Trainer Kicked Me Off The Truck Tonight!

I'm hoping to get Gunny Hartman as a trainer.

Oh really now?

Come to CFI and you can be my first student. I dare you.

If I wanted to be a door swinger, I'd take you up on your offer.

But if Prime will have me, I'll move forward with my plan to be a knuckle dragger there.

Jay F.:

Please keep us updated on how things go with you new trainer. As someone who is preparing for school, the "bad trainer" stories give me, and I'm sure many who read this form, concern.

It's the updates that really put the entire situation in perspective. When someone Googles "trainer kicked me off the truck" this thread will come up. When there is no update, prospective drivers, or people in your same situation don't know what happened.

But when they read an update months later that shows you persevered, even if you get another bad trainer, it makes say to themselves "If Jay F. could become a top tier driver after getting thrown off his trainer's truck, maybe I can too."

Good luck with the new trainer and I'm looking forward to hearing your success story.

I got kicked off my trainers truck my first day out with him for sucking at backing. He wanted me to straight line back and I ended up turned completely around. Ya That lick and stick cdl doesn’t make you a truck driver. I thought when I got that cdl I was a truck driver. I really believe it. I sent a picture of that cdl to all my friends and family.

I realized when I was making my trainers life hell I was so far from being a truck driver it wasn’t even funny. They sent me back to the terminal to back for two 10 hour shifts before I could go back out with a different trainer. That guy straight up told me I sucked every day and pretty much called me a retard in not so many words every day for 5 days. Then I went out for 2 weeks with another guy with a short fuse and a serious temper who threatened my job every day. Then I went back out with the first guy who kicked me off the truck for a week. This guy just wanted to be done with me and all them trainers just prayed I’d go solo so I could destroy my own truck and transmission.

What did I learn?

A whole lot but the one thing I learned that will help you the most right now is these trainers are some of the best and most respected drivers these company’s have. Keep that in mind. It might seem like they are doing things wrong but actually they are doing things right and you just don’t have the experience yet to see the big picture. Just imagine your trying to teach your dog to drive your car. Imagine the frustration if you genuinely was trying to teach the dog to drive your car. Imagine you might get upset when the dog refuses to listen. Imagine how you might yell at your dog because he keeps making the same mistakes over and over and over. That’s what it’s like for your trainers.

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. He sounds like a terrible trainer!! I haven't started school yet but I will be praying that I don't wind up with a trainer like this! It's good you're going to tell on him, you should always report abuse. I hope after you do, his boss will get on his case and tell him not to treat people that way. Thank God for Uber! It's unfortunate you had to pay that bit, but it's super nice that guy at Denny's got your meal covered for you. With all the mean people in this world there are good one's too. Sounds like it's more the trainers problem than yours and like he's got a lot of pent up anger, it's wrong for him to take it out on you. Believe me it likely has nothing to do with you, he's got problems.

Jay and Isabell,

I'm sensing you two are rather young? Maybe in your 20s?

Whether or not that's true, let me say this. The average age in trucking is about 50. Most people in trucking, myself included (I'm 48), value toughness above almost everything. With toughness and resiliency, you can overcome anything. Older generations required it. Times were tougher, especially in the first half of the 20th century.

Over the years our society has become far more stable, and life is much easier now than ever before. Most of the difficulties life used to present have now been eliminated by technology, economic prosperity, or specialized workers who can handle it.

When I was in elementary school we used to do drills in school once a week that taught us what to do if the Russians launched a nuclear attack. Nowadays, bullying and name-calling are considered to be devastating.

My generation was taught to be tough with statements like, "take it like a man" and "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." Being a complainer was about the lowest level you could stoop to.

Nowadays people are taught that it's a crime (sometimes literally) if someone says something that might hurt your feelings. They're taught that their feelings are the most important thing in the world and you should share them constantly with everyone, especially if you disapprove of what they're saying to you.

Back in the day, you would be laughed at. No one would respect you. I'm certain my 74-year-old mom is tougher and more resilient than most people under the age of 30 nowadays. She can't stand people who are soft. I still value toughness and resiliency above all else. I always will. Though I'm learning to interact with people the way it's done today, which is a huge change for me.

