Profile For Brian C.

Thanks Clayton J, 87 Wrangler, and G-Town

I start a new company next week with a trainer that has an excellent reputation in training new students. A friend of mine contacted him and let him know what was going on with me and he gladly excepted the challenge. The trainer knows me "my personality" because we grew up in the same town and he was friends with my family.

We discussed the issues regarding myself and the trainers. He informed me that a lot of what they were doing was unprofessional behavior. He also told me that having high expectations of others is something he practices as well, but I should learn to focus on the long term of things and not so much the short term. He said that sometimes removing yourself from a situation or situations can differ from person to person. He said as far as he's concerned I have a clean slate until I show him otherwise. He informed me that I will be expected to give maximum effort and respect will be a clear top priority between us both. He knows my history and doesn't doubt I will give maximum effort. I know his history and he is one of the most positive people I've ever met.

I'm very excited and I hope this is the path that was meant to be. If for reasons of my own this does not work out or I have a lack in progress, I will be man enough to admit it and will share it with those of interest on this forum. Thanks for the support.

Brian

Thanks G-Town.

My biggest obstacle is the fact that I worked in another industry for 26 years managed and trained for 20 of those years. My expectations are probably not the same as the 3 gentleman I informed you about. I made mistakes and tried my best to learn from those mistakes in regards to training people. While being trained I think my biggest problem is that I'm holding them to standards that I've tried to practice. I always felt that you should lift people not push them down. When I trained, I made it a practice to train not belittle, not be condescending, or be controlling. I saw all this in all 3 especially #3. It became clear to me that these guys were awesome drivers but poor trainers.

Someone I respect pointed out my feelings on the training because they are aware of my previous carrier. They informed me that my expectations of their training is probably unfair. If I'm going to be a driver this is something I will have to come to terms with. However, I have spoken to other drivers and they informed me that their are some awesome trainers out there. I don't doubt that. I'm positive that I'm being stubborn, but I also know when I'm being disrespected. This really was displayed by trainer 3. He made attempts to cross boundaries that you just don't cross with people. I felt it was best to walk away at that point. Thanks

Thanks 87 Wrangler and Don.

Everything I stated before is factual. The 1st trainer was abusing his power according to the 1st company that I went to. They investigated looked at the video and students came forward on my behalf without my involvement. I was asked to return but decided against it after being pulled in the office by the trainer and his manager. This left a bad taste in my mouth being accused of things that did not happen.

I went to the next company and the trainer snored very loud do to a medical condition. I failed to mention in my previous novel that he lost 5 other students due to this issue. I think he was upset that I got off his truck and shed this problem to light again. The company and the trainer made me aware of the 5 other students.

The 3rd trainer was friends with the 2nd trainer. When the 2nd trainer acted very aggressive at a truck stop in Arizona the 3rd trainer acted like I should take it. I firmly believe that the 2nd trainer was using repressed anger about the snoring. I stood up to the snoring trainer and it was not well received. I informed the 3rd trainer that I felt his friend is a trainer and myself a student that his behavior was inappropriate. Once this happened things got much worse as in my previous posts. According to him I was doing well till this took place. He informed me that I probably would not make in trucking. As I posted before he did several other things. I did everything the trainers told me to do without complaint. I felt my dignity and humanity was under attack because certain people feel superiority is more important to them than actually training.

As I stated before trainer 3 let me know that trainer 2 did not like me and stated that he didn't know what to think of me. I'm introverted and both of them are extroverted which is no ones fault. I tried to tweak my personality a bit but it did not work. I'm a very serious person and they did not like that. In my mind none of that should matter. I'm the student and they are the trainer. In my opinion being there, trainer 3 tried hard to press me to give in on not me being myself. I even told him that I was doing EVERYTHING he asked but people should be allowed to be themselves. He told me without hesitation "Not on my truck". After 16 days of this with 13 to go I could not take it anymore.

Luckily I have a friend that is trying to find me a trainer. He found someone I know and knows my personality. Hopefully all this will come to fruition. If it doesn't work out then I'm going to keep trying. I'm damn proud that I obtained my CDL as I know all of you are. I want to be a driver like all of you are. I want to say one day that I'm damn proud to be a truck driver like I know you all are. I need a job not personality conflicts. For those that have given me positive posts I thank you. For those that question my story or post laughs at me I thank you as well. You are all a prime example of why truck drivers make this country so great. Thanks

Thanks for the encouragement. Sorry for the novel. I don't drink Red Bull but heck maybe I should try it. Paragraphs probably should have been the way to go.

