My Swiftie Life...

Discussion in 'Swift' started by Kry0n, May 14, 2015.

  1. Kry0n

    Kry0n Light Load Member

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    Mar 22, 2015
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    Hello Driver's and Looky Lue's,

    I have learned so much from this website and many others about Swift and trucking in general, I wanted to start this post to try and provide as much information as possible to those that are looking at joining Swift or just looking for info about a the drivers experience in the industry. This is going to be a long one so get ready. I have a lot to say and will continue to update this post throughout my experience with Swift.

    I am going to break the beginning information of me and my experience so far with Swift into different categories to make the blog a bit more organized and easier to read.

    About Me

    First a bit about me. I am 37 years old - Male. I am married and have 1 kid-o. I have been in the IT-Computer Industry all my life. I was one of those kids that programmed the VCR and played video games non-stop. Ever since I was little these electronic menus, information and patience just came natural to me. Other than spending 4 years in the United States Coast Guard, my entire career has been working with and fixing computers. The last 6 years of my life, my wife and I even opened and ran a very good Computer Repair Shop in a commercial shopping center. Sadly my love for computers and dealing with the public burned me out. Plus I started noticing a trend that was making our repair sales harder to close. Why pay $100-$200 to repair your PC, when you can buy a brand new one for a little more money at Wal-Mart? Dealing with the public and a trend of computers getting cheaper and cheaper it was time to move on. We closed our shop and I continued to work out of our house helping our existing customers with their issue's.

    So what do I start doing? I start sending resume's and going to Monster/Indeed 24/7. Looking for that next opportunity to provide what I do best to some company that will provide me with a stable and reliable means of income. Money was getting tight as the weeks went by looking for work. The area I live in isn't the most "technical" state in the country and the jobs where I can provide my experience too was slim to none.

    I was watching Youtube videos one day (Wish I could remember what I started watching) and fell into the blackhole of youtube. You know the hole where you start with one video and then see a video off to the right side list of other video's? And before you know it 3 hours have passed by? Yea that one. I came across a trucking video made by "Your Boy E" documenting his experience with getting into the trucking industry. I went to his video list and started watching all his videos from day one. If you are thinking about getting into trucking I would really recommend checking out his channel as there is alot of good information on there. It's a bit old now and sadly he isn't making video's anymore as he has gone back to school. After watching his video's, I got hooked. This actually looks like something I could get into and maybe make a decent living. I switched gears from sending resume's to watching more and more trucking video's of people documenting their experience. "TrainerJames2013", "Little Guy Trucker", "TruckerJosh", "Mr.Sinister DaTrucker" just to name a few others. I probably spent over 1000+ hours watching youtube videos about trucking and started to ask myself. Do you really want to work in an office again? Do you really want to continue working with that same problems over and over? (Printer Jams, Viruses, Ect..) Do you really want to deal with the same people over and over, fixing their problems? No I really don't...

    I started researching trucking companies and how to get my CDL. I didn't have the money for private trucking school, and didn't have the time to enroll into community college to get my CDL. Money was getting tighter. Let alone find someone who will let me practice and take the DMV test. I looked at a ton of company's and decided to go with Swift. Why Swift? A few reasons. #1-They offered the Academy to get my CDL at no cost to me, providing I gave them 1 year of work. #2-They had a terminal in my state so that had some benefits. I can turn my truck in when I came home and they can repair or do maintenance issue's while I went home. #3-I know this might sound weird, but I read and saw so much negative stuff about Swift, I really wanted to see for myself if it was really true. #4- I figured they would keep my running as much as possible if I proved myself to be a worthy driver.

    I called the 800 number and spoke to my recruiter. He seemed like he knew what he was talking about and I didn't get the impression he was trying to blow smoke up my ###. I filled out the application and I talked it over with the family and gave them the details. A day or so later the recruiter called me back and said I was good to go. Bills started to pile up and I needed to do something fast. I wasn't having much luck on my job hunting and was really struggling with the decision of my career. The turning point was when I came to this realization and asked myself this simple question. Do I stay here with family and struggle with them to keep the lights on, waiting for that IT job to come through, or do I sacrifice me being without my family to ensure they are being taken care of. It took my half a second to answer my own question. I picked up the phone called my recruiter back and said send me that god-awful greyhound bus ticket, let's do this!

