Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by TurboTrucker, Apr 16, 2005.

  1. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    actually, YOU are the one who gave the example. I was pointing out that its not the companys fault you set your PTA for XX:XX, woke up before that time, and STAYED awake till 6-8 hrs later only to get a load that needed you to drive straight to the final to drop or unload.

    One thing you just said stands out though. you said, "They don't waste any time coming down on a driver for screwing up his job ......<snip>
    I don't make unreasonable demands of the company and expect the whole world to revolve around me...".

    First off, the company pays you to drive their freight from one place to another, and to do so in a safe and legal manner. They pay you to make the right choices behind the wheel. And if you screw up and hit something, or are late to a live load/unload/etc. you think the company should just overlook that?? as far as the 2nd half of what i quoted....you dont make ANY demands of ANY company you work for. That shows right there that you think the company works for you. And in any case, an employee has a few options. Suck it up and deal with it, whine to their bosses and get fired, or quit and find another job that better suits your attitude. Want to find a company that dont treat you like a number? you had better find a mom and pop outfit with only 10 trucks. But dont get upset when Swift or JB Hunt buys them out.

    Sounds to me like you aren't using all the tools available to ya. Having a problem with your DM? talk to them....work it out. if that dont work, talk to the fleet manager/term. manager. if that dont work, requeset a new DM....and if THAT dont work....request to switch terminals all together. nobody should have to hold your hand, and walk you thru what you need/should do if things dont go your way. step up, and get it done. nobodys fault but yours.
     
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  3. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    Nope, that's your example. See your name right up there? Like I said, if you went to bed at 10pm the night before, you've already been asleep for 10 hours straight. And you're saying that it's the driver's fault that he can't keep on sleeping until 2pm. Yeah, right.

    I didn't even imply that. I said that if the driver screws up they waste no time in punishing the driver so why is it different for the people in the office? You're right, they are paying me to move freight for them. When I'm not moving freight, what are they paying me for? Nothing. The truck sits there and eats money, I make no money, the company is losing money, so what's the problem? Fix it.

    Yes I do and no it doesn't. Everyone works together to get the job done or they get cut from the ranks and replaced with someone who will. That's true of any company.

    Actually talking to the bosses gets me raises and promotions. My current job offered me both after being there a week. I refused it since I don't like the business and don't intend to stay. Swift and JB Hunt are not to be all end all of trucking. If they buy up a good company that I'm working for just to crush more competition so they can continue with their inefficient and sloppy methods, then I will be annoyed.
    That funny cause it sounds like exactly what I'm saying. Speak up for yourself and take care of the problem. If nothing works, move on to a company that cares more about finding freight and getting the job done than sitting there in the office playing solitaire, doing each others nails, or whatever it is they do in there that leaves trucks sitting all over the country for days at a time.
     
  4. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    Sorry, i got my posters mixed up. The example i was referring to, was given by UTurnGirl...not you. sorry....

    Now as for my reply.....

    You drive up till 10p...you set your PTA for 8a....you wake up at 730a...and still no pre-plan....why not try going back to sleep? Or scan some paperwork, and watch a movie while you wait for the next load? If you are not ready to go at 8a...then don't put your PTA as 8a. I understand some loads are put on drivers where they have to leave RIGHT THEN AND THERE to pick it up on time. (i'd first shoot off a Macro 22 to CYA)...then run 5hrs straight to make an OT delivery...(again...i'd send off a Mac 22 to CYA) and if you can't make it....pull over, take a quick hour nap or whatever, and deliver late (sending in a Mac 22 before you hit the sack.....that is unless it just happens to be a HOT account).

    But how often do you get those loads where you have to drive an hour to get to the shipper, and you've got an hour and 3 minutes to get there??? not very many. in the 2 yrs i've been with Swift, i think i can count on my hands just how many times i've got one of those.

    Maybe you dont know how things work at a planners desk. From the way it was explained to me....a driver sends in a Mac 10. The planner can pull up a list of trucks in any given area. their PTA, if its accurate and good...will show no color. If the driver sends in a Mac 10...and shows a full 11 hrs available, when they DONT...it is highlighted in red (or white?) if they send in a PTA that don't give them a 10 hr break, it highlights the truck in another color. (its complicated, and i really wasnt all that awake at the time). All i know is, a planner can look at a list of trucks, and tell which one has an accurate PTA, and which one don't.

    But again...you're a professional. you've gotta be ready to go at ANY time after you say you're ready to go. I mean if a boxer wants a rematch of a title fight he lost, and publicly announces "i want a rematch"....you think he is going to wait till the match is booked before starting to train again?? Def. not. He is going to be in the gym training the next day after the fight he lost. and.....HE IS GOING TO BE READY TO GO WHEN THE REMATCH IS ANNOUNCED. How dumb do u think he'd look if after the rematch date was set, and he came out to say, "look...i'm glad the date is set...but i want it pushed back another month, cause i have to start training again..."
     
