Ugh my training experience is not going well....

[HeavenSent]

Some back story. I started trucking school about a month ago at the swift academy. Spent 3 weeks there, the tuesday before last i started the 3 day orientation with swift. Then friday i was assigned to my mentor to do the 200 behind the wheel hours. Well the guy i got stuck with didnt know shit, any time id ask a question hed say he doesnt know and move on like i never asked. When he DiD answer my questions 90% of the info was bull shit. Not to mention that he rejected more loads than he accepted. And i was quickly falling behind. So after about 6 days of that shit i requested a new trainer. So this passed thursday i was assigned to a different guy. And i explained to him that he was going to have to treat me as a newbie because even tho i was almost done with my first 50 hours.....i felt like id had ZERO training. I was a week in and i didnt even know how to send a macro or what PTA was. So the new trainer agreed to solo for a few days to catch me up. I drove 8ish hours yesterday. We park for the night and today hes like "ok im gonna go into sleeper and take a nap wake me when we get to the reciever" this frustrated me to no end. I tried to explain i wasnt ready, and that he agreed to solo. He finally was like fine. Ill stay off duty but sit with you. Take a couple hour nap then ill drive my shift. And im like "oh **** that. Im not gonna sleep in the back with you driving knowing your on lack of sleep" anyways there was some back and forth and he said he was dropping me at the nearest terminal.

Why the **** do people become trainers if they are just in it for the $$. Im not on a trainers truck to rack up their miles i am there to learn!. Anyways now im up in a hotel on companys dime til monday when i can get yet another (hopefully more competent) trainer. cuz my driver coordinator is off on weekends lol.

Ugh!
Rant over lol

 

[8978]

You should just put up with it until your finished. Your not going to learn until your on your own. I had zero experience. Never even drove a truck with a trailer behind me. I headed out fully loaded from Mass to Utah. It took me maybe 4 months before I wasn't peeing my pants anymore.

 

[r3gulator3]

I'm in training also with a different company. The policy here is that you don't move the truck your first two weeks without the trainer sitting shotgun . You move the truck like your running solo, but the trainee does most of the driving. I have 4000 miles in my first two weeks even having a day of sitting around at a dealer getting the truck fixed. I think this policy has really helped me to learn a ton as the trainer is right there to correct or assist me.

I really hope your swift experience turns around for you. Sucks when your trainer is just in it for money and not to train you.

 

[HeavenSent]

I disagree. They are paying people to train new drivers....they should ACTUALLY train them.

 

[HeavenSent]

I'm in training also with a different company. The policy here is that you don't move the truck your first two weeks without the trainer sitting shotgun . You move the truck like your running solo, but the trainee does most of the driving. I have 4000 miles in my first two weeks even having a day of sitting around at a dealer getting the truck fixed. I think this policy has really helped me to learn a ton as the trainer is right there to correct or assist me.

I really hope your swift experience turns around for you. Sucks when your trainer is just in it for money and not to train you.

Yes that's how it should be. With swift its your first 50 hours of drive time the trainer is supposed to sit with you.....but thats not what they actually do.

 

[Rigjockey]

I disagree. They are paying people to train new drivers....they should ACTUALLY train them.

I agree when I was a trainer I was paid salary Equal payments every week so it did not matter to me how many miles we ran the student was paid mileage. The emphasis was on learning not miles

I hope you have better luck with you next trainer.

 

[Mike]

Focus on your driving, at least you seem to be getting plenty of that. The computer stuff will come quickly once you are doing it on your own.

Sounds like the training situation sucks. Happens far too often out here.

 

[Blood]

@Injun went to Vegas for the weekend but as soon as she gets out of jail I'm sure she'll have something to say.