    I am the type of person that if I am interested in something, I have to try it for myself. I have always been good at working with big equipment, enjoyed driving, and not to shabby with a small trailer. Worst comes to worst I can always fall back to my previous career of computers. So off I go to the Swift Academy!

    More to come.... (My fingers hurt and i'm sure your eyes do also) :)
     
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  3. Akula

    Akula Bobtail Member

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    Mar 3, 2015
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    I am really looking forward to your future postings. Great start and I can't wait for the next posting.
     
    Kry0n Thanks this.
  4. Sneakerfix

    Sneakerfix Heavy Load Member

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    Apr 22, 2015
    Pasadena,ca
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    Where are you going for training
     
  5. OldHasBeen

    OldHasBeen Road Train Member

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    Just a though, public schools hire computer repairmen. If there's a public school around that needs a computer-man, that might be a pretty good job.
     
  6. Arkansas

    Arkansas Medium Load Member

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    Good luck to you
     
  7. BrianE

    BrianE Light Load Member

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    I understand the burn out part all to well. Keep a positive attitude and you will go far.
     
  8. YodaPagoda

    YodaPagoda Bobtail Member

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    May 13, 2015
    Dagobah (Portland, OR)
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    I looked at my first year of trucking as the worst and best year of my life. Not only did I get to escape the Pacific Time Zone for the first time in my life, but I got to actually SEE how big our great country is. You'll get to see other places, meet people you'd never meet otherwise, and you'll start to get attached to some favorite places along the way. Why did I mention the worst? Time away from home is some you won't get back...other than your wife and kid, friends are harder to keep in touch with, let alone get together with. Remember that old phrase "you can't go home again?" That's what happened once my year was over.

    You're in Albuquerque @Kry0n ? I hope to take a visit there sometime, spin by my old chemistry teacher's house! LOL
     
  9. icsheeple

    icsheeple Trailing the Herd

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    Kansas City, KS
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    Chemistry teachers house huh.... You going all Breaking Bad on us with your new transportation skills??......
     
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  10. Kry0n

    Kry0n Light Load Member

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    Mar 22, 2015
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    Let The Adventure Begin (Swift Academy)
    Two days after calling my recruiter I find myself sitting on a Greyhound bus headed to Phoenix, AZ for Swifts Driving Academy. Their Academy's start every Monday and my bus ticket was ready for me at the terminal. I arrived one day early at the terminal to ensure I picked up my ticket and didn't miss the bus. I knew when I picked up the ticket that the trip was going to be a fun one! The cashier at the counter was eating soup and texting her girlfriends while assisting me at the counter. She was nice though and I got back into my car and drove home to spend the last few hours with my family.

    My bus left at 7am that morning and I got their about 45 minutes early. The line to get on the bus had already started and was filled with people from all walks of life. While standing in line there was some guys behind me talking about he driving academy and I quickly jumped into the conversation to make some new friends. The bus driver opened the doors and took our tickets. Apparently there was another bus that had broken down so the people on that bus were now taking this bus. (Oh great!) By the time it was my turn to hand in my ticket and board the bus about 40% of the passengers had already got on. Just like in High School... Everyone took one seat to themselves putting their bags and crap on the seat next to them, hoping no one would sit next to them.
    I walked past a seat that had one of the guys I was talking to about the academy before boarding, but there was a plastic bag in the other seat. I asked him if that bag was his and he said no. I looked around and there was no one to be found, so I picked up the bag and sat it across the isle onto another empty seat. I figured it would be nicer to sit next to someone going the same place I am. 10 minutes later this guy walks up and gets in my face asking if i moved his bag. (ugh here we go). I told him yea I looked for the owner and asked if anyone was sitting here, no one replied so I moved it to that open seat. He got huffy and puffy and I thought, "great.. an hour into this journey and I am already going to get into a fight with a complete stranger" I stood up and asked him if he wanted the seat, but lucky for me his friend moved his bag and told him to sit next to him. WTF! didn't you sit next to your friend in the first place? Oh wait that's right your friend was one of those inconsiderate people trying to take up two seats for himself, that's right.

    The 8 hour or so journey begins, and come to find out that the guy im sitting next to had just graduated from the academy, but was headed back for Flat Bed training as our home terminal didn't have that available so he had to go back to Phoenix. Poor Guy... I pestered him with question after question to see what I was in for. He basically told me you came here to do a job and do it, not take a vacation. You will see what I mean when you get there. You will see almost instantly who is going to graduate with you or leave very quickly. I took his advice he gave me and studied my CDL book on the way down.

