Starting School On July 8.

Yeah, there are a lot of fragile egos and small minds in the trucking industry. You just have to tread lightly with some of these guys when they're in a position of authority like your trainer. It's petty, but what can you do? Just be the bigger man is all.

Got to do some more real world backing today at actual docks. First one was pretty good, no pressure and had plenty of room to work. I did have to pull up a couple times to get it straight. Second one, not so good. My trainer wanted me to skip a dock that was next to another truck, but, I heard back in next to that truck, verbatum, So that is what I start doing. He let's me get set up and nearly in the slot and then says "WRONG DOCK!" (Just an observation here, he seems to swell up when other truckers are around, if you know what I mean). I smiled and said okay, I get more practice. I pull up, reset and nail it. Patience and a good attitude are essentiessential, I get it.

Sounds like you have the necessary patience to get through the tough times under your mentor. I appreciate your posts, as I am learning from them as well. Thanks for the example.

Sounds like you have the necessary patience to get through the tough times under your mentor. I appreciate your posts, as I am learning from them as well. Thanks for the example.

Thanks Tim. He is not a bad guy, just cut from another cloth. I will say this: He is a preacher on the weekends, I am not. He believes the government is necessary for folks who "can't" take care of themselves, I do not. He talks loud in the jump seat on his phone, will not correct his G.P.S.(recalculating, either update it or disconnect it), and is contradictory, I am not. HOWEVER, we are both Americans and are very proud of our country and our own work ethics... Common ground. Let me be clear, we will never be friends, but, he has my respect.

Sounds like you have the necessary patience to get through the tough times under your mentor. I appreciate your posts, as I am learning from them as well. Thanks for the example.

Thanks Tim. He is not a bad guy, just cut from another cloth. I will say this: He is a preacher on the weekends, I am not. He believes the government is necessary for folks who "can't" take care of themselves, I do not. He talks loud in the jump seat on his phone, will not correct his G.P.S.(recalculating, either update it or disconnect it), and is contradictory, I am not. HOWEVER, we are both Americans and are very proud of our country and our own work ethics... Common ground. Let me be clear, we will never be friends, but, he has my respect.

Respect is a key. I can overlook a lot in a trainer's personality, but I hope I have the good fortune to get one that is serious about helping me learn to do the job properly and not just blow off important aspects. I think the odds are pretty good I will get one with whom I can work with. I had pretty in depth conversations with three current trainers from Stevens, Con-way and FFE. Two were in person. All three I believe I could train with based upon those conversations.

Halfway through training and doing fine. I have been told I will do my drive test Wed after next and be taken to my truck after that. not really a whole lot happening the past few days, just logging miles. weather has been beautiful.

Awesome. Steady as she goes - that's a very good thing during training, that's for sure.

One week to go and I should be driving my own truck! I am supposed to do my driving test this Wednesday. I am sooooo ready to lose my trainer. If I hear "watch your trailer", or "give it fuel" one more time, I am going to have to go "right turn clyde" on him (if you are around my age you know what I am talking about). My god, I can have eyeballs on the mirror, trailer in sight, and him, without even looking up from his video game, will say that. Driving me nuts. Keep in mind that I have come nowhere near hitting anything, or running the tires up a curb or in a ditch...Yet. On top of that, I am really REALLY tired of him barking asinine orders ONLY when he is on the phone with his friends or standing outside the truck with other truckers around. I can be right in the middle of an on target backing and next I hear "get under your trailer...watch your trailer!" ...AAAAAHHHH!!!.

Okay, I feel better now. I just keep telling myself to be patient and ignore the fact that he is so insecure that he needs to puff himself up around peers. Sad really.

Had a couple days to rest and decompress and feel much better now. we are on our way to North Carolina then Chicago and hopefully after those runs, It will be my driving test. I did some reflecting over the weekend and realize that even through our personality clashes, my trainer has taught me a lot. My last post sounded a bit like I didn't appreciate his efforts. I do, and will take a lot of his advise with me as I continue to develop as a driver.

Hey, the stress of the road gets to everyone sometimes. The key is that you're handling it well - you're not losing your cool and you're not quitting. You just take it all in stride, keep moving forward, and before you know it you'll be out on your own and nobody will be in the truck buggin you.

Most people find they learned more than they thought they did from their trainers. They also find that certain things the trainer said or did makes sense after being on your own for a while. Some of the stuff they say or do may not make sense at the time or it may seem like they're over-emphasizing something. But later on you'll have that "ah-ha!" moment and you'll understand it better.

You're almost there!!!

Had a couple days to rest and decompress and feel much better now. we are on our way to North Carolina then Chicago and hopefully after those runs, It will be my driving test. I did some reflecting over the weekend and realize that even through our personality clashes, my trainer has taught me a lot. My last post sounded a bit like I didn't appreciate his efforts. I do, and will take a lot of his advise with me as I continue to develop as a driver.

I will be heading out with my trainer in the next couple of days. I don't know if you have been following my thread, but I just graduated the FFE Academy and got my CDL. I have to put up with whoever I end up with, no matter what. The instructors here at FFE do like to use those phrases that you mentioned and have already been beating them into my head till I'm half silly, but I know it is for the good. I will just have to persevere. RT, kudos that you have maintained a good attitude under your circumstances. Your almost there. Good luck.