Trainer In Need Of Insight

Instead of remembering Right = Left maybe if he thought Move the Bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.

Hey all I have started training for my company I have had around 6 or 7 students all caught on and have upgraded to first seat drivers. A week ago I got a student that just doesn't seem to catch anything. I have tried to show him things like backing. He can do a straight back just fine however when I have him try to setup for a 45 or a 90 he has no concept of what the trailer is doing or which way to turn the wheel over a week practice for 7 hours one day and then a minimum of at least an hour a day and still just as bad as day 1. I hate to say it but I have no idea how to handle this student any thoughts anyone

Instead of remembering Right = Left maybe if he thought Move the Bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.

Hey all I have started training for my company I have had around 6 or 7 students all caught on and have upgraded to first seat drivers. A week ago I got a student that just doesn't seem to catch anything. I have tried to show him things like backing. He can do a straight back just fine however when I have him try to setup for a 45 or a 90 he has no concept of what the trailer is doing or which way to turn the wheel over a week practice for 7 hours one day and then a minimum of at least an hour a day and still just as bad as day 1. I hate to say it but I have no idea how to handle this student any thoughts anyone

The left/right/opposite thingy always confused me for 45 and 90 degree backs. I adopted the "bend it" or "straighten it" mindset and I could automatically translate that into which way to turn the steers.

Tell him when the clock reaches 0:00 the truck is going to explode.

How does bend it straighten it work? Haven't heard of that one.

Instead of remembering Right = Left maybe if he thought Move the Bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.

Hey all I have started training for my company I have had around 6 or 7 students all caught on and have upgraded to first seat drivers. A week ago I got a student that just doesn't seem to catch anything. I have tried to show him things like backing. He can do a straight back just fine however when I have him try to setup for a 45 or a 90 he has no concept of what the trailer is doing or which way to turn the wheel over a week practice for 7 hours one day and then a minimum of at least an hour a day and still just as bad as day 1. I hate to say it but I have no idea how to handle this student any thoughts anyone

The left/right/opposite thingy always confused me for 45 and 90 degree backs. I adopted the "bend it" or "straighten it" mindset and I could automatically translate that into which way to turn the steers.

Brian asks:

How does bend it straighten it work? Haven't heard of that one.

In your hand, stick out your thumb and index finger. Thumb represents the cab, finger the trailer. More bend (bring your thumb and index together) means more turn, the ends of the trailer and the cab will come together. Straighten is like widening your thumb/ index angle, less of a turn, & the trailer & cab get farther apart.

In backing you are trying to steer the back end of the trailer towards the slot or dock you are assigned to. The skill of backing is usually the toughest part of your school practice.

Do you have a push broom on your truck? Student can hold the end of the handle against his waist, broom out "the back". (Be sure the broom brush is upside down so you don't wreck the broom)

Student can try backing around corners, etc. For added incentive, make him do this outside while the temperature is below freezing and do it till he gets it right.

Errol this is totally not going to work.... But I like where your heads at.😂

Is there anything this guy is ACTUALLY GOOD AT?

Can't back, can't figure out his clocks.

Is he still on a CLP - or does he already have his CDL? I'm thinking CLP - because he probably couldn't pass the CDL Skills Tests if his backing is that horrible.

No reflection on the trainer - but SOME FOLKS JUST AIN'T CUT OUT FOR DRIVING. We sometimes take that fact for granted. What came easy for us (or what we picked up eventually with practice), can sometimes be concepts that will FOREVER ELUDE some folks. And it's not that they're "intellectually challenged" - just that some people aren't wired right for this stuff.

You still at US Ex?

When I was in school - the teacher used to throw the "problem children" in my truck - because I was good at "'splainin stuff", in a way that laymen could understand. We had a woman that shifted SO HORRIBLY - after saddling me with her for a week, she wasn't getting it - they put her back into the class that started after us (6 weeks behind in a 12 week course), to give her a 2nd chance. She eventually "got it", got her CDL and graduated - I hear she even got a job (driving an auto).

No negative reflection on you JJ. Give them another week - and if they're still not getting it - roll him back to another trainer. The reality is - as hard as some people try - they just will NEVER GET THE HANG OF IT.

Rick

Do you have a push broom on your truck? Student can hold the end of the handle against his waist, broom out "the back". (Be sure the broom brush is upside down so you don't wreck the broom)

Student can try backing around corners, etc. For added incentive, make him do this outside while the temperature is below freezing and do it till he gets it right.

Errol this is totally not going to work.... But I like where your heads at.😂

What part doesn't work? In other posts I've described using the toy truck, brooms, even a tablespoon. The student will be able to see how backing a long thing works.

Do you have them tell you which direction their cheeks are pointing?

And here I figured this would be trucker hazing...

Haven't got it yet? Here back this broom around the truck a few times😕

Sorry Errol this may be a legitimate way of teaching a new driver but if it is not at least a little designed for revenge and comedy for the trainer. It really should be.

Rick wrote:

No reflection on the trainer - but SOME FOLKS JUST AIN'T CUT OUT FOR DRIVING. We sometimes take that fact for granted. What came easy for us (or what we picked up eventually with practice), can sometimes be concepts that will FOREVER ELUDE some folks. And it's not that they're "intellectually challenged" - just that some people aren't wired right for this stuff.

I gotta agree with this...^^^^ Totally.

Two other things I would try; are his misalignments when backing consistent, does he repeat the same mistake all the time? If not and he is "all over the lot", then this might be one fish you respectfully place back in the pond and move on. You might also try to focus more on the setup than the backing itself. Teaching repetition on the setup so that he always ends up in the same spot relative to hole he is putting the trailer into. Once setup and straightened out, have him begin to move back slowly, without making any adjustments to the wheel. Force him to watch how the trailer responds before adjusting wheel position. When he does make adjustments, get him to work the wheel at the "bottom" of it, palms down, elbows at his side. This will significantly limit the degree of adjusting he is doing,...without him thinking about it. Just throwin' darts.

We have two mentor drivers at the Walmart DC,...last summer one of them was in the office trying to figure out how to help a driver in a similar predicament as yours. We all watched him back,...each and every time he tried, the result was different. 6X, 6 different results. Lost. After another two days he was sent back to Richmond for more training. And like your student he had his CDL. Scary.

Good luck...I know how frustrating this must be for you. Sometimes knowing when to let go is the right thing to do and no reflection on your ability as a teacher. .