they can get a cheap team ,and they make it attractive to their drivers by paying a very low CPM so the only way to make a good pay day is to run 5-6k miles a week this opens the doors to their drivers thinking about training....

Falcon, percentage on flat bed and you can live in the truck.
Trained me like a team, it sucked but I stuck it out to get it over with,lol.

I for one would like to see the whole training environment and requirements, regulated by FDOT. It's not rocket science folks..........it would be very easily done.

Regulated hours for the student in line with the current HOS, while the student is behind the wheel, his time goes on line 3.........concurrently the trainer's time is going on line 4. If the trainer is behind the wheel and giving an actual demonstration of the skills, his time goes on line 3 and the student's time goes on line 4. At the end of the 14 hours window, the rig shuts down for 10.

Regulated experience and parameters for trainer qualification.

And then enforce it!

This would do several things.....

A) the student gets "real" training and input to develop and improve his/hers skills and decreases the learning by mistake process way it is now.

B) Students would be better prepared to meet the demands of going solo.

C) Both trainer and student are better rested for the next day's shift. Public safety and company safety is improved.

D) By eliminating the "dual log" book income for trainers, the companies would be forced to adequately compensate qualified trainers to entice them to take on the responsibilities.

It's a win / win situation................come to think of it.....maybe we do need a few rocket scientist to figure it out.