Another example would be if you loaded a load that had to go 500 miles and you knew you might be overweight but there were no weigh stations along your route. The shipper that just loaded you is closing in an hour and you cant get back there to get the extra weight taken off in time.

What do you do?

Do you run the load anyways and make the money or shut down until the next day so they can remove the extra weight and lose an entire day's pay? Every driver is constantly faced with these scenarios. The schools must teach you to follow the strict letter of the law. Your trainer may teach you some of the tricks of the trade.

Your trainer often times will have quite a bit of time in at your company so he can also give you priceless insight into how the company is run and who you should get to know. He can give you insight into the maintenance program, dispatching structure, management personnel, equipment the company uses, the company's best traffic lanes, ways to get more home time, how to get more miles, which divisions might suit your particular needs the best, and on and on.

I can't begin to stress how important this can be for a new driver. Every company in the country will have a whole group of drivers who love the company and another group who hate it. Often times the drivers are of equal capability and have the same mileage and home time goals in mind but the difference may be as simple as which dispatcher you have or which division you are in.

I'm going to go into these issues more a little bit later but for now let me suggest that you tell your trainer exactly what your goals and expectations are for things like mileage, regions of the country you would like to run, and home time. He can surely help lead you to the right people and the right divisions.

If you're working for a rather small company you simply may not have much of a choice. So to get the most out of your training period don't just ask your trainer tips about driving but also get all the insight into the company that you can get. These insights will be a major factor in the success you will have or lack thereof at your first company.