Hopefully Tomorrow...

J Snow, you've got a lot riding on the line here. I know you've been in here long enough to hear us talk about how incredibly frustrating it can be to get this career off to a good start. I wanted to tell you earlier on that I would have stuck with that first trainer, but sometimes people in here have taken my advice about trainers as advice to let yourself get walked all over. Plus it looked like you had already decided not to go out with the original trainer so I figured I was too late.

Everything Brett said is right on target, I know it doesn't seem fair, but you might as well get accustomed to things not always being fair. I too had a really bad start to my career, I got sent home three different times from trucking company orientations and was beginning to despair. Then I landed a job at what I considered a less than desirable company and my trainer was a certified "whacko". He was over the top. I wrote a little about my crazy experiences with him in an article about my training experience.

Hang in there, and I seriously hope everything works out for you.

I get all that. And on Saturday-I didn't say ANYTHING to the mentor about what he said to me. I had a cheerful disposition thru out. When he said that he would only tell me something once and that if he had to say it again, we'd have a problem - I said well I'm pretty quick but I might need help here and there. He was complaining that all of my papers were faded and that I didn't have darker copies. I had what I was given. Internally, I was having some misgivings-but I never said I didn't want to be with him-he discarded me. I was extremely excited to be where I was and willing to do whatever it took to be successful.

And guys-I was ranting about what I felt. I get that this is trucking. But, with all due respect Brett-you made a lot of assumptions in your reply that just are not true. I'm not the only one that has been having difficulty getting assigned a Mentor. I think they just have too many students for this small terminal here. I just wish they'd say that. I appreciate all the feedback guys. Hopefully we get something going soon.

:)

Keep at it J. Stay on top of things and make sure they realize you want to get going. Always be polite, and try and not let the frustration come out in your voice so that you sound angry. I've always maintained that persistence is your best friend when trying to get this ball rolling. I wouldn't be trying to go over anybody's head just yet, but keep rattling their chain (checking in) with them at least twice a day.

I know it's frustrating when you talk to the same guy and he acts like he doesn't even remember who you are, but my experience with these trucking companies that are taking on new people is that those folks in the offices (dispatchers, planners, recruiters, etc.) are so overloaded with responsibilities that they can barely remember their own name some days. Try not to take something like the fact that they don't even remember you are out there waiting personal.

We're pulling for you J, or we wouldn't be responding like this.

Once he realized that none of that was sitting well with me he made up a story to give to dispatch and left

I never said I didn't want to be with him-he discarded me

Now you're contradicting yourself.

So now you're saying he discarded you for no reason? I mean......he thought you were a great guy, a dedicated student, and you were eager to learn all you could but that isn't the type of student he was looking for?

I'm not the only one that has been having difficulty getting assigned a Mentor

You weren't having difficulty being assigned a mentor. You were assigned a mentor just fine. He either ran off for no reason or because he knew the things he said weren't sitting well with you....I'm not sure which.

But, with all due respect Brett-you made a lot of assumptions in your reply that just are not true

Have you noticed that so far the only people who have been wrong about anything in this situation is everyone except you? The company screwed up assigning you a mentor and they're unprofessional in the way they're handling this, the mentor they assigned you had a bad attitude, and my interpretation of the scenario was wrong.

So once again the guy who has never driven a truck one mile by himself in his entire life is right about everything and is handling himself perfectly while all of the veteran drivers and well-established trucking companies around him are doing everything wrong.

Well I guess I have nothing of value to offer. I did my best.

I was just venting. I wasn't looking for a slap down and don't feel I deserved that. Twice. I take your advice very seriously and value it a lot.

I never said a lot of the things you said I did. But that's ok. And while it looks like I contradicted myself-I didn't include a lot of the details originally just because it didn't matter much. I never said I was the best. I never said I knew it all. I've been asking for help every step of the way-and using the advice the best I can. Not every situation is as plain is seems.

Anyway, I got a new DDM today and she explained what was going on and asked me to sit tight. They are working out some issues. Simple. That's all I was looking for was some guidance instead of being ignored. Sorry if that seems like I'm asking too much. I feel better now that I understand what is going on.

One of those damned if you do and damned if you don't scenarios???

Hang in there J...

I got a new DDM today and she explained what was going on and asked me to sit tight. They are working out some issues.

So it's been two weeks and I'm curious how this one turned out J. Snow. Did they get you a new trainer and get you rollin'?

When I read this to I got the impression that the trainer didn't want you cuz his terms didn't sit well with you which means he could tell you wasn't happy by his rules... Not saying that this is the case... But what Brett is saying is when first starting in this industry you have to take the good with the bad and not show it... It's sucks but that's what has to be done.... Now Im all for not letting people walk all over you but in this industry it happens all day all week all year and can't stop it from happening....

When I started I called my trainer for the phone interview and he told me that he parked the truck and had to go home for a family emergency and asked me to tell them that... Lol WTF right then they put me on a trainers truck that already had a student and by this time Im getting frustrated but didn't show it and sat at the motel for a few more days then they found me a trainer that worked out but had a family emergency 3 days before my training was over and dropped me off in Oklahoma City to wait for another trainer to finish my training well here I sit in Sacramento California with my co driver waiting for my pick up time tomorrow...

It will all work out over time just stay positive.....