Swift Academy - Richmond, VA - My Experience Begins

So, just as I suspected, the next two days were loads of paperwork. This included getting coded and running over to the Virginia DMV to "register" our new DOT Medical Cards.

The fun began at the end of Thursday when myself and another inductee were informed that our mentors would be meeting us in Greer, SC and we'd be riding the dog to get there ... 12 hours. I don't mind the dog (Greyhound) for short trips, but anything over a couple hours is pure mental torture. In any case we were picked up by someone from Swift at about 2:30 am to go meet our bus in Richmond. It left promptly at 4:00 am.

Along the way we gathered the usual complement of unfortunate souls and trapped individuals. There were very few folks on the bus that seemed happy to be there. At some point in North Carolina ... I think it was Winston-Salem ... a nice looking blonde woman got on the bus with a few others. We continued down the road and everything seemed normal. About ten minutes later an older man the came on at W-S started kicking at my feet from across the aisle ... I move away a bit mainly because he seemed like he was sleeping and may have not been aware of what he was doing.

I took a nap for a but, wrestled with my seat a lot, and remained very uncomfortable (which is the norm for pretty much anyone riding the dog). Just as we were approaching our last stop before Charlotte, NC the passenger that was kicking at me began to make some very strange noises ... he still looked to be asleep ... but these noises were really strange. It sounded like he was barking ... literally ... yes, like a dog. The bus came to a stop and the driver began to let people off and get people changed over when this guy suddenly stood up with his fists clenched, like he was looking for a fight! He looked like he was coming at me ... at first ... but he suddenly seemed to change his mind and just as suddenly reached out and slapped the pretty blonde across the face knocking her soda out of her hands and generally shocking the #### out of the rest of us. He then sat back down and pretended to be sleeping.

Now, those of us that were witness to this dude and his 'barking' madness didn't exactly sit still for this. I told the blonde woman to quickly go grab the driver and tell him what happened. As did this, the other inductee that I was traveling with began to berate this ####### demanding that he explain himself. Oddly, no threats or blows were exchanged during the few moments we had the guy alone because he was firm in his attempt to deceive the world by feigning sleep.

About a minute later the driver came back with the blonde woman and she pointed him out. Those of us that were there to see it confirmed that it was him and the driver put him off the bus immediately. It never ceases to amaze me just how f'd up people are in general. But this guy was beyond imagining as he continued to bark and show the driver that he thought he was #1 as we were pulling away.

As I think on this debacle now, I am beginning to think that he may have been schizophrenic and it's possible that the voices made him do it. He is definitely another example of why we still need institutions for some of these folks, unfortunate souls ... certainly, but still a danger to the public.

Our trip continued and we finally arrived in Greenville, SC and caught our ride to Greer and the Super-8 motel (aka Super-Great). I say that in jest, mostly because the hotel is still sporting the linens they must have used back in the 1970's. The only thing missing were the wavy parallel earth tone lines and the left over sixties paisleys. The beds are hard, but fairly comfortable and my check for bed bugs revealed nothing. There is a Waffle House and a Burger King within walking distance and a convenience store. I unfortunately tried the Waffle House ... the chicken I had was so over-salted that it was nearly inedible ... yuck!!

My fellow inductee got a call from his mentor that night and at 7:am he was on his way to training for he career. I spent the morning waiting for my trainer to call be never got one. At about 10:am I called in to the terminal and asked for an update. The DL that I spoke with told me that my mentor was still in Georgia and would contact me when he was in the area ... that's fine because I understand delays being that I have worked in trucking before. So, I asked if it would be better for me to come into the terminal and wait in the driver's lounge since it was fast approaching check-out time and I wasn't authorized for a second night yet. He said it was a good idea and I asked if there was a shuttle or something to get me there since I had no idea where I was going. He mumbled something like, " You can see it from the motel, just follow your feet" and ended the conversation by hanging up.

I'm a pretty easy going guy and I try to get along with everyone I can ... and I can even understand his hanging up since it was the weekend and I'm fairly certain that he was the one of the few manning the fort while the big boys and girls enjoy their weekend. So, I walked my fat a-- over lugging my duffel and my pack (about 50lbs) along in the startlingly nice, but still humid morning air. I had to stop and catch my breath a couple of times, well ... lets face it ... you get out of breath when your doing this and you weigh 365lbs. The thing that got me was just as I was walking in someone from dispatch was tossing the keys to someone and giving them instructions to go pick up a couple drivers at the motel. Nice!!!! Oh, well, I got my exercise for the day and in the end I guess that's good enough ... I know I shouldn't have expected different.