    We arrive at the bus terminal in Phoenix at about 3:30pm. The last Swift shuttle bus is supposed to run at 5:00pm. We all waited outside patiently and get to know each other more. There was about 6 of us. 5pm rolls around, still no Swift shuttle. We called every number we had and kept getting the run around. "It's on its way" they kept telling us. Long story short the shuttle picked us up at 8pm (not lying). I would have taken a taxi, but money was tight. If you have the funds, take the #### taxi. They refund you the taxi fee during orientation.
    I checked into the Premier Inn and was so tired I would have fallen asleep anywhere. I walked into my room and found a normal sized hotel room, with 4 bunk bed style beds. I told myself "that recruiter wasn't lying when he said 4 to a room" The room had a tiny microwave and tiny fridge. How 4 people can share that fridge is beyond me. The good news was there was no one in my room. Woohoo! All to myself muahaha.
    The shuttle was picking us up at 4:15am so I quickly took shower and hopped in bed. I had better mattresses in boot camp and the short time I spent in jail when I was younger (DUI-15 years ago). These were horrible, but I was so tired I easily fell asleep. At 3:30am I wake up to my door jiggling and in walks in my roomate from South Dakota. The greyhound just got in and he was beat. He barely had enough time to brush his teeth and stuff before getting on the bus to the academy. I felt so bad for him.

    Day 1 - It took about 10 minutes to get to the academy from the hotel, and was overwhelmed by the amount of trailers and size of the terminal. The academy sits in the back corner of the lot so we drove through a good portion of the terminal. We walked into the building and was instructed to take a seat in the classroom. There are two but the other one is used for the employee's and later when you take your CDL test. We had about 20 minutes or so before class actually started and they informed us we could go into the break room and have some coffee or use the vending machines. Food and Drink were allowed in the classroom.

    5:00am on the dot the academy supervisor (Charles) and a few other instructors walked in to greet us. They went over the classroom rules and showed us a quick video, that was meant to hype us up about becoming a Swift Driver. After the video we were instructed to take out our paperwork that we were required to bring. At this point I was thanking the heavens above I had a legit recruiter that knew what he was doing. He told me everything I needed to bring (Social Security Card, Driver Lic, Birth Cert). Apparently some people had bad recruiters and they don't know how to read, because the email the recruiter sends you informs you what to bring. Out of 24 people that was in my class, 5 of them were sent right back to the hotel and bus because they didn't bring their stuff. BRING YOUR STUFF!

    The classroom instructor handed out a Arizona CDL book and a few other Swift documentation/class schedule. We were informed that everything we needed to pass our CDL Permit was in this book. From here the instructor put on videos regarding Swift and CDL. We then took practice tests after and went over them as a class. We took lunch around 11am or so and was given a $5 token that could be used at the "Jake Break". This is their local cafeteria, which your basically forced to go because there is no other food in the area.
    The cafeteria was decent and had a grill, salad bar, snack bar and lots of drinks. I don't think one person walked past the cashier without having to fork over some money, because 99% of the food there was over $5. So in my opinion when they say we pay for your lunch the first day, that's not the real truth. After lunch was more of the same. CDL video's from the 1980's, practice test, and class review. Before class ended at 3pm the teacher reminded us that when we get back to the room, study your books. We would be going to the DMV to test for the permit on Wednesday (2 days to study). The majority of my class felt like the videos and practice tests they took they did good on, which gave them the idea they didn't need to study. I heard this a lot.. "Oh man those questions were easy, that cdl test is going to be cake". We got back to the hotel and again majority of my class were living it up. Doing canon balls in the pool, laying in the sun, ect... When I walked into my hotel room, it smelled like weed bad. I turned to my roomate and asked "Did you bring weed bro?" He told me no and we aired out the room. I'll continue that story a bit later..o_O

    Continued...
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2015
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  11. Kry0n

