Sr. CDLA Driver Trainer

About the role

Why Join Clemens Food Group? Great drivers do more than move freight safely, they protect people, equipment, customers, and the reputation of the entire operation. As a Sr. CDLA Driver Trainer with Clemens Food Group’s PVT team, you’ll play a hands‑on role in preparing drivers to succeed from day one and helping experienced drivers continue raising their level of performance. This is a role for someone who understands commercial driving firsthand and can turn that experience into practical, respectful coaching. You’ll work across the classroom, yard, and road, helping drivers build safer habits, understand expectations, and confidently meet company and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

The Impact You’ll Make

Your work will directly influence driver readiness, safety performance, compliance, and consistency across the transportation operation. You’ll help new drivers build the right habits early, identify opportunities for improvement during ride‑alongs, provide remedial coaching when performance issues arise, and ensure training and certifications are clearly documented. You’ll also contribute to accident‑review activities, helping turn incidents and performance data into practical learning opportunities that reduce future risks.

What Makes This Role Exciting?

This isn’t a training job where you spend every day behind a desk. One day you may be welcoming a new driver and teaching company processes. The next, you may be in the passenger seat evaluating defensive‑driving habits, working through backing exercises in the yard, facilitating classroom training, or helping an experienced driver correct a performance issue. You’ll have the opportunity to combine your commercial‑driving expertise with coaching, technology, safety data, and real‑time observation. The challenge is equally clear: successful trainers need to balance patience with accountability. You’ll be expected to address performance concerns professionally, maintain accurate documentation, adapt to different learning styles, and reinforce standards even when the conversation is difficult.

• Train newly hired drivers on Samsara, departmental procedures, required paperwork, and company expectations.
• Coach and retrain drivers who need additional support with driving performance, documentation, procedures, or safety practices.
• Conduct ride‑alongs to observe Smith System behaviors, review safety metrics, and evaluate adherence to company standards.
• Facilitate and track yard‑skills exercises, including blind‑side backing, sight‑side backing, curbside deliveries, and related maneuvers.
• Deliver classroom and hands‑on training as operational needs require.
• Document ride‑alongs, training activities, certifications, and driver‑development outcomes.
• Participate in Driver Accident Review Committee activities when requested by PVT management.
• Provide drivers with clear, objective, constructive feedback that improves performance without compromising accountability.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Valid commercial driver’s license.
• At least three years of professional commercial‑driving experience.
• Strong safety record and solid understanding of defensive‑driving practices.
• Experience training, coaching, or evaluating commercial drivers.
• Experience providing both classroom and hands‑on instruction.
• Knowledge of DOT regulations, transportation safety procedures, and required driver documentation.
• Experience with Samsara or a comparable fleet‑management or telematics system.
• Ability to evaluate ride‑along performance, backing skills, curbside deliveries, and other driving activities.
• Strong verbal, written, presentation, and recordkeeping skills.
• Flexibility to travel approximately 25% and adjust hours when training schedules require it.

Skills

• Patient and constructive while still holding people accountable.
• Comfortable giving clear and objective feedback.
• Confident addressing performance problems directly and professionally.
• Safety‑minded and attentive to details others may miss.
• Organized enough to manage training, observations, certifications, and documentation simultaneously.
• Adaptable when schedules and operational priorities change.
• Collaborative when working with drivers, leaders, and safety committees.
• Able to build credibility with experienced commercial drivers while maintaining consistent standards.

Schedule

Flexibility to travel approximately 25% and adjust hours when training schedules require it.