[keeso]

Originally Posted by Rokk

this is one reason swift mentors get a bad rapp. becuase no one will take the actions dto do anything about it. ( i am talking trainee's here)

if you dont report this guy, then what about the next person he gets on his truck.

Personallty i would beat the hell out of him, and take myself off the truck after calling the training coordinator at the terminal.

THERE YA GO

[One]

I too get impatient with people that step on the brake to let everyone else go on- I admit it... ops: I am actually convinced that if you step on the brake on the interstate unless theres no lane to pass or a mountain to descend, you screwed up. Reason: you need to anticipate traffic and condition changes better. Some will agree, eventhough I go too far.
The downside to being very careful: Once you are comfortable, you will take the same turn faster, safer, but unless you test to see what the truck can do, you will never find out and in an emergency situation, you will freeze or not have the skill to get yourseelf out of the mess because you havent practiced it....Just like a skidpad. If you dont get a chance to use one, you wont know what to do when you jacknife. Unless you lock up your brakes once in a while, you wont know how good they are and what to do when you slide a little.

[Sarasdad91]

This mentor happens to be good friends with the guy I need to make the complaint too, I bet thats why the mentor is friends with this guy, but none the less I am going to ask for another trainer and turn this guy in, besides my sister told me if I dont turn him in she will, I mean I cant be the only person this mentor has been verbally abusive too, after all he has been a mentor for years.and as far as what ONE wrote, as much as you feel that way about slowing down there are times when you need to, look what happen to this guy training me, he would not have ran that truck into a ditch if he had slowed down just a little, and I am going to find out if he reported it, I came to swift to be a tractor trailer driver not to be someones verbal punching bag. I have been very patient with this guy and his yelling, and the others that answered this thread are right, if I dont than I am subjecting another person too this treatment. Ill keep all of you posted as to what transpires.

[Rokk]

Very cool Sara, i will be looking forward to an update on this. :lol:

[keeso]

Originally Posted by Sarasdad91

This mentor happens to be good friends with the guy I need to make the complaint too, I bet thats why the mentor is friends with this guy, but none the less I am going to ask for another trainer and turn this guy in, besides my sister told me if I dont turn him in she will, I mean I cant be the only person this mentor has been verbally abusive too, after all he has been a mentor for years.and as far as what ONE wrote, as much as you feel that way about slowing down there are times when you need to, look what happen to this guy training me, he would not have ran that truck into a ditch if he had slowed down just a little, and I am going to find out if he reported it, I came to swift to be a tractor trailer driver not to be someones verbal punching bag. I have been very patient with this guy and his yelling, and the others that answered this thread are right, if I dont than I am subjecting another person too this treatment. Ill keep all of you posted as to what transpires.

So here is a guy with PLENTY of experiance and a piss poor attitude. Hell yes- TURN THE GUY IN !!!!

[keeso]

Originally Posted by One

I too get impatient with people that step on the brake to let everyone else go on- I admit it... ops: I am actually convinced that if you step on the brake on the interstate unless theres no lane to pass or a mountain to descend, you screwed up. Reason: you need to anticipate traffic and condition changes better. Some will agree, eventhough I go too far.
The downside to being very careful: Once you are comfortable, you will take the same turn faster, safer, but unless you test to see what the truck can do, you will never find out and in an emergency situation, you will freeze or not have the skill to get yourseelf out of the mess because you havent practiced it....Just like a skidpad. If you dont get a chance to use one, you wont know what to do when you jacknife. Unless you lock up your brakes once in a while, you wont know how good they are and what to do when you slide a little.

This is off topic but still imo good stuff. I drive the gorge, sometimes twice a day and was telling a trainer friend of mine- when Im feeling good and conditions are right I can run it just about full blast. I commented I see Overnight, Epes drivers doing that all the time. Well and good, but yesterday morning I was coming back...conditions were surely not ideal...drizzle turning to steady rain. An epes rolled @ mm 451. Guy was so used to doing the full tilt boogie- must just not have had the sense to adjust his speed to the conditions...If I am tired or just dont feel 100% focused I cut my speed 5-10 mph...add rain(or worse snow)- well- one doesnt have to be too smart to slow a little more...