Jay, you said:

My exact words to him were. I don’t understand how you’re trying to explain it, and I feel like you are being condescending towards me because I’m not getting it.....I don't think he liked me.

I'm almost certain you're right. He didn't respect you and he didn't want to deal with you because he has a completely different set of beliefs and values. You don't think someone should be so mean that they talk to you in a way that hurts your feelings. He doesn't think a person should be so soft that their feelings get hurt in the first place. It's a stark difference in values.

Regardless of which values a person has, it's important that we're all aware of these differences. It's also important to note that a person can be tough and also be sensitive to the feelings of others.

I heartily agree with Brett's sentiments and want to add a little from a different perspective. One of the biggest things we constantly see tripping people up as they start their new trucking careers is unrealistic expectations. It's common for newcomers to think their trainer is going to be as kind and patient as their fourth grade school teacher. They don't realize how challenging this career is, nor are they aware of the serious ramifications of a slight error on their part.

The trainer takes a great deal of responsibility on himself to allow a total greenhorn to drive his truck. It's typically not a carefree time of enjoying sunsets and rainbows while two new friends gently cruise down the interstate on a recreational road trip. It's business. It's serious business in which the trainee is expected to catch on quickly. The company needs you up to speed without wasting time and resources unnecessarily. These trainers get anxious if you don't show progress. They know there's another trainee waiting who just might prove to be a better risk to gamble on.

I was 53 when I jumped into this rewarding career. My trainer was much younger than me. He was terrible. He spoke to me in very demeaning ways. My experience was nothing short of hellish. The approach I took was to always keep myself calm. I never once responded angrily or in a frustrated manner. I endured even racist remarks with one goal in mind. I was determined to win this battle. There was no way I was going to let this trainer keep me from my goal. I wanted to get past this brief but painful experience and move on to what I started this journey for.

Guess what it did for me? It taught me how to be a successful truck driver. There is a certain toughness and resolve required to handle this job. The passion and commitment demanded by the rigorous challenges one faces out here were honed and perfected during my very difficult conflicts with my trainer. I learned to stay calm and keep my composure under really stressful situations. The benefits of that experience have come back to me a hundred fold.

You see, we all think we are learning to handle a truck while with a trainer. There's actually a much bigger goal. We are too focused on the micro elements and we lose any thought of the big picture focus. We must remain humble and teachable even under duress. When we don't understand why our trainer is so upset we need to be able to defuse the situation and still be able to learn from it.

The things I learned about myself while with this very difficult trainer helped to forge my very successful trucking career. All the little details that I once thought vitally important, like backing perfectly or shifting smoothly, came to me over time and repetition during my rookie year as a solo driver. The determination and the commitment to succeed at this were developed during my difficult encounter with an obstinate trainer.

What Should I Expect To Learn From My Trainer?

I start my training at TMC next week. I am looking forward to to as it is a complete career change for me after 20years in the oil field. You may want to look take a look back at what your trainer may have perceived of you as a trainee. And what he may have expected from you. Truck driving is a very independent job where you are responsible for every thing that happens to the truck and it’s cargo. You brought up many examples of things that he was not doing and may have not been doing correctly. In my personal opinion you should have been up and doing he Pre-trip before he even started doing his. ( It would give you an opportunity to compare notes on anything you may have missed, and even if he did not do it as least you know it was done.) When you got the gash on the front tire that was a good catch on your part. But maybe the trainer was waiting to see if you would take responsibility and make sure the tire was fixed before heading out. ( there was a good possibility that he seen the split and felt that it was safe enough to travel on for a short time after his years of experience but with your inexperience you should have it repaired immediately.) While being irritated while you were practicing your backing skills. Did he just tell you it is time to practice your backing or did you ask him for time to practice because you knew it was a weak point that you need to work on. Because he may have seen that as a lack of initiative on your part if you knew that was a weakness in your skills and was not take a proactive approach to gain better skills and experience. As for securing your load where you getting prepared for the upcoming task of securing your load while you were being loaded or did he have to tell you. Your trainer forgetting his license should have been a good opportunity to get all the driving experience you could be simply saying since you forgot your license why don’t you let me do the driving. Because the way I see it you are both licensed CDL holders and both employees of the same company so you both are responsible for safe and legal operation of the truck. The reason I brought up these points are not to criticize you but to bring up some possible reasoning on why the trainer behaved like he did. You have to remember as a trainer he probably has had a lot of trainees that just want to say they are a truck driver and not truly put the effort into it. I have been on both sides of the fence in my 20 years in the oilfield of being a trainer and trainee. You need to realize that just because someone is a driver does not mean they are a good teacher. He may just be an old school driver and a hard a$$ from a different generation. But really does care about the people he trains and wants you see the whole picture and not just one aspect of the job of being a steering wheel holder. So maybe with your next trainer go with the attitude that you are a truck driver and take charge of you career and every opportunity to gain knowledge and use your knowledge you have gained to work as team with you trainer to make both of your jobs easier. But there is a possibility that the guy is just a a&&h@le and nothing you could have done would have been right. Good luck.

