ANOTHER DRIVER ALMOST READY

(Written in 2005)

Today, I took a driver out to get him ready to finish his training with us. He started his training a week ago and tomorrow he will do his final road test. After that, we will take him up to Seattle where he will board a plane, fly to Los Angeles to get his truck and go to work.

This driver has already been on the road for the past 6 months with another company. Our policy is that if a driver hires on with us with less than a years experience, then they have to go through a week of training with one of our in-house trainers. There are 4 of us available.

One of our trainers has been with our company for 14 years and as a trainer for the past 12. Another one has been with us for about 6 years and training for the past 3. Then I have been with the company for 6 years and training for 1 1/2 years and finally our other trainer has been with the company for 5 years and training for 6 months. We are all very well experienced and together have over 70 years of experience over the road as drivers.

My driver today was put through a rigorous driving course that included in-town driving where we tackled difficult right and left turns and safe lane changes in heavy traffic. Then we worked on backing into some difficult areas including blind side backing. That is where you back up and can only rely on your mirrors on the right side of your tractor to see what you are doing. When you can't see anything anymore, then that is when the brakes are set and the driver gets out and looks to assess the situation, make neccessary corrections and back into a parking place.

He did a wonderful job and felt very confident in what I was teaching him. He really enjoyed the week that he spent with me and said that he had learned so much more in this one week than he ever did in the 6 weeks of school he was in or the 6 months he had been out on the road. I was very proud of the work that I had accomplished.

Tomorrow, when he completes his road test, I will be able to meet my new student that I will have over the next week. All my training starts over each week as I take yet another driver through real-life situations to make him or her a better and safer driver out on America's roads.

I hope to soon include an evaluation on my blog of how I grade a driver, and then how the driver grades me and his or her training. Look forward to seeing how that works.

Until then, happy trails and be safe out there. Watch out for those big trucks, because if you can't see us in the drivers seat, we can't see you! Let's work together to stay safe.