    Kry0n Light Load Member

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    Mar 22, 2015
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    Day 2 - This was just about the same as Day 1. More 1980 video's, practice tests and review. Only difference was 30 minute lunch now instead of hour we had on day 1 and the contract lady came in to go over our paperwork and sign our contracts. We also took our drug screens and physicals at the clinic on-site.
    Be sure you bring any medical paperwork for any prescriptions or health issue's that need explaining. Majority of people that got kicked were for high blood pressure. Sleep Apnea was not tested, and it was a pee drug test, no hair. Basically if you work for Swift for 1 year they take $37 out of your paycheck once your solo status. The company matches that $37 which makes your payment to them $75. They also take another amount (Can't remember how much) for the $500 housing fee for the motel and ####ty mattresses. If you stay with them past 1 year they will then pay you back $37 a week so that your training is then free. Not so bad deal, I guess. Especially if you can't get your CDL on your own. They also have a 3 day grace period. If you don't like the academy or need to leave, you can at no cost to you. We had 1 person do that as his wife wasn't very pleased. At the end of the day the instructor said again, study your books. We will be going tomorrow at 7am to the DMV to test for the permit needed to start with range training. Again majority took the approach of "I got this, those tests are easy" and enjoyed the rest of their day in the sun or watching TV.

    Day 3 - Test Day at the DMV. We all piled in the shuttle and went to the academy until 7am. This is where I started to see a problem with their academy. They started giving us a 2 hour class with video on how to do Paper Logs and Hours Of Service that we legally drive. I thought it would make more sense to provide more information on passing the CDL test rather than learning how to fill out paper logs correctly. We were given a few paper logs and we had to follow the instructor as she drew lines on her master paper log up front. Two hours later we jump into the shuttle and head to the DMV. The line wasn't bad as it was a commercial DMV only. So everyone there was dealing with commercial vehicle stuff. My number was called and had to show my paper work (Birth Cert, Social, Driver Lic) and pay the $35 testing fee. I was informed to head into the testing room and begin the 3 required (General, Air Brakes, Combination) tests required to obtain the permit.
    At this point I was very grateful for the video's on youtube and my dedication to learning as much as I could about this industry. I walked out with a passing score of 95% on all 3 tests. Oh boy was I excited to call my wife and kid to let them know I made her proud. You have two chances to pass your permit. If you don't pass the first time they take you back the next day. If you fail again, you go home. They also have "Academic Probation" which I will go over later.

    I waited in the bus for everyone to finish which took a long time. I think the last one walked out around 12pm.
    Out of 18 or so left in my class there was only 3 of us that passed. Everyone else failed either a certain section or all of the sections. We were then dropped off at the hotel. People who passed could enjoy their day and the others were told they better study or they are going home. What a huge relief off my shoulders to pass day 1 and I was going to be able to start range training while the others went back to the DMV to re-test.

    Day 4 - This is where the fun began. Actually getting into the truck and starting to drive it. Bring a hat and sunscreen, you will spend all day outside and Phoenix as stupid hot. Paper Logs will also start to be used at this point. The instructors went over a proper "Pre-Trip" inspection showing us everything we needed to pass our "Evaluation". Swift evaluates you on (Pre-Trip, Skills/Parking, Road Test). These evaluations are done through-out the weeks you are there and are required to pass before moving on to the next phase of training. This is where "Academic Probation" comes in to play. They give you two chances to pass your evaluations. If you fail you get put on probation and you are sent back 1 week to the next class and will have to go through everything all over again. If you fail the evaluation again (2 chances) you are either sent home, or you must pay them $700 to continue your training. If you pay them you will be sent back 1 week to try again. You are only given Academic Probation one time only. Think of it as your life line that you can only use once throughout your entire training. Trust me you don't want to use that at all if you can help it. You will be gone an extra week from your family, plus have the added pressure of getting kicked out and owing Swift money for the time they trained you. Yes that's right if you stay past the 3-day grace period you will be charged for every day you are there. They prorate the amount per day $600 for every day of training past the grace period.

    By lunch time the re-testers were back. 15 of the people that had to rest 10 of them made it and 5 were sent packing. They joined the class and we started (Straight Line Backing). This consists of about 8 trucks lined up and you will drive forward and backward while staying between the yellow lines. This is a very important concept to learn as you need to ensure you know which way you need to turn the steering wheel to make the trailer go left/right. The most annoying part about this step in the program were the trucks. Some of the steering wheels were not aligned properly so it was a bit rough finding center. You would be going straight but the steering wheel is not. While you are waiting your turn you will be asked to get your hand-out they give you to study each part and defect your looking for in your Pre-Trip. You also need to study the "Air Brake" test which is a major part of the Pre-Trip. If you miss one step on that part of the Pre-Trip, its an automatic failure.
    We are told that we will be evaluated on the Pre-Trip Monday. It's