I start my training at TMC next week. I am looking forward to to as it is a complete career change for me after 20years in the oil field. You may want to look take a look back at what your trainer may have perceived of you as a trainee. And what he may have expected from you. Truck driving is a very independent job where you are responsible for every thing that happens to the truck and it’s cargo. You brought up many examples of things that he was not doing and may have not been doing correctly. In my personal opinion you should have been up and doing he Pre-trip before he even started doing his. ( It would give you an opportunity to compare notes on anything you may have missed, and even if he did not do it as least you know it was done.) When you got the gash on the front tire that was a good catch on your part. But maybe the trainer was waiting to see if you would take responsibility and make sure the tire was fixed before heading out. ( there was a good possibility that he seen the split and felt that it was safe enough to travel on for a short time after his years of experience but with your inexperience you should have it repaired immediately.) While being irritated while you were practicing your backing skills. Did he just tell you it is time to practice your backing or did you ask him for time to practice because you knew it was a weak point that you need to work on. Because he may have seen that as a lack of initiative on your part if you knew that was a weakness in your skills and was not take a proactive approach to gain better skills and experience. As for securing your load where you getting prepared for the upcoming task of securing your load while you were being loaded or did he have to tell you. Your trainer forgetting his license should have been a good opportunity to get all the driving experience you could be simply saying since you forgot your license why don’t you let me do the driving. Because the way I see it you are both licensed CDL holders and both employees of the same company so you both are responsible for safe and legal operation of the truck. The reason I brought up these points are not to criticize you but to bring up some possible reasoning on why the trainer behaved like he did. You have to remember as a trainer he probably has had a lot of trainees that just want to say they are a truck driver and not truly put the effort into it. I have been on both sides of the fence in my 20 years in the oilfield of being a trainer and trainee. You need to realize that just because someone is a driver does not mean they are a good teacher. He may just be an old school driver and a hard a$$ from a different generation. But really does care about the people he trains and wants you see the whole picture and not just one aspect of the job of being a steering wheel holder. So maybe with your next trainer go with the attitude that you are a truck driver and take charge of you career and every opportunity to gain knowledge and use your knowledge you have gained to work as team with you trainer to make both of your jobs easier. But there is a possibility that the guy is just a a&&h@le and nothing you could have done would have been right. Good luck.

Welcome to TT, Darrell. Very informative post~!!! Would love for you to start a diary when you get on with TMC.... yay~!!!

TT.. is THE place to be.