[keeso]

Originally Posted by One

I too get impatient with people that step on the brake to let everyone else go on- I admit it... ops: I am actually convinced that if you step on the brake on the interstate unless theres no lane to pass or a mountain to descend, you screwed up. Reason: you need to anticipate traffic and condition changes better. Some will agree, eventhough I go too far.
The downside to being very careful: Once you are comfortable, you will take the same turn faster, safer, but unless you test to see what the truck can do, you will never find out and in an emergency situation, you will freeze or not have the skill to get yourseelf out of the mess because you havent practiced it....Just like a skidpad. If you dont get a chance to use one, you wont know what to do when you jacknife. Unless you lock up your brakes once in a while, you wont know how good they are and what to do when you slide a little.

I think you are right on with this- An old timer for May trucking was telling me something similar awhile ago- he even said try out your jakes in the snow(under controlled conditions)

[lifespalette]

A test under trial is sometimes a good thing..........my first run out of Memphis with my trainer at Swift, we were headed to east NC on I40, of course just east of Ashville, there is that 6% grade......he hadn't okay-ed my use of the jakes yet..... half way down, even though I was in the proper gear, and was following his instructions to let it climb to 55 and then brake it back down to 45 - 48........the low air alarm went off, I told him I was pulling off the road onto the shoulder.... ... by time I had pulled it over and come to a stop the trailer brakes had popped............he just looked at me and said let's get out I want to show you something. We got out, I took the time to grab a cig and get my adrenaline level down. Walking around the trailer he asked what I smelled......I told him I could smell the brakes and hot rubber......right he said. The trailer brakes popped just before you came to a stop..........you did three things right, you made the right decision without asking me what to do, you signaled your intentions in spite of being in a fix and once you got on the shoulder you turned on your flashers, and you didn't panic. I wanted you to experience what happens when you run out of air, and now you know what it feels like and what to do........don't forget it. When you're ready, we can head on down the road with the jakes............at first I was rather pissed, I had already been down Donner once (using jakes) and although I swear I left indentions in the steering wheel, thought I had handled it fairly well.........the more I thought about what he had done and said, I realized his actions were in my best interest ........ the traffic was extremely light (early Sunday morning), the roads were dry, we had a load that was low center of gravity and not apt to shift on us, and he was confident enough in my abilities to handle it...........he wanted me to learn what he already was sure of......my abilities.

I think one thing would help the situation at Swift and every other company as well when it comes to the training process and that would be in cab cameras and microphones for the management to monitor what goes on out on the road. If the trainers knew they were being watched I thing their actions might be a whole world of difference.

Latter on headed to Larado, he said that whenever we were driving through any city on this run, he wanted me to stay in the right hand lane and get comfortable with cars and trucks merging into traffic. He further stated that he didn't want me using the brakes to let traffic in........I want you to learn to adjust your speed and anticipate merging traffic, you have the right of way being on the interstate, it's their job to merge not yours to let them in..........and with that being said you can be professional and position yourself to accomodate them merging. On the way back, he said now you can start getting over if you can to give them more room to merge.......

As I've said before, maybe I was lucky with my trainer at Swift, but he was an excellent trainer and took his job to heart. More than once he sent messages back to the load manager declining a particular load, with the reason that he was training somebody and driving a team situation wasn't training. It wasn't the till the fourth week that we started running a team schedule........and even then it was more an abreviated schedule..... I'd drive 8 then he'd drive 8 and then we'd shut down for 8.........I don't know how many times he would make the comment, if they don't like my method of training they can get someone else to do it.......I ain't in this for the extra money.......I do it cause I think you new drivers need someone to show you how it should be done and to make you the best driver possible for your jump to solo....end of story.

I've always thought one easy way to solve the training situation, would be for training units to have cameras and microphones installed in the cab so that management could monitor the process..........I'd be willing to beat the situation would change pretty quick, if trainers knew they were being watched.

[Xcis2]

Xcis, being a mean and devious s.o.b. when needs be, would buy a small tape recorder and tape this low class sorry excuse for a trainer. Pretty hard for even his buddy to back him up when you have documented his verbal abuse on tape.
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Micro cassette recorders are available at most truck stops [usually called "Dispatch Busters" or some such thing]. Others are available at Walmart, Kmart, Radio Shack and other retail stores.
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I wish he was on my truck right now. I would tape him, turn him in and try to get him fired or at least removed from the ranks of trainers, mentors or what ever you want to call him. The trucking industry would be better off without the likes of trainers like him. He should not be allowed to screw with another trainee in the future.

[OntheRoad2]

yep.good ol tape recorder.......thats all i will say...radio shack.noboday need to be yelled at.........very un professional.