 

[Elizabeth2017]

Some back story. I started trucking school about a month ago at the swift academy. Spent 3 weeks there, the tuesday before last i started the 3 day orientation with swift. Then friday i was assigned to my mentor to do the 200 behind the wheel hours. Well the guy i got stuck with didnt know ****, any time id ask a question hed say he doesnt know and move on like i never asked. When he DiD answer my questions 90% of the info was bull ****. Not to mention that he rejected more loads than he accepted. And i was quickly falling behind. So after about 6 days of that **** i requested a new trainer. So this passed thursday i was assigned to a different guy. And i explained to him that he was going to have to treat me as a newbie because even tho i was almost done with my first 50 hours.....i felt like id had ZERO training. I was a week in and i didnt even know how to send a macro or what PTA was. So the new trainer agreed to solo for a few days to catch me up. I drove 8ish hours yesterday. We park for the night and today hes like "ok im gonna go into sleeper and take a nap wake me when we get to the reciever" this frustrated me to no end. I tried to explain i wasnt ready, and that he agreed to solo. He finally was like fine. Ill stay off duty but sit with you. Take a couple hour nap then ill drive my shift. And im like "oh **** that. Im not gonna sleep in the back with you driving knowing your on lack of sleep" anyways there was some back and forth and he said he was dropping me at the nearest terminal.

Why the **** do people become trainers if they are just in it for the $$. Im not on a trainers truck to rack up their miles i am there to learn!. Anyways now im up in a hotel on companys dime til monday when i can get yet another (hopefully more competent) trainer. cuz my driver coordinator is off on weekends lol.

Ugh!
Rant over lol

I hope the next trainer

Some back story. I started trucking school about a month ago at the swift academy. Spent 3 weeks there, the tuesday before last i started the 3 day orientation with swift. Then friday i was assigned to my mentor to do the 200 behind the wheel hours. Well the guy i got stuck with didnt know ****, any time id ask a question hed say he doesnt know and move on like i never asked. When he DiD answer my questions 90% of the info was bull ****. Not to mention that he rejected more loads than he accepted. And i was quickly falling behind. So after about 6 days of that **** i requested a new trainer. So this passed thursday i was assigned to a different guy. And i explained to him that he was going to have to treat me as a newbie because even tho i was almost done with my first 50 hours.....i felt like id had ZERO training. I was a week in and i didnt even know how to send a macro or what PTA was. So the new trainer agreed to solo for a few days to catch me up. I drove 8ish hours yesterday. We park for the night and today hes like "ok im gonna go into sleeper and take a nap wake me when we get to the reciever" this frustrated me to no end. I tried to explain i wasnt ready, and that he agreed to solo. He finally was like fine. Ill stay off duty but sit with you. Take a couple hour nap then ill drive my shift. And im like "oh **** that. Im not gonna sleep in the back with you driving knowing your on lack of sleep" anyways there was some back and forth and he said he was dropping me at the nearest terminal.

Why the **** do people become trainers if they are just in it for the $$. Im not on a trainers truck to rack up their miles i am there to learn!. Anyways now im up in a hotel on companys dime til monday when i can get yet another (hopefully more competent) trainer. cuz my driver coordinator is off on weekends lol.

Ugh!
Rant over lol

I sure hope the next trainer will actually help & train you! Geez they were newbies once, what's their issue with newbies?..

 

[bullj21]

I disagree. They are paying people to train new drivers....they should ACTUALLY train them.

You are right and you got 2 lazy failed trainers who should in fact be fired or taken to the back of the barn and had a talking to one. This is your life and you want to learn, I have nothing for swift they just do not show me much. You will do your real learning when you are trucking by self and you are in control , so get what you can suck it up and learn all you can for now.

I disagree. They are paying people to train new drivers....they should ACTUALLY train them.

 

[Blood]

It seems that once a new trainer had been requested by the student or enough students had to be retrained on the basics they would stop allowing that trainer to train. If they have to incentivize it heavier then so be it. Maybe pay more but hold the incentive pay on condition that the student pass certain skill sets at certain intervals.

@HeavenSent , how is your BF doing?
Didn't the two of you start at the same time?

