I was out in Virginia just before the holiday, I had my oldest son with me and had my home time set for the 29th. When a message came across the Qcomm saying I need to put my 13 yo. son on a bus because they had nothing going to Minnesota. I wrote back this is not an option and was replied with I strongly sugest you do this, we are not a travel agency. 30 years ago no problem but today I would never put a child on a bus two days ride from home. Was I wrong? Second have any swift drivers used the Inver Grove Heights term. Shop? they are no doubt the slowest of all swift repair shops. Just like to hear some opinions.

Thank You.
yes I work for swift and I can back up.

I take it you're not a student anymore? Just wondering cause that's what is sez in your itty bitty profile up top.

Why did they tell you to send your son home on a bus? They have nothing going to Chicago? Or anywhere near Minn?

And I agree with you ... not putting him on a bus alone is just good parenting.

My response would have been. "Does this mean all hometime for Minnesota based drivers has been cancelled....forever?" and... "It didn't say company reserves the right to refuse ALL hometime. It says company will make every effort"

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Insuring polititions fear that
which goes bump in the night.
Seek out their personal homes
and family members. -- SU 83
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not only would I not put my 13 year old on a bus, I'd think twice about putting ME on a bus!

I'd consider a flight, though. Most airlines are pretty good about ensuring people in need of assistance make any connections. It costs a bit more, but it takes a lot less time.

Hrm.. I'm assuming you were trying to get back to MN to get your kid back in time for the start of school. And Swift is claiming no loads to the vicinity.

Tell them to pull the other one - that one has bells on.

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Democrats should just stop pretending and own up to the fact that they are full-bore dyed in the wool socialists.

I would of told them "no way in hell am i putting my child on a Greyhound by himself", nowadays there are way too many psyco's out in the world now that would kill just about anyone to anything.

No way. Acme tried that #### a few years ago with my boss. Told him to put his son off in Houston and take a bus up North. He told them to stick it. Safety man showed up and he started unchaining load to dump on the ground. They backed down. Later had him have this 14 yr old go to 3 day orientation if he wanted to go again. He is OO so it is a little easier, but no way I put a kid on bus for that long. I delivered a truck in Tulsa last year and had to take bus to OK City to p/u another one. That was bad enough and it was a pretty decent company. They haul OSU sport teams and opponents around the country. I sat with driver who was great old man. But sure enough in only a 2 hour ride some dopers on the back started acting like fools. He told them in no uncertain terms to shut up or they were going to McAllister Prison. lol They did some muttering , but settled down. Kids don't need to be in that evironment at all.

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I'd tell them that i'd put my kid on a bus alone the moment they'd do it. You'd never haver to worry about it then. I'm always getting loads to chicago, and i HATE it. The burbs out west arent bad, but i just hate anything near downtown.

I had drive tire with a screw in it. I went 40mi out of my way to stop at the shop, and all the guy did was pull it out with some pliers, and said i could be on my way. Not knowing how deep into the tire it was, i'd just prefer a new tire. But he sprayed some water/soap on it, and it wasn't leaking. totally wasted my time stopping there. There are only a few shops i'll ever consider getting any work done. cause i'm not sitting 2 days just for them to prequal my truck

You drove 40 miles with the bolt in the tire? Don't YOU have a bottle of spray cleaner in the truck with you? Didn't YOU check first to see if it was leaking with YOUR spray bottle? Believe it or not Windex or what ever you use to clean your windows will make a bubble! Use it! I guess you didn't check the tire pressure when you found the leak and maybe filled it up with YOUR air hose you have to keep YOUR side of the road, not getting paid breakdown time down. correct? Or the companies because you ran the tire off of the rim? Correct? Yep YOU totally wasted Your time by NOT checking it your self and YOU wouldn't have wasted more than your time! Like the cost of diesel, road taxes cost of a new tire and log book time to have SOMEONE else do what a GOOD driver would have done in the first place!

It's statements like this that make me glad I'm not a fleet owner or O/O with more than 1 truck! I'm seeing this in the threads more an more and hear it both on the CB and around the counter in the restaurants! No one wants to take charge of their lives but pass it on to some one else. "It ain't my truck" mentality

Now IMHO I've learned a few things to make it a tad bit easier on me and others around me. A hint: When walking around any parking lot or place where a trucks tires meets the asphalt and I see a flat tire (nail, bolt, piece of junk that could puncture a tire) I will stop and pick it up and put it in a trash can or in the grass away from the lot. I do this so someone else doesn't have a $600.00 road call or me! I'm a firm believer in Murphys Law!

I carry one of those glad hand air hoses and I have a small bag of tools I know I'll need for those jobs I can handle! I make my own soap for the windshield washer that will cut bugs and save the $2.00 anti freeze stuff for when it's needed! WINTER TIME!

I also have an extra window wash bottle with a stronger solution of the window cleaner for spraying on the windows to help the truck stops stuff!

Yes, I'm a company driver but I know that arguing with someone about break down pay is a pain in the arse! These days of tightening company budgets, tires can be charged back to you if you don't keep on them! I stick them and look at them 2 times a week then do a regular PTI the other days! I could do 3 but I feel if the company wanted to they could order trailers with the PSI kit on it! I stick tires as there is no way a kick will tell you how much air is in there!

I know it's not YOUR truck but it's making YOU a living! Take some of the load onto your shoulders because driving and breakdown pay ain't equal! Never was never will be!

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No greater love hath a man that he give up his life so another my live John 15:13

Look PAL....i did check the tire pressure, i did put my ear down to the screw and did not hear anything. I obviously saw it during my pretrip. I was wanting the tire changed out of precaution. I've had trailer tires pick up some road debris, and know enough, you dont pull the damn thing out, to give the air a bigger hole to excape out of.

i do have an air hose with an air chuck and a glad hand on the other end. i've actually have needed to use it twice in one day on two seperate trailers.

you dont know me, and you sure make alot of assumptions.

i've got an idea.....go post something on the 'you know you're a super trucker if....' thread.