The rest of the story. One night in the sleeper birth I fell asleep and my wife sent me a text and I felt the vibration on my hip and woke up and started texting her back. The trainer saw me texting and said I thought you were asleep and I said I was. He stated don’t lie to me. I explained to him I was not lying that I felt the vibration after nodding off. I was like really? Then one night after driving all day I decided I was not going to eat dinner and go straight to bed. We discussed this the next day and I told him I wasn’t hungry just very tired and he said abruptly don’t fuc### lie to me you were upset about something. I explained I wasn’t and he wouldn’t have it. ? After this we ran into my 1st trainer in Arizona at a truck stop and I spoke to him and showed him respect and he started treating me badly. Speaking to me with aggression and starring in my eyes. I was like what the hell? He let me know that he ran into another former employee that I worked with at another business that I worked for years. The former co worker left that business and now works where we pick up our trailers. He asked them if they knew me and she told him yes that I was a very hard worker that I was all over the place that I worked from the moment I stepped foot on property till I went home for years. He then became very angry and said your problem is you have a memory problem that’s what the hell your problem is. He then bragged how he almost started a fight at a truck stop when he was training me which was true between 2 other truckers. I spoke up and said well you sure do like to start trouble. I was trying to politely tell him to knock off his aggressive attitude. He bowed his shoulders and said I back it up too starring with aggression looking dead at me. He clearly didn’t get the hint. The 2nd trainer and I left and of course I did not like the way the 1st trainer spoke to me but I didn’t say anything. The second trainer knew I wasn’t happy with the 1st trainers attitude and questioned me on it. He explained to me that he was probably playing with me. I explained that well I’m a student and he’s a trainer for the company and he seemed very inappropriate to me. I explained that it was clear that he did not like me and that was ok but he clearly seems to be very immature. Yes I was vocal. The 2nd trainer got upset and started to lecture me that I should learn to take stuff like this off of people. This same guy lecturing me would do the same things at truck stops, the compay, the consignee’s and yes at the shipper. He would get ****ed at others and lecture me. ? At that point the 2nd trainer would train me on the computer and laugh at me when I wouldn’t know things because I was new. He would laugh and when not laughing blink his eyes and act condescending. I would say nothing and keep training. This happened more than once. Finally we got to a consignee and he was doing it again and I said nothing. I then elected to throw our garbage away and knew he had been on their property before. I didn’t see the garbage because it was blocked by a fence and you couldn’t see it. I asked him where it was because I knew he had been there before. He started laughing at me again and I said why are you doing that? He was like what? I said why do you keep laughing at me. You do it when we are training and not just the computer. I’d already asked other questions about trucking and he would do it then. Things I would not know being new. After the issue with his friend the 1st trainer and me questioning him on his laughing at me we barely spoke for a day in a half. Prior to all this, he said I was doing very well. Once the issue with the 1st trainer happened and me questioning him on laughing at me which was even during casual conversations he let me know that I probably would not make it in trucking. I would probably quit because I can’t let things go. Again his lecture is things he does himself. On the way back for our next load I see a place my wife would like so I call her when I’m not being trained later that day. He listened and later lectured me on what I told my wife on the phone. It was a simple conversation about jewelry she liked. He literally lectured me telling me that my wife and I should appreciate the jewelry and how it’s made by the company that makes it. He stated you both should know this information like something was wrong with us. I explained that this was a conversation between my wife and I and said no matter you both should know this information. After this I’m texting my son not training and he wants to know if I’m complaining to my wife about him. I told him no that my son suffered an eye injury and I was checking on him. He said, don’t fuc### lie to me. I’m like what? When we get back I get my stuff out of the truck and go home. I call the company and tell them what all I’m telling you. There only solution is putting me with another trainer. I tried telling them all on here and it’s yes I hear you right, right um we will get you another trainer. They don’t want to hear it. ? I not sure now what to do? I need a job. I’ve soul searched this and know I’m introverted and not the way these two gentlemen want me to be but all I need is training. The thing is we are different people I guess? My thing is trainers should try to lift you up not belittle. Trainers should not act aggressive either. Are my expectations too high? I’m at a loss. Sorry for the novel. Thanks

