4-8 WKS...if you don't got it by then it's not for you.

 

The thing about truck driving is that it is always changing. Every day, every mile for that matter, can and usually does present its own challenges and problems that must be dealt with. For this reason there is no way to teach a new driver everything, because even drivers who have been at it for 20+ years are still learning new things all the time.

Training is not really about teaching everything or even trying to. It is about creating and firming up a set of basic skills through an exposure to a variety of situations which will provide a person with enough knowledge and experience that they can work through similar events during the course of their day.

Thinking back over the course of my experiences as a truck driver I can not recall any 2 week period that provided enough variation to provide a stable, solid, base of knowledge and experience for a new driver. If I expand it out to 4 weeks there were some that might qualify, but it is not until you get into the 6-8 week range that I can readily say there were several that would.

 

i will say this.. when i was first let go out of training i went to a food warehouse that was tight ass phuck!! i kept trying to do and set up for a 45 degree back because that's all i was taught.. it turns out i finally figured out i don't have enough room to either set up or to do the whole back.. the whole time all i'm thinking is "Damn all i know is how to do the 45 degree back" while i'm driving back to my base after to spending 45 mins trying to put a trailer in a spot, i thought about something, i should of did a 90 degree back but i was never taught or put in a situation to do a 90 degree back.. Now does that mean if i stayed out longer then two weeks would of i encounter that situation or something similar?? who knows?? plus i had drove before so the two weeks for me was a little bit of a strech.. i did learn a few tips on my shifting and backing (except for that 90) but really i think four weeks is the max.. with the trainee doing all the driving, 6-8 weeks is too damn long!!! pay sucks!!

by all means i'm still learning, i drive at night so when i want to try something i practice it out on the middle of the road (i travel 2 lane roads sometimes also 4 lane highways, i don't do this on interstates or busy highways) i.e. shifting, making a right turn because i still feel i swing out to wide, also on left turns.. if you trained in the summer and you come up on a winter situation i.e. snow, ice, i got two words for you................... SLOW DOWN!!!

cause that's damn well what i'm going to do

 

I have been asking that question to my self a lot about whats a good amount of training at my first company.

Most of my school training was highways and state routes, since i was in the daytime class we always did road driving between 9am and noon and 1pm and 330pm. Never really got to experience much of rushhour. (of course the day i did my dmv test, we did the road test during morning rush hour) Did log quite a few miles of driving though and got to visit some of the wonderful truck stops here in Maryland and to do some parking in real life in a truck stop( iguess i was one of the better drivers in class i always got to park it when we hit a truck stop).

I think schools should find a way to incorporate some rush hour driving into their ciriculum.

No matter what i dont think theres an accurate time frame you can put on a "training period" I would really like to know what prime's turnover is with the extensive training program they have. (80000 miles before your considered a full fledged driver, 60000 with a trainer most of the miles run as a team)

My friend always tells me "If its time to chain up its time to park the rig asapastdo(as soon as possible and safe to do so)"

 

I am not sure you can put a definite time frame on getting enough training. I think people should get enough training to be proficient. If that takes 2 weeks or a year, then so be it. People learn at different speeds. Having a set time frame may not do justice to some drivers while penalizing others who learn more quickly. It would probably be best to establish a basic curriculum for a trainee to learn. Rather than putting a certain time frame I would prefer seeing them check off each aspect of the curriculum. Once they complete the curriculum they are considered proficient, providing the trainer feels confident in their abilities. One weakness I see with many of the carrier training programs is the lack of experience of the trainers themselves. I have heard stories of trainee's being assigned to trainers who have only been driving for as little as 3-6 months. Someone with so little experience has little to share or teach. He is still learning the basics himself. I would have much more confidence in a trainer who has had at least 5 years experience. He is in a much better position to explain how to deal with various road conditions and how to do this job.

 

Is that nasty talk really necessary?

 

You may be out on your own for 3 weeks or 3 years or 20 years but you are never finished training

The day that you think that you know it all is the time to hang up the keys and get off the road because something is going to jump up and bite your ass

Gunfighter

 

The only way you learn in this business is by doing. You can't learn how to drive a truck or deal with the day to day issues you will confront in a classroom. You need to jump in and experience it. All you will learn in the beginning is the basics involved in driving a truck. Your real training begins once you are under a load and on the road. You can't prepare for every situation you will confront out here. All you can do is to learn to be alert and expect the unexpected.

 

How much training is enough?

After you start driving on your own, if you ever come up with a question you "SHOULD HAVE ASKED" during training, by coming up with the answer on your own, you did not get enough training. It's not a matter of how much is enough, but how much is available, and how much is practical.

 

Whether you back down in a 3 point stance or your hide is peeled from the burnt frame of the seat, your final exit is the conclusion of your training.