May Start Instructing Next Month!

Well many of you may know my story. I am a lease operator at Prime and run team with a company driver I lease from the company.

Unfortunately he was informed that he may have a fairly rare liver disorder that may require him to receive 8 to 10 weeks treatment. He really doesn't want to come off the truck, says he has his bunk just the way he likes it. His health comes first and I will sorely miss him while he's recovering. He absolutely wants back on my truck as soon as he is well enough to jump in the seat, it will be at least 8 weeks before we is well enough though.

Which leaves me with a big decision. To train or not to train while he's out? I truly believe I can offer a new student valuable knowledge and experience in becoming a successful driver. I've also come accustomed to having someone else on the truck with me. I am a safe and successful driver that really wants to pay it forward.

If I decide to be a short term instructor I hope I will be able to pick my first student from TT. This is a great community so well informed and eager to break in the business.

So in short please let me know what everyone thinks.

Sounds like you've thought through it well. Sorry to hear about your teammate and I hope his recovery is swift.

The industry needs good trainers. In advance, thanks for your service. Sounds like a perfect fit.

Sorry to hear about your teammate. I hope and pray he has a very quick and successful recovery period. Now your question. This industry needs good trainers all over the place. You seem to have your head and heart in the right place. I have run across too many people training just because they will make a few dollars more. I cringe because that is the wrong reason to train. I wish you the best.

If I could work out some of the issues I am having here at home I would love to throw my name in the hat to be your trainee, but it seems everytime I think I have a corner turned, there is a wall around that corner.

That's awesome. But please think about a couple things.. not just the money.. but you risk having to pay for damages the student causes. Also newbies don't always know what questions to ask. Try to make up a list of rookie mistake scenarios to give tips and let the student do all of the backing! !!!! Hahah.. the paperwork and QC are easy.. the backing is the most important. Good luck.

Yes teaching backing is of critical importance. Also teach the student, ask the student questions- so you know better on what the student needs, don't make the cab a prison. If a student needs to get out and stretch after driving a 10 hour day that is OK. My Prime trainer did the wrong things in these areas.

The main reason I quit Prime after 12 days of PSD driving was because I was unhappy with my shifting. Also I was not ready for the lifestyle of not getting paid when on duty. I paid the $1750 Prime billed me. I showed the Trainer I had a great attitude by cleaning the truck, raising and lowering gear at trailer front and anything else I could help with. No. Is what trainer said. Don't want my help.

My trainer did not have safety straps for sleeper berth. So a person does not fly out at a real hard stop.

The main reason I quit Prime after 12 days of PSD driving was because I was unhappy with my shifting.

Jetguy, could you explain this most curious statement to us. I fail to see how quitting would help you develop your shifting skills at all, in fact it seems counter productive to any form of progress in learning how to adjust to this lifestyle.

Also I was not ready for the lifestyle of not getting paid when on duty.

I find this to be a curious reason for quitting also, I wish you would elaborate for us. So did you go home so you could take some time to get yourself ready for this part of the trucking career? I'm not following your logic. All successful truckers do some work that they don't get paid for. I average, on a weekly basis, usually around 1,250 dollars take home pay after taxes and insurance are deducted. I am a top earner because I understand how to conserve my driving hours - that is how you make money at this business - you get paid for turning the miles. Any professional driver worth his salt understands how this works. You will have to do some work at times that you are not getting paid for so that you can make those dollars while driving. It is a reality of this career. I don't know what you are doing now to get yourself ready for this type of job, but if you plan on being successful at this you will need to know how to "git er done," and that definitely will involve some hours that you are working but not actually on a clock where they are paying you. It is all about performance and how much you can accomplish - the pay in this industry has nothing to do with how much time it takes you to do something.

Brian M. and Old School, I hope I get trainers like youse two. You both seem to have the patience and understanding a person will need when getting behind the wheel of a multi-ton behemoth for the first time.

One thing to consider if you are only losing your co-driver for a short time is that you'll have a week of downtime going through the instructor classes.

I'm not sure if they suspend your lease payment or anything while you are there, it was unpaid as a company driver.

Wow, I am always totally amazed reading some of these topics. Especially when they say "I wasn't getting paid" for this or that , it aint right??? WTF?? Almost every job I ever had in my lifetime, involved maybe some free work "unpaid" time............Don't matter what job really , sometimes it happens, do it and forget it. NEXT !................

1 my last job over a 10 year stretch I went over and beyond what i got paid for, helping my boss do extra stuff for the job. sometimes getting home 10-11 pm at night from a 7 am start time. We had an auto repair shop, and were the top U-Haul dealer, in the high desert. We chased trucks & trailers, after hours all over the place, so we had any equipment our schedule may need the following week/days. Usually I was first to work open and prep for the day, and close at end of the night. Sometimes I'd work weekends renting U-Haul stuff for a few perks or bucks......Yeah I got free dinner usually, or later on somehow, it was made up to me in other ways. A full tank of gas in my truck etc.................

I was brought up to help when needed, and don't always expect anything in return...............Period............Git'r'dun lol