So, for now, I'm sitting in the driver's lounge waiting on my trainer who will be here at some point later on tonight ... it's possible that I'm gonna spend the night here, because I'll be ###### if I'll make that walk again ... especially since I know it's BS now. Until next time ...,

 

Ok, just a quick one. I had thought that I was going to be in the Motel all weekend. I had thought that I was going to be watching football (and happy about that I might add), but I just now got a call from my mentor and it seems that I'm headed out at 11:30 this morning!! I am psyched, amped, and which other adjectives you can think of that fit this elated feeling I have.

I'll update when I can, but it may be some time. Until then...,

 

Alright, so I do get to watch some football ... turns out our load didn't turn out to be ours ... we'll try again in the morning ... until then ... ... ... FOOTBALL!!!

 

Reposted from "Good Night from II" forum

Sitting in a hotel room in Augusta, GA ... just down the street from Augusta National GC (wish I had the $$ and my clubs). Mentor and I have been teaming for a while but overall since 9/7 I have driven over 7,600 miles. Not bad for a couple of rookies. I'm his first student. He's extremely calm and easy going ... nice to report that some of the new mentors Swift is getting seem to be built of a higher quality than some have reported.

We're rolling outta here after his home time on Friday morning for a p/u in SC headed to some place in Iowa.

Even though we're getting along fine, I despise living in a closet with another human. Can't wait to get through this and upgrade.

Had a super heavy weight oversized FB hauling a lane and a half wide cylinder yank the wheel and cut us off so he wouldn't miss his exit in the Nashville area off I-24. I think I saw my life flash for a second or two.

Also had the Planes, Trains and Automobiles experience on US 57 just NE of Dalhart, TX. Had a rolling bomb attempting to pass a drunkard coming the opposite way towards a bridge. Looked like we were going to play some 160,000 lb chicken for a minute because the drunk asshXXX in his pick 'em up truck decided that he didn't like the truck passing him and decided to make a race of it. All three of us hit the brakes at the same time and since the pick up slows much faster he cleared and the tanker was able to pull into his lane in front of him. I'm sure we had several hundred feet before a collision ... but it definitely didn't feel that way. I had two choices hold my lane and try to stop or yank it and drive off the bridge. Needless to say I held my lane. Though I'm pretty sure that SOMEONE else made that decision ... all I saw was the flaming skull of the devil driving the pick 'em up truck. Whew!!! Close one.

Please be careful on those two lane roads in the middle of the night ... people make the worse decisions. I say the guy in the pick up was a drunkard mainly because I can't really make a rationalization that makes sense for someone racing a tanker into a head on collision with another semi. Had to have been drunk as someone that stupid surely can't read let alone pass a test to get a license ... right?!?!

I am so happy to be getting back into driving ... I really did miss ... well ... most of what happens out here.

 

The training pay at Swift changed along with the driver pay scales recently. You have three different pays to deal with, Orientation Pay = Minimum wage for the state in which you reside; On Duty Not Driving - same as Orientation; and Driving pay which is $9.50 per hour. Now, it's important to mention here that while there are three days of orientation you are only paid for two. This is regardless of what your recruiter might tell you. There is some confusion company wide regarding orientation pay.

Now this pay is only during the training cycle AFTER graduation from the Swift Academy or from your chosen CDL school. Once a trainee is upgraded to a solo driver they new per mile scale comes into play.

You've asked for an average, I really can't speak to a solid average because every situation is different. In my particular situation I was forced to take a couple advances (not recommended) in order to be sure that I was able to eat on the road during my training. This will greatly effect my pay during training. Additionally your earning potential is directly tied to how hard your mentor / trainer is willing to run. My first check I received pay for 50+ hrs driving and approximately 14 hours on duty but not driving.

I am told that in years past trainees were paid a flat rate somewhere between $350 and $500 per week. This is no longer the business practice employed by Swift during training at this time.

I hope this helps. Until next time ...,

 

So, here I sit on a gorgeous late afternoon in October in Laredo, Texas of all places. I say this because my only previous experience here was in the dust bowl of a drop yard that Stevens Transport maintained here at the time. It makes a big difference being at a full fledged terminal here. Oh, it's still hot, and truck maintenance still takes time, but it's nice to actually have an air-conditioned driver's lounge to use while you're waiting.

My training is coming along fine, I'm currently sitting at just over 150 hours out of the required 200. My mentor seem happy enough with my work to sleep soundly while I'm driving. And for me it's really good to be driving again.

I have yet to encounter any of the wild life around here during this trip. Last time I was here for Stevens I was chased across the dusty parking lot (behind Wal-mart just south of US 57) by a large, unknown to me, species of tarantula. I'm really not a fan of spiders in the first place, so when this wallet sized monster began chasing me at a speed I could hardly believe I had had my fill of south Texas. But now I'm rethinking it. It's not that this is some Valhalla of a terminal, but it is a lot more comfortable than a mildew smelling run down trailer on a dirt lot in the middle of nowhere.

At the current rate, I should be finished with my training and ready to upgrade near the middle of next week. Until next time ...,