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k9219

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Hey guys, just started with OD about 3 weeks ago and wanted to say hey to everyone and tell a lil about my experience so far. Im at the greensboro terminal in NC and my first 2 weeks were with a local p&d trainer. I already had my cdl and both hazmat and dbls endorsement. I attended a 4 week school just prior to applying at od.

Back to my experience so far. My first week was pretty good except i didnt drive much..I had a trainer that is young and only been driving 2 years so everytime he got more deliveries over his computer he would say we gotta role ill drive. By the end of the 1 st week he was starting to rub me the wrong way due to the fact he constantly talked on the phone and everytime i drove he was a constant pain in the *** because he didnt know how to patiently tell me how to do something right instead he would act all pissed off and just say stuff like we got to ****ing hurry up. So naturally being a new driver I would say im trying but i am new you know. My second week was not that good by wed of the week me and the trainer had words. I had asked him nicely the day before to not cuss and act pissed off while i was trying to learn how to drive he ignored it so i i told him i was ****ing trying and was sick of his constant attitude. Well long story short he threatened to go to the terminal manager and I threw the truck in 2nd gear and started heading that way stating lets go then. But no he said he wanted me to practice backing more. The last 2 days i was with him i heard nothing else about it and did the best I could to learn something from the bad experience. My biggest problem was backing 28 ft pups due to the fact i had only backed 48 and 53 foot trailers prior to coming to od.

My 3rd week was alot better went out with a line haul driver that does a meet and turn outta greensboro to manassas va. First 2 nights were tough. I had never drove almost 10 hrs straight before with lil or no break so it was an adjustment, But my trainer said i did pretty good. Nice guy and was very helpful and mainly patient trying more to help than hender. My first trainer was a **** only way i know how to put it. This week i go to tennesse. Hopefully this will go well and since i have been in training for 3 weeks going on 4 hopefully i will be on my own soon. I think od is a great company i just had a first bad experience trainer wise. When asked about my training by the safety man I will be honest good and bad. I am training to be a line haul driver and was previously employed in law enforcement for 12 years prior to going into the truck driving industry. I enjoy driving a truck and my reasons for leaving law enforcement were all the BS and politics you had to deal with on top of just being burned out. Ill drop back in to let you all know how it is going later on take care.
 
Just hang in their these trainers should try to remember what it was like when they learned. I doubt that guy jumped in a truck and drove it like a seasoned driver. remember saftey first I am sure since you are from law enforcemnt you are aware of why you keep your record clean.
 
Dont let it get to you... I sure hope he isnt an *** in front of customers....

Linehaul is where its at.. Im about a 180 from where you are... I want to get out of the truck and into law enforcement.. Id take about a $15k pay cut at first though...

Ive been running linehaul here for just under year, and I love it. I just got bumped up to a longer run.
 
flybywire, my best advice for you would be just like researching trucking companies. Research your 1st choice police or sheriff depts. to see which ones have the least amount of trunover. trucking and law enforcement have alot in common actually. Turnover can be high. However if you find a good dept early on and stay with that one dept. you can do very well.

I worked in smaller depts. like 15-20 k population so u have alot more bs to deal with on a daily basis. just an example we were always shorthanded due to ppl out on leave etc. then u add in the fact that u always had at least one lazy *** that did nothing so u had to do ur work and his/hers half the time it can be frustrating. Smaller agencies have alot more politics due to the good ol boy system. looking after a select few and the rest not in the click get all the ::shit:: work.

But a plus to leo (law enf. officer) the benefits are pretty good. The money is not that great. But larger depts. such as greensboro here pay pretty well and officer turnover is not as bad as in smaller agencies. If you have any questions in general about leo feel free to ask ill try to help. I wish you nothing but the best.
 
Sounds like nothing different at a typical OD terminal! Always short handed, always long hours and always having to pick up the slack for lazy dead weights! Whomever put a new student with a driver that's rushed to make tons of stops and pick-ups made a bad decision.
 
