A truck driver trainee learns on-the-road skills and performs tasks such as loading and unloading, paperwork, and arranging new loads. They also handle routine maintenance and snow chain placement. The trainee works with a partner to learn safe truck operation.
A truck driver trainee rides along with a trainer and learns the rules of the road firsthand, helping with driving duties. The truck driver trainee also works to load and unload the trailer’s contents at the dock when necessary. Paperwork and map reading are also handled by the truck driver trainee and in many cases the trainer will allow the trainee to speak with the dispatcher and secure new loads and delivery destinations. Other routine tasks such as pumping fuel, checking tires and repairing brakes are generally left to the student.
Truck drivers undergo a training period that begins with classroom lessons and is followed by an actual driving component. Upon completion of driver training or driver school as it is commonly called, truck driver trainee is assigned a driving partner. This partner is tasked with providing the trainee driver with the knowledge and skills needed to operate the truck safely. While in the role of a truck driver trainee, most of the laborious and less than pleasant tasks that come with driving a truck fall on the shoulders of the trainee. This can range from simple truck and trailer maintenance to driving in congested areas and backing into hard-to-navigate docks and parking spaces.
One of the most difficult tasks for some trainees to master is placing snow chains. Snow chains are large sections of metal chain that surround the truck or semi-tractor drive tires. Chains are used to provide enhanced traction on snow and ice and are often required by law to operate on some road sections, especially in mountainous regions. When a truck containing a trainer and truck driver trainee encounters an area that requires the use of snow chains, the trainee is usually assigned the task of putting the chains on the truck’s tires. This can be a very wet and cold experience for a novice driver, as the chains are often difficult to position correctly on the tires.
It is also the truck driver trainee’s job to talk to a forwarder and arrange for a new load to be transported when the current load is delivered. In some scenarios, the truck driver trainee is also asked to unload the trailer or help a worker unload the trailer. This usually happens when cargo is not palletized when loaded, when there are fragile goods or the receiver has no dock and the truck is being unloaded in an alley or on the side of a street.
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