 

[ready to roll]

I almost gave up several times while training but somehow stuck to it and that was 10 years ago. Its a good feeling when you finish up and then get your own truck. Captain of the ship!

 

[realdesertkickin]

Wow, not really sure how crappy training happens/exists...I know a guy who hopped into a swift truck, said it was full of ziploc pee bags everywhere...He called me to ask what to do
I told him to go get everyone, and show them that minute one has gone bad as trainer is a stinky crap pig...
Luckily, they gave him a new trainer that day, and still rolled down the road...I was worried he'd get canned or something..Im not a recommended advice guy lol

 

[Electric Chicken]

My first trainer thought he was the god of trucking and didn't accept that people learn in different ways. He wouldn't let me figure out my own backing and rushed me through the computer usage. He'd tell me what to put without letting me see what I'm putting and where.

Second trainer was awesome and saw no problems with what I was doing, and let me take my time. He also let me figure my own way through the backing maneuvers as long as I wasn't going to hit anything.

Even the first trainer wasn't a complete asshole. He just didn't slow down. Nothing as bad as OP and some others seem to be a experiencing. Although it felt that way at the time.

 

[Injun]

I gave the OP a direction to go before she ever got out of school.

It's all I can do.

 

[HeavenSent]

It seems that once a new trainer had been requested by the student or enough students had to be retrained on the basics they would stop allowing that trainer to train. If they have to incentivize it heavier then so be it. Maybe pay more but hold the incentive pay on condition that the student pass certain skill sets at certain intervals.

@HeavenSent , how is your BF doing?
Didn't the two of you start at the same time?

He almost done with training. Hes doin great

 

[GAnthony]

He almost done with training. Hes doin great

it's tough. people who shouldn't even be drivers are trainers. i think in as little as 3 months, Swift asks students if they wanna train.

try your best to just get through with all the malarkey, and get out quick.

at the very least, you have not be harassed, making things even more difficult.

keep up the training as best you can.

you really do learn more on your own, as you have to figure things out.

good luck, hang in there.

 

[Injun]

Yes that's how it should be. With swift its your first 50 hours of drive time the trainer is supposed to sit with you.....but thats not what they actually do.

If your trainer isn't doing that, talk to DSC. Or go knock on Jim Sargent's door if you don't think you're getting anywhere.

 

[Elizabeth2017]

Wow, not really sure how crappy training happens/exists...I know a guy who hopped into a swift truck, said it was full of ziploc pee bags everywhere...He called me to ask what to do
I told him to go get everyone, and show them that minute one has gone bad as trainer is a stinky crap pig...
Luckily, they gave him a new trainer that day, and still rolled down the road...I was worried he'd get canned or something..Im not a recommended advice guy lol

It takes the same amount of time to stop & pee by a tree as it does to stop & pee in a Ziploc bag..It even waters the tree btw..(chuckle) Environmentalists..

 

[JohnNoelle]

Wow,
My wife got a grant to pay for truck driving school.
They paid the school & for her clothes to do the job.
It was about $5,000.-
She didnt have to pay it back.
Watsonville Truck Driving Institute was great. They taught her in class & let her drive their trucks as much as she wanted to.
They guarnetee you will pass or train you more free.
All the counties in the USA have grant offices for job training.
You can ask your local unemployment office & they will direct you to one.
The grants are free & they will help you fill them out.
The good truck schools also know about the grants & will help you.
After completing truck driving school & getting a CDL.
They had multiple trucking companies came to the school & offered her jobs.
A fuel transport company offered 70 plus per year.
A car hauler offered 5k per trip to Oregon & back from California.
There were others.
She took a job paying 50 cents a mile in Georgia.
Dont do training at a trucking company.
Go to a truck school & get a free grant.
After completing truck driving school & getting a CDL.
Insurance companies will count the schooling as a year over the road.
So you will be paid more.
Train at a trucking company & you will be paid starvation wages for a year.