To a certain extent

To a certain extent what goes on in the cab of a truck stays there.If you have a problem with the trainer,go to the safety man or the local dispatcher or the terminal manager.Thats called going thru the Chain of Command.Don't cry about it on a website if you DIDN'T try to resolve it.Don't get mad in the tractor and jam gears.Don't get mad in the tractor at all !! If you can't learn to get along with people ( I am not saying its your fault,but you have to get along and work together) and take your anger out on the tractor,you might as well start job hunting.
 
JIM BOB said:
To a certain extent what goes on in the cab of a truck stays there.If you have a problem with the trainer,go to the safety man or the local dispatcher or the terminal manager.Thats called going thru the Chain of Command.Don't cry about it on a website if you DIDN'T try to resolve it.Don't get mad in the tractor and jam gears.Don't get mad in the tractor at all !! If you can't learn to get along with people ( I am not saying its your fault,but you have to get along and work together) and take your anger out on the tractor,you might as well start job hunting.
Click to expand...

yea i agree, thats just part of working at a job, especially tryin to drive a truck u got peoples lifes on the line. when they got pissy with me i just say "ok sorry ur right" and try again. I dont think i could do what there doin it just seems to risky. OD hires drivers right outta school 80 % of the schools just get u the cdl and not to much skillz.
 
Let me clear a few things up for ya billy. i was in the od yard backing and when i say i put it in 2nd gear..that means i put it in a low gear to start headng in the direction of the terminal manager. i posted on here to hopefully meet a few od drivers from around different terminals and share my personal experience. Not cry about it. I did try to resolve it i spoke face to face with the trainer. then i went to the line haul manager and asked for a dif trainer. No success. So instead of going to the extreme of trying to get someone in trouble i just stuck it out and did the best i could. but i do appreciate the other posts thx for responding and be safe.
 
My names not Billy

k9219 my name is not Billy.You posted that "you threw the truck in 2nd gear and headed to the terminal manager." Also the trainer rubbed you the wrong way and was a constant pain in the ***.Not used to other people telling you what to do are you ?Adjust.
 
None of those guys in law enforcement like taking orders. It's real hard when all the company can get is new hires for P&D and then even worst they throw them with drivers that are pressed for time. I had a new guy that needed to do a week with me. He was a slow learner and ended up being passed onto another driver since my time on the job is pretty crunched for backing and shifting practice.
 
Just like law enforcment and trucking,there are procedures to be applied.Yes this is a new thing for you to grasp but bottom line here is you must take any complaints that you had or have and TAKE care of the problems AT work and not here!I'm sure that you resolved each and everyone of them here didn't you?We have capable and very competent personel that can take care of your problems and thats where these issues need to be applied.Further more if I were training you and you started slamming gears your butt wouldn't have drove anymore with me.It takes two to tango so I will not put all the blame on you for your actions but the first thing about trucking is PATIENCE!
 
ok let me try to clear this up. I didnt slam gears. Didnt come to this forum to resolve it. I took my complaint directly to my trainer then asked for a new trainer. Was not granted a new trainer. Enough said about that. Law enforcement doesnt have anything to do with it either. i posted only to share my experience good and bad. for some reason some of u think i tried to tear up the truck and didnt try to resolve the problem. and for some dumb reason came here to resolve it. i assure u both things couldnt be further from the truth. but i wont waste anymore of my time or yours trying to explain it.
 
Man's name

When I see you at work this week,tell me the man's name that would not change your trainer or at least confer with this trainer and I will be finished with this subject.
 
Trainers

:party-smiley-017:
You were exactly right to tell your trainer to back off.
First we are there to TRAIN not Bitc* Some times we are in a rush and forget that the person that is driving is TRYING TO LEARN.

But that is know reason to lose you cool.
To all those that are in training or going to be Ask questions. Remind the trainer you are new to this :chairshot:

Good Luck to all of you OD is a good company to work for.
But remember even in a good marriage or relationship or a good company you love.There will be times you would like to Choke
The Living SH** out of them.
Good Speed /GOOD LUCK /TAKE CARE
 
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