Profile For Papa Bear

PapaBear, below was your first post on this forum...

This Forum is amazing. So much information and advice. So I am 33 and made the decision, that I want to be a Trucker. My situation is I went from a good paying job, to a job that I am never sure how to pay bills. And I been searching since September for something better but nothing. That’s way I started looking into a new career, I always loved trucks so I was leaning in the direction. Back in September when I was still unemployed i put in a application with Cr England, without any knowledge at all. They called me for a phone interview on my way to a Job interview, i explained and he told me that he’s gonna call again the next day. Never happened and then I found this new job. I’m unhappy because I want to provide for my family, and I want to know that I have a job where I can find something else if needed. So the trucking came back to mind, and this time I wanted to be sure. So I watched a lot of videos, and was reading everything that answered my interest. Then I talked with my wife explained her what I wanted to do, and waited for her “no way”. She listened to every one of my thoughts and then to my surprise said “It will be hard but we can do this, if you think that’s a job that would make u happy” So I started company research more into detail, because I needed a company that did want money from me and paid me for training. After long research I learned my first lesson, I call it the “50/50 lesson”. For every positive review of a company you find one negative one, besides Swift somehow all other companies are not in liking with them. My decision came to Roehl and I got the process running, I hope that the response is just slow because we have almost Christmas, because that’s my most concern with them so far. I talked with a recruiter after trying to reach him for a few days. We set up a phone interview, he told me all he needs is a accident report from a no fault incident I have on my record. He asked if I have a passport and I told him I’m not sure, because of the date but will let him know. So after the interview I got the accident report and my passport and tried to reach him, no chance so I send everything to his email and called a few times. 3 days later I finally got a email that they are looking into the accident report and then we can go on. So far I’m nervous, happy and hope that everything will go forward after the holidays.

Having the benefit of all the wisdom on this forum, had you mentioned having full custody of a special needs child; without any hesitation, we would have advised you NOT to attempt becoming a truck driver.

And your shoes? We have all gone through training and made sacrifices to become drivers. I suggest it's our shoes that you tried to walk-in and realized they didn't fit you. Better now than later.

I wish you well.

I appreciate every help I got so far. And I thought I made clear that Prime is a great company. My opinion on Prime never changed or will change. I was just telling part of my story. And yes everyone is completely right that you need thick skin to make it. I didn’t and will not now go in too more details what exactly happened between my trainer and me, besides the small thing of the picture I gave out. Because giving every detail would make on lease operator paint a wrongful picture of Prime and I don’t want that. The Company and it’s employees are awesome, the school is top notch. I could dealed with Linda no Question about it. But I decided to not do so. My Son has controlled Autism, that’s why I even made the decision to become a driver. Normally no Problem with him, aslong he speaks with me ones a day. What was never a Problem. That he ended up in the hospital was just a thing that happened because the school he attends forgot his medication. I could let my family handle this and move on with my training. But when I made the decision to get full custody over my son, I promised myself to always make the best decision for him. So even that many of you think you can judge me wrongful, you never walked in my shoes. You never been trough my life, never judge when your not sure what you dealing with. I made this decision after making sure to think about the consequences, and my intention posting the end result her, was just informing everyone that helped me along.

So didn’t speak with Stan, because weekend. I was told to talk with Linda. This conversation was unpleasant as it can be, what surprised me because that’s normally not how Prime operates. I was sick from Wednesday on, and almost had no voice Saturday. Linda was so “nice” to point out that in school you can’t choose your teacher and that you need to be happy to get this chance. Every time I tried to get atleast one word out, she told me to speak louder and clearer because being quit is a weakness in the industry. Trucks need to be loud according to hear. She rented on for some time, even the trainer looked completely astonished, and then she just handed me a paper telling me to ride down what my stupid problem was and that she needs that paper back as soon as possible, but she will set my name on the bottom of the list so I can think about this the next time. This all got me thinking, if I want to be treated this way. What settled the score was a call from Home that my autistic son was in the hospital, so I wrote all my problems and Saft concerns on that paper. And as last sentence l wrote a thank you to Linda for being the only unfriendly person at Prime. And that I resign from the Training. I want this but family comes first and no one treats me like crap if I don’t deserve it. So I’m happy on my way home to my son and family. It was a awesome experience that I don’t want to miss, besides the week out with the trainer(the 8hours driving was awesome) and Linda.

