No Trainers..???? Need Help With This Please..

@errol I can dig that because some people are just sitting here waiting around for trainers. Some have been waiting for 3 weeks for a trainer. So I guess I'm fortunate in that right.

Lol yeah it does sound odd I guess! But I also doubt that you're the very first person in the history of trucking that this has ever happened to, if you catch my drift.

If anything, in a few years when you're a grizzled old veteran sitting in a truck stop diner running your mouth off to all the young whippersnappers, you'll just have a slightly more unique story of how you broke into the industry to share

@the Persian conversion Lol now I can totally dig that!!!

Travelyon, I've seen this happen before, I don't think it is all that uncommon. To me it says they want to do the best they can to get you moving with somebody, I'd take it as a positive sign that they see potential in me and don't want to have me sitting around contemplating moving on to someplace else. Finding good trainers is difficult these days, and you can be confident that they are working on finding you one while you are running with this local driver. Besides you are going to get exposed to some priceless training by running with this driver. There is no better teacher than experience, and you are going to get exposed to some tough driving experiences that if approached properly will only enhance your skills.

Remember one of the biggest stumbling blocks for any rookie is their unrealistic expectations of how things should go during their orientation and training period. Think about that - you have already encountered a lot of things that you thought should have gone down differently. Stay the course and keep on keeping on - you're gonna get to that final goal, it just probably won't be the way you thought it was gonna be. It's kind of like a detour on the interstate - it's unexpected, and somewhat frustrating, but you still make it to your destination.

@old school I can dig that. I see the upside in it all despite what I may feel. After all it's still people waiting on trainers for weeks so as I said I'm fortunate in that regard. And true it may not be what I want right away but it's something. I'm just eager to learn. Didn't think it would be this way but I'll take it, I've been thru too much not to. I appreciate your response.

Travelyon, Running local may provide you with more frequent opportunities to back the trailer and experience a greater variety of challenging close quarter situations. Like OS said, this is common, during my road training Swift bussed me to Greer SC from Jonestown PA for an available trainer. You'll get through it. Safe travels.

Yep, tell that trainer if he is not going to trust you so you can get your miles to drive the truck, at least let you do most of the backing with him as a spotter. After two weeks you should have the basics down pretty well. Being local, you will probably have more opportunities to back than you would OTR so this may turn out to be a good thing.

I to have heard of this being done before. When I was with Roehl for example there were 2 females waiting to due there time otr with a female trainer at that time roehl was short handed in the way of female trainers so they sent them to the gary indiana terminal to do local work until a female otr trainer was available to take for there otr time. I will also add this for what it is worth while not ideal for what you may have been expecting there is a lot that can be learned from running local you will see many different things each day versus over the road where you may spend a very good portion of the day of the day on the interstate granted not all of the time but a lot of times where as local you may get to see several shippers and consignees in one day which helped me sharpen my skills in that it's gets you in a frame of mind of being able to problem solve a little faster such as setting for backing in a dock trip planning really getting a grasp on your hours of service and what they will and will not allow you to do. But I think you will be fine man just a little test along the road of many to come you seem anxious to get out there and learn the craft and it is always exciting to me to see people as excited to to this job as I was when I started and still am everyday when I go to work.

@jeffry t.

I can dig it. It is a little crazy sounding especially considering that there are guys going out with local trainers here in Indy. So I can overstand the part about being short on trainers, and even this being(possibly) a better learning experience, I just think they could've done better. But I do feel better with you telling me this isn't unheard of. Everyone I know that drives is telling me i should be in a hotel at night and not in the truck at a mom and pop truck stop. I'm just hoping I have a good trainer and hoping he can teach me a lot about this industry because the school didn't.(found out yesterday via PowerPoint, how to slide my tandems , and the fifth wheel) but I'm 50/50 on optimism about it at this point. I just wanna learn so I can be a good truck driver, and hopefully despite these obstacles, I'll get there.