Stay safe; Anne :)

I start my training at TMC next week. I am looking forward to to as it is a complete career change for me after 20years in the oil field. You may want to look take a look back at what your trainer may have perceived of you as a trainee. And what he may have expected from you. Truck driving is a very independent job where you are responsible for every thing that happens to the truck and it’s cargo. You brought up many examples of things that he was not doing and may have not been doing correctly. In my personal opinion you should have been up and doing he Pre-trip before he even started doing his. ( It would give you an opportunity to compare notes on anything you may have missed, and even if he did not do it as least you know it was done.) When you got the gash on the front tire that was a good catch on your part. But maybe the trainer was waiting to see if you would take responsibility and make sure the tire was fixed before heading out. ( there was a good possibility that he seen the split and felt that it was safe enough to travel on for a short time after his years of experience but with your inexperience you should have it repaired immediately.) While being irritated while you were practicing your backing skills. Did he just tell you it is time to practice your backing or did you ask him for time to practice because you knew it was a weak point that you need to work on. Because he may have seen that as a lack of initiative on your part if you knew that was a weakness in your skills and was not take a proactive approach to gain better skills and experience. As for securing your load where you getting prepared for the upcoming task of securing your load while you were being loaded or did he have to tell you. Your trainer forgetting his license should have been a good opportunity to get all the driving experience you could be simply saying since you forgot your license why don’t you let me do the driving. Because the way I see it you are both licensed CDL holders and both employees of the same company so you both are responsible for safe and legal operation of the truck. The reason I brought up these points are not to criticize you but to bring up some possible reasoning on why the trainer behaved like he did. You have to remember as a trainer he probably has had a lot of trainees that just want to say they are a truck driver and not truly put the effort into it. I have been on both sides of the fence in my 20 years in the oilfield of being a trainer and trainee. You need to realize that just because someone is a driver does not mean they are a good teacher. He may just be an old school driver and a hard a$$ from a different generation. But really does care about the people he trains and wants you see the whole picture and not just one aspect of the job of being a steering wheel holder. So maybe with your next trainer go with the attitude that you are a truck driver and take charge of you career and every opportunity to gain knowledge and use your knowledge you have gained to work as team with you trainer to make both of your jobs easier. But there is a possibility that the guy is just a a&&h@le and nothing you could have done would have been right. Good luck.

Good lord you have all the answers! You will do great. As for me let’s see.

Pretrip. 1st day trainer goes I pretrip every Sunday. There’s no need for us to pretrip. The first time I gave this guy any pushback was 9 days in, and it got me kicked off the truck. I’m sure me going against his wishes doing a pretrip would’ve went over great.

The tire issue, no the trainer didn’t see it. We swapped trailers on Monday. He didn’t check the trailer. Why? Because he was slamming things around and was angry over my backing. When I found the tire. His response was wow I can’t believe it’s holding air, and later he said I should’ve inspected that trailer on Monday. When I found it I asked should we fix it now, and he said normally yes but I want to get going and get it fixed later.

As for him losing his liencse. Trainees do almost all of the driving me saying something like hey I’ll do all of the driving would’ve been stupid. Hello I’m going to the majority of the driving anyway.

As for what I could’ve done different? I haven’t stopped thinking about this since it happened. I’m a very reflective person, and I’m the first to say, hey you know what I could’ve done this or that differently. I honestly can’t think of one thing I did. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing.

I know the guy hates his job the little bit of talking he did was about that, and how he would be working till he died. I know TMC made him stop training before. (Wouldn’t say why) I also know he said another trainee accused him as being racist. He said 4 racial slurs in my 9 days with him. I’m white, and so was he. That wasn’t a fight I was going to have. It didn’t pertain to me.

The guy literally gave me no feedback either good or bad. Would stay in the sleeper for hours on end. One time there was another flatbed that wrecked I asked the next day did you see that wreck, he goes what wreck? I just figured it was traffic. I guess maybe my driving going forward is that good, that he didn’t have anything to say for 6 hours.

Good luck next week. TMC is first class and the classroom training is amazing.

It’s interesting to me Jay that you chose to write a detailed reply directed at a member having no trucking experience and far less knowledge than you.

My suggestion (not that you’re asking), is to review and focus on the information and feedback from the experienced drivers on this forum, specifically what Brett and Old School wrote.

Good luck.

It’s interesting to me Jay that you chose to write a detailed reply directed at a member having no trucking experience and far less knowledge than you.

Too funny, almost mentioned the same thing, but figured I'd already been mean enough.

I honestly can’t think of one thing I did. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing.

"Reason I got kicked off my trainer's truck for $500, Alex"