Why is he driving at all? in PSD you should be doing the majority if not all of the driving. and you should not be on the top bunk...he should not be doing ur QC moves. you can report him to brooke or stan. they want you to.

as far as him asking about the miles and time it will take to get somewhere...that is him trying to ger you in the habit of trip planning. when you go the smae routes often, you can trip plan in your head. he wanted you to say "with 300 miles it will take 5 hoirs to drive at 60mph, then add time for breaks and traffic, etc"

so what if he wants you off? you already dont want him. you wont get sent home.

Thanks Rainy. So I already spoke with fleet management. They trying to get us back to Springfield as soon as possible. I then will talk with Stan, that’s what the fleet manager told me. I’m just worried because I don’t want to go home. About the log he told me I don’t need to know it as psd student, that comes in tnt. I should atleast know the basics of the log. Then he said he doesn’t feel like he needs to explain everything in to detail, I should pick up on my own. I don’t want everything in to detail just being mentored/ trained. No he want plan the trip this with the miles came up, because he was frustrated that I didn’t pass a slower truck in front of me.

A few things here Papa:

I doubt they will send you home. I do however believe your approach to this needs to be adjusted...

Have you addressed any of this with your trainer, when the truck is shut-down and you are both on break? While the truck is moving? Not the time to work out issues.

It's clear there is a lack of trip-planning going on with your direct involvement. You need to learn the basics of this skill and in-part your trainer should be helping you. Force him to involve you in this process and explain the basics.

You also need to learn basic

Logbook Rules (HOS)

so you understand what he is doing with the ELD and why. In a team truck, when you are "logged-out" as the driver, and then logged as off duty, you have two hours allowed in the passenger seat before you must log as in the "sleeper". Be careful when you go through a weigh station and DOT sees both seats occupied. They may question the status. If the ELD has you in the sleeper, yet you are still physically occupying the seat, it's a possible citation for falsifying logs. Don't let that happen.

I constantly tell students to be your own advocate and force proactive communication. Clearly understand what your trainer expects...including what is expected when the wake-up alarm goes off. Talk about it! Know what to expect ahead of time. If there is anything you cannot do, or anything lacks clarity, don't let it go. Speak up.

That said, if your trainer expects you to be shifting like a pro and conducting yourself as an experienced driver after only 3 days, he's a freakin' moron. However, this is your training, you get one shot, make it count. Take ownership.

Document what is occurring so when you get back to the terminal you'll have notes to refer to. Without knowing anymore, although I usually encourage a student to work it out, this sounds like it's beyond teconciliation. Request a new trainer.

Required reading: Tips for Road Training

Good luck, hope you can work it out.

Yes I tried to talk with him when we where on brake, he basically ignored me. He doesn’t trip plan, he gets a load uses the navy and off he goes. He told me the first night i could sleep in on the top bunk, wail he was driving. I then told him that this was against the rules and I would get up. So at 5 I was ready to get up, his alarm went of and he turned it off and slept till 7. So the next day I waited for his alarm to go off and then get dressed. But this time he got up and was driving before I could get dressed and move safe from the top bunk. Your right i got this one chance for good training and I try to get a grip on this. So I hope everything turns out right when I’m back at the terminal, and I hope I get a good trainer. I gonna write everything down, so I don’t forget anything when I talk with the training managers back at the terminal

I don’t want much. Just a trainer that realizes that I’m a psd student and I’m not used to driving a 18 wheeler. If i miss something mentor me and don’t tell me if I don’t know I need to go. Yes keeping a 18 wheeler in lane control wail entering or exiting a interstate is not easy, so my shifting will be a littl off. But telling me then that if I don’t want to learn I’m off the truck, can’t be the solution. I staid in lane, I shifted. Maybe not smoth like a experienced driver but it’s my 3rd day. That’s just one of a few small examples. Hope they don’t send me home, this would suck. After all I wanted is being trained,

Ok or appointment is when? I think xx time. So I don’t have time to train you every small detail, because we need to be on time.

