I Need Help
Topic 8990 | Page 1
Call celadon.😏
I 100% guarantee you that your mentor is a lease operator. The truth is that he needs to do that crap in order to make ends meet. He's probably stuck in a contract lease with overpriced truck payments. He's training because that's his only chance to make a profit given his situation.
Usually the student has to call the fleet manager once a week during training. If I were you, I would give him a polite phone call and explain what's going on. Be very careful how you do this though, remember that your mentor is a proven driver of the company and you're not. They will take his word over yours, but if he's editing log books they could see that.
Just remember that this is your license and if anything happens it's on you. If you get inspected and fail because of falsifying your logbooks you'll be ticketed and not him. Protect that license.
But quitting isn't a good idea I assure you. This simple problem can be resolved easily. If you quit you'll owe them money because of the contract and your work history will look awful.
Logbook:
A written or electronic record of a driver's duty status which must be maintained at all times. The driver records the amount of time spent driving, on-duty not driving, in the sleeper berth, or off duty. The enforcement of the Hours Of Service Rules (HOS) are based upon the entries put in a driver's logbook.
Fleet Manager:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
You need to be as professional as possible. Contact safety regarding what your mentor is doing. Keep your cool and be professional when you speak with safety. Taking matters into your own hands and quitting is probably the worst thing you can do for yourself. You need a new mentor / trainer if what you're saying is true. Tell safety you have not been receiving adequate training to prepare for your test and you're concerned about what your performance will be. Forget about what you heard in regard to 'most' people failing an upgrade test, or your DAC report being 'trashed.' Lots of folks fail upgrade tests because they might not be cut out for the industry. If you're concerned about bad marks on your DAC, or worse, a bad mark on your employment history, then quitting is DEFINITELY not what you want to do.
You're in an agreement / contract with Swift, you need to fulfill your part. The last thing you should do is quit. Talk to the proper personnel about what's been going on with your trainer, let them know you want to fulfill your contract and need proper training to pass your upgrade, and they will honor your sincerity if you are professional about it. If you've already made up your mind to quit, then you should expect bad marks on your DAC, and probably a bill in the mail to pay for your CDL A.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Daniel must have been typing as I was. Heed his advice. He brings up other salient points. Simply put - don't quit.
Another vote here for: "Don't Quit". I have absolutely no OTR experience yet, but am starting with Swift on the 16th. Heed all of the advice given above. If nothing else, fulfill your contractual agreement. Remember, as bad as you think you might have it, someone else has it worst.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
I went through swift to train for my CDL , I was the top in my class and I've had my CDL for a week now. I'm on the road with my mentor, he's edited my logs and lied to make me drive longer than the legal limit, he's also not teaching me anything. I'm supposed to take an upgrade test in four weeks that I've heard most people fail, also that when you fail they send you home and trash your DAC report. That being said I'm going home tomorrow and quitting, how difficult would it be for me to find local work near home? Maybe driving for grocery stores or something? I need some advice, I don't want to ruin my career before it starts.
I was in the similar situation when I used to work with Swift. Yes he was a lease operator. Whatever you do, do not quit. Call your DM and let them know what is happening. I can assure you that you will be placed with another trainer. Swift wants you to be successful and will work with you to ensure you get the training that you need. They will route you to a terminal and you will hook up with a new trainer. My second trainer ended up being a godsend that taught me things that I will keep with me forever. He was an amazing trainer and put his students before the extra income. Don't give up give them a chance to make things right.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Kazi, I couldn't agree with these guys more - Don't Quit!
Trucking is hard to get started in some times - things never seem to go the way we expect them too. I know this all too well, because I had a terrible trainer. Talk to your driver manager and let them know what is going on. Ignore all the rumors you have heard about them sending people home. They want you to succeed and if they are not informed by you of what is taking place, they may not realize what's happening.
There is probably more to this story than you have shared with us. You may be missing home really badly and that is influencing how you perceive what is happening. It is just a tough adjustment to get this career off to a good start. It takes a huge adjustment to having to work the kind of hours that a truck driver works for some folks at the beginning of all this. You have got to stiffen up Kazi, and finish what you started. You can do this. If you need a different trainer, then take the necessary steps, but do not give up - you will be very disappointed when you start trying to find a local driving job if you stop at this point.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Driver Manager:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Quit is not for you, Kazi.
I recently completed the whole nine yards through Swift. Here's the low down for you:
* You are required to keep paper logs (marked "training purposes only"). Keep them as accurate as you can. If you want to, you can send your Qualcomm logs to your email, so you can compare them. If you can't figure how to do that, PM me through my name link.
* You received an instruction sheet from the mentor coordinator. Mine, at least, included their business card with phone number. Give them a call. Running team and can't "escape"? Claim "restroom" but go out the other door and make a call.
* You were given certain chapters to read in the mentor/student handbook, like pages 30, 54, 56, 57, 58, 73, and know the main Macros. Read them, make notes. You will take and pass the test.
Don't quit because of one bad situation.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.
Just make sure that your not getting it wrong. If your running one state only you can log driving 12 hours driving and on duty 16.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I went through swift to train for my CDL , I was the top in my class and I've had my CDL for a week now. I'm on the road with my mentor, he's edited my logs and lied to make me drive longer than the legal limit, he's also not teaching me anything. I'm supposed to take an upgrade test in four weeks that I've heard most people fail, also that when you fail they send you home and trash your DAC report. That being said I'm going home tomorrow and quitting, how difficult would it be for me to find local work near home? Maybe driving for grocery stores or something? I need some advice, I don't want to ruin my career before it starts.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.