  5. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    I think what we're doing here is demonstrating how flawed these computerized systems are. I run for companies where my means of contacting my company is a number that connects straight to my dispatcher. I call in, he gives me a load or tells me to hang out for 30 minutes till he gets one. No computer has been programmed to have any common sense. You send in the ready macro, it logs you as ready indefinitely. It has no concept of the need for sleep or anything else. That's where dispatchers are supposed to step in and pay attention but a lot of them don't. They just blindly rely on the system.

    Actually, I've gotten a lot of loads that had a slim time margin to get to them. The only time they expected me to run 170 miles in 45 minutes was when I was working for one of these supposedly superior mega companies. Guess using a calculator is above their pay grade.
     
  6. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    i think we have some to the conclusion, that we agree to disagree. You keep putting the blame on the dispatcher for the drivers bedtime, when in fact, the driver should be professional enough to know "gee, i've been up for 8 straight hours, i am feeling like taking a nap....i had better get one in before a load hits my truck and i have to run the rest of the day...."

    as far as i know, loads at swift are not automaticly planned by a computer. At least not ALL of them. I can tell you that my loads on weekends (planned out of memphis) are planned by a human. How do i know? Because i seem to NEVER get a load on the weekend that is over 150 mi. Because i know memphis 'takes care of' their people first. (take that however you want to take that) out of the, lets say, 20 loads i've been planned strictly by weekend/after hrs dispatch over the last 2-3 months....i can only remember 5 or less that were over 400 mi. and of the 15...10 were 150 milers or less.

    Lets not forget about a Gary to Hodgkins, il. run they tried to plan on me in the early morning. My DM comes in, sees that 60 mi run, removes it...and puts me on a Morris to West Des Moines, IA run to get me home for the weekend. He leaves at 5p. 530p comes around, and after hrs removes the Des Moines run, and puts that 60 mi run to Hodgkins back on me. I decline it, stating 'hometime'. 30 min. later they put it back on me. But by this time i'm already headed to Morris. I stop for the night, and then i decline it a 2nd time because of hours of service, i'd not be able to make an ontime delivery. The next morning...my DM comes in, and i get the Des Moines load back. Why all the run around?? Just because there are a few in memphis, that do nothing but screw with drivers who aren't based out of memphis.

    But in this industry, if you're wheels arent turnin', you arent earnin'. And i'll always make more money than you because i dont care if i send in a 'ready macro' and i'm shown as 'ready indef.'. Because, i'm smart enough to know...if i've been up for a number of hours...and i'm sitting waiting for a load....i know sooner or later i'm going to get one...so i had better take myself a nap so i can feel somewhat more rested than if i DIDN'T...then when the load does come in....i have to decline it and use the "i'm tired" excuse. again...not the fault of the company. Its the fault of the driver not using a little time management.

    175 miles in 45 minutes...yeah, anybody should be able to see no driver can do that. But how often does/has a load like that come across your truck?? My guess is, not very often. That being said....could you not pass that off as an honest mistake or oversight?? Are planners/dispatchers not allowed to make a single mistake?? We're not talking a mixup on your fast food order here. But come on....if you're allowed to make mistakes, but planners/dispatchers arent....sounds alot like a double standard. If a driver needs to have their hand held, and given a pat on the head and told when they should get some sleep....they really dont need to be driving out on the road.
     
  7. DC CAB

    DC CAB Medium Load Member

    Looks to me like you did. Problem solved.
     
    DickJones Thanks this.
  8. DIEZEL

    DIEZEL Bobtail Member

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    Sep 11, 2010
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    Well i dont know much about the van side of swift but i am a flatbed driver and i can say so far swifti get the mileage and the hometime without having to ask... Only thing i dont like is they do need to upgrade some of their flatbed trailers, they are junk...why are we still using tandems when maverick and tmc are using very good spread axles..hhhmmmm
     
  9. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    least i'm not the only one who sees it that way. Good thing, cause i was beginning to think i needed to ask my doctor for an increase in my medication. HAHAHAHAHAHA :biggrin_25523: :biggrin_25523: :biggrin_25523: :biggrin_25523: :biggrin_25523:
     
  10. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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  11. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    and i bet they closed their doors just to screw with you.....or maybe they closed their doors because so many of their drivers would set their PTA for 8a...then stay up till 6p then get a PP for a load that delivered at 5a 400 mi away. but nobody could take those loads because they stayed up for 20 straight hours....lol

    (just being funny...sorry)
     
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