So going back to Springfield, because I called my fleet manager letting her know I’m not feeling safe. She and the instructor pushed it off, so I hope I get a new trainer because I came so far. So am I wrong?

The trainer drove of with me in the top bunk. Telling the fleet manager I was to slow getting up. I was up 30 min before him, when his alarm went of I got dressed. But then he was already driven and I could get down safe.

I’m out her since 3 days my shifting is ok, but if there is allot going on I get nervous and sometimes miss the spot. So he tells me over and over you need to know this, I don’t need to tell you. If you don’t want to learn I let you out in Springfield and get a new trainee.

Then wail we was driving to a customer and searching for a trailer there he put me on off duty and then sleeper, wail I was in the passenger seat. He controls the electronic lock. So it warned us that I’m violating of duty time. Telling me that I need to drive tomorrow morning so that way I’m on sleeper now.

This morning me driving in the dark he cuts on the dome light and uses the camera flash for his paperwork. So I was blinded.

Then just for the customer I did something not completely right, and he asks how many miles left? I tell him and he so how long will it take? Me honest I don’t know? He then you driving 58 m a hour so u have about 50 miles left, so what now? Me I guess we be there in about a hour? Ok or appointment

Do you think I did the right thing?

Guess what? i did the same with the pretrip and testing others. trainers usually watch and my PSD trainer walked past every guy there....even an Airforce mechanic....and picked this Jersey girl. he had me stand outside the truck with my eyes closed.and said "now do the incab inspection"... without looking at anything as a reminder. when i did it all.perfectly, he was like...yup, you're my student now lol.

My trainer was having some troubles getting her, I don’t know the details. But he asked me if I would have time for dinner tonight before we leave to Michigan tomorrow. I told him no problem because all I’m doing is studying pre Trip. His message can back immediately saying, that’s sounds like a sign of a good student I am blessed. Lol I hope I can keep up the good picture he’s forming of me without even knowing me.

So sorry for the late update. Yesterday we went to the training pad again and did pre Trip, because I’m a early bird I was up like every day at 5am. So roll call wasn’t till 8:00. I thought ok so what now, because breakfast on weekends isn’t till 8:00. Ok long story short I took Daniels pre trip out that I printed at home and compared it to the Pre Trip we got her from Prime. Just marking of things on the Prime paper so I know nothing is to different or changed to Daniels Version(by the way thank you Daniel, it’s awesome one side note one 2 pictures are with the wrong text). But wail doing this I realized that I already could remember where I seen the part in the actual Truck, and I could remember my abc, pms and cbb. So I looked at the picture, thought about where it is located in the truck and then named the part and did the abc, pms and cbb. I checked then if I was right on the Prime paper and Daniels and yes most of the time it worked. What I didn’t realize at this time was that it got burned in to my memory even more and made me more confident. So when we was on the pad with the other students, it was self study. Wail others where sometimes struggling or looking at the paper for the right words, I stood behind them and went trough it in my mind. So actually naming the part abc, cbb and pms. Over time then when one wasn’t sure I pointed it out and helped him along the way, or helped him corect mistakes. This helped me remember it even more, be more confident and outspoken(I’m a quiet shy person). As soon people realized that I could help along I was taken alone as study buddie and then thanks to Daniel I could answer the big question, are you sure and why do you know this? I pulled Daniels papers out, and showed them the picture of the part they was questioning me about and explained that I’m sure it’s the part we looking for and the right wording for it. So thank you, thank you so much Daniel, for me as a shy person this was a big experience. After that we went to lunch and simulator class. My trainer finally called during class to let me know he’s almost her and that he will call as soon as he gets her, so I can meet him. I also went shopping yesterday because on the dog ride her my jacket zipper broke, so I needed a new one. Now I’m the pride owner of a yellow Prime 3in1 Safety Jacket. I never owned a warmer, or better fitting jacket. I guess you see, small things make me happy.