My Dispatch Asking Me To Be A TNT Trainer

..... I think a trainer should have 10 years or one million miles minimum with zero preventable accidents.

..... Others can and do make outstanding trainers with much less experience. .....

I'm just curious, PackRat, not of a firm opinion at this time, myself. As I've written, I have a teaching background that interests me in training.

How would you break down reasoning behind your above former statement? and how does that one reconcile with your latter statement below it?

Are you kidding? I fly by the seat of my pants every day!

I'll think on this and post later, once I can get it in order so that it'll be mostly readable. It's in my head. I just have to organize it after lunch and a nap.

I don't hate you Senior Chief!

I think you are right with a time frame like that. With the 10 year/million mile/accident free history a driver relates to a safe and reliable person to become a trainer. If he or she loses that status they have to start over from 0. Keep the dirty down PackRat.

Everybody hates me, again!

Nevahhhh!

..... I fly by the seat of my pants every day! .....

Lol, I know about that, and it takes one to know one

Such a requirement would essentially cripple the trucking industry as we know it. How many 10+ year drivers do you know that have zero preventables, and also want to train? How could they possibly keep up with the steadily increasing need for quality drivers?

I just don't see it happening.

Such a requirement would essentially cripple the trucking industry as we know it. How many 10+ year drivers do you know that have zero preventables, and also want to train? How could they possibly keep up with the steadily increasing need for quality drivers?

I just don't see it happening.

Adding onto Turtles reply, just because someone can drive a truck for 10+ years and have one million safe miles with zero preventable accidents, doesn't mean they would make great trainers. Some people are great at their jobs but couldn't teach it to someone else to save their lives.

Such a requirement would essentially cripple the trucking industry as we know it. How many 10+ year drivers do you know that have zero preventables, and also want to train? How could they possibly keep up with the steadily increasing need for quality drivers?

I just don't see it happening.

I think Turtle's point also relates to the extent of training prior to going solo. From what I've learned, in a perfect world, experienced (and good) trainers would train new drivers for an extended period of time. However, from what I've learned on this forum, that's not economically viable for the industry.

I also recall that Brett does not necessarily agree that a longer training period would produce better drivers.

BTW, I am not simply sucking up to Turtle because of my respect, and admiration, for him. I have great respect and admiration for Packrat as well.

Superlejera:

With regard to TNT in the tanker division, what are your thoughts about rookie drivers hauling tankers? As I understand, most drivers on this forum, including PJ do not recommend tankers for inexperienced drivers.

I would think, as Kearsey has pointed out, TNT training from the trainer's perspective can be quite nerve racking because you have to try to sleep with an inexperienced driver behind the wheel. I would think this would be even more of an issue with tanker.

Good points, guys, to which I'd add that aside from active "teaching", there's active "learning".

Aside from classroom teaching approaches which look at the learning side as only one of many facets in an interactive process, my best other experience with such was a long-time ago Snow Eagle Ski School experience at Gray Rocks in Quebec.

I was frustrated after days of following the lead instructor down trails, and finally got going with him a group discussion about the training approach. I wanted some verbal explanations of what we were doing, my comfort zone. Turns out the method was intentional, and touted as very accepted and successful in the school...... I did stretch my concept of what learning involved, that day. It was all about modeling and imitation. Verbosity or activity in that part of the brain was not involved in learning the motor movements. I actually progressed faster when I stopped "thinking" and just focused on "copying" the smooth moves of the instructor.

Of course, trucking training involves a lot more than developing motor skills, lots of information and other knowledge to transfer.

Just kinda a preferred topic of mine and wanting to help give PackRat the benefit of the doubt. ;-)

Back on track, you have to do what you think is best. Do you have a desire to train?

Are you patient?

Run a bunch of scenarios in your head and think how you may react to different personalities, difficulties

Do you think a student, the company, and the trucking industry will benefit by what you have to teach?

After those are answered, then is the hassle worth whatever money your company offers? Good luck on your decision!

I took my first TNT trainee at 1.5 years. I still lacked some confidence, but I learned as much as she did. And she thought i was awesome. I waites another year and by then i really knew what i was doing and produced a few more great drivers.

Now i dont even care about the extra money so that is not a way to entice me to do it. lol

Rob D wrote:

I think Turtle's point also relates to the extent of training prior to going solo. From what I've learned, in a perfect world, experienced (and good) trainers would train new drivers for an extended period of time. However, from what I've learned on this forum, that's not economically viable for the industry.

I also recall that Brett does not necessarily agree that a longer training period would produce better drivers.

Please define "extended".

3-4 weeks of school (pre-CDL), 6-8 weeks of road training (post-CDL). IMO beyond that time, in the majority of cases, diminishing returns. I learned more in 1 week of solo running than I did in my last 2 weeks of Mentoring (road training). Plus, once shut-down for the 10 hour break, the time is yours and you can enjoy the space of your own truck, and relax.