I recently completed trucking school and got off to a slow start in trucking due to a close family member having covid 19. I get started with one company and it turns to complete disaster because I have a very insecure trainer. It became very clear during our training that my trainer did not like me period. No matter what I did it was wrong. He made accusations that I almost hit a ditch and almost hit another vehicle head on. I was told that you don't check your mirrors and your turns are bad. My confidence became so shaken I missed a turn and the trainer started taking his hand and putting it to his head like I should use my brain. When the other students drove they made mistakes and the trainer said nothing. Once the training for the day was over I spoke to the company and they did an investigation. They had a camera and saw that the mistakes he claimed were false. The one about me almost hitting a vehicle head on was the main one. He told me to turn my left blinker on and prepare to turn left on the highway, which I did. At that point, a car was headed straight for the truck and my trainer freaked out not realizing that the vehicle had a yield sign for traffic turning left to merge on the highway. The trainer even pulled me in the office when we got back with his manager to lecture me on how he could have pulled the brakes on me then and failed me as a dangerous driver and the manager backed him without looking at anything. As stated before they finally did investigate once I called their corporate offices. I called because of the way they treated me in the office knowing I really didn't do anything wrong. Well sure I clearly wasn't an experienced driver but not what all he claimed. The company pulled the other students in and they admitted that they made mistakes and nothing was said but they felt the trainer was really going after me for some reason. The students backed me up on the ditch that I never almost hit because they both looked at the mirrors on the hood and told them I never came close. Basically I spoke to the students later and they told me that they felt compelled to tell the truth even though they still needed their training and did not really want to rock the boat for themselves. I thanked them for their honesty. The company also saw the camera facing out that I was never going to hit the car because they had to yield to us. The company wanted me to come back and finish my training and still be trained by the same guy. They said they spoke to him and all should be better. They also claimed because of the account I would be working he was the best option for my training. I flat out just did not feel comfortable anymore and declined. I thanked them for the opportunity and felt it best that I try another company. Corporate informed me that if I ever want to come back that I was welcome. The thing is I would still have to deal with the trainer and the manager and I can't shake the way they behaved in the office. I tried a new company and man it started out great. I was so very excited like the first company until I got on the truck with my trainer. I was warned by the operations manager that the trainer talks a lot and can be over bearing but they felt he was a good trainer. I want to point out that I'm a very introverted person. The first day or two things seemed ok feeling each other out. It became clear sleeping would be an issue because he snored louder than anyone I've ever heard and he admitted he had a medical issue. I tried plugs but it did not work. I did all he asked on training and asked him a ton of questions being new. I did all I could to deal with his snoring but I got limited sleep. I even got up and walked around a rest area one morning trying to figure out how I was going to tell him I needed another trainer. He ended up calling another trainer a friend of his. The company was ok with me training with the other trainer. I sincerely thanked the first trainer more than once for all he did for me but I could sense something was still wrong. I started training with the second trainer and he let me know that the 1st trainer informed him that he didn't know what to think of me. He felt that I'm too serious as a person and he didn't like me very much. I explained to the 2nd trainer that yes I'm aware of my personality that I'm very introverted but I will do all he tells me to just like the 1st trainer and will loosen up some which I did. We were having a good time for a couple of days feeling things out and then things started to change. I could see the trainer was very controlling of his family which is his business. Cameras all over his property and his house. If someone left clothes on the floor a door to a room open or was eating at a time he didn't like he would call them and call them mother ######'# and tell them what they should be doing. He even contacted his daughters boyfriend telling her sending word to him he may kick his a## when he gets home because he broke up with her. He then started asking me why I ate some of the food I would buy ate the truck stops. Not for nutrition info just the fact he didn't like the food of my choice and I should try some of what he eats. I declined respectfully. I take certain meds and he would literally not only ask what kind I took but demand I tell him. If I was on my phone and not being trained he would literally demand that I tell him what I was doing on my phone.

Thanks Trucking along with Kearsey, I will definitely take a look at your blog articles. Bobcat Bob thanks. I was born in Joliet Illinois and lived in Braidwood for about 5 years when I was a small child. Are you from Joliet?

Thanks to all of you for your insight I really appreciate it. I'm the type if I really care about something I will give110 %. I think a lot of my nerves are fear of failure, embarrassment, and certainly not making a mistake that could injure or worse to others. I know I must take this seriously, but maybe I should try to stay humble and learn to laugh at my mistakes "while still correcting them" and support my class mates. Like Brett said "Stay confident" Thanks again.

First I would like to say hello to you all because I'm new to the forum. I have my permit and I'm not concerned about studying the rest of the way to obtain my CDL because I will put in the effort. However, I'm very nervous about learning to drive a 80,000 pound truck and trailer. I'm not ashamed to admit this either. I've already learned how to straight back from someone that owns a truck, but I'm nervous about the offset and 90 degree backing. "Never tried" Also the final road test. I've been told with repetition I will be okay. "I was very humbled and had a ton of respect for you all when I was learning to straight back" I want to enter school going "full force" so to speak to make sure I'm successful. I've considered this move for a long time and clearly don't want to fail. Any and all insight in regards to my nervousness would be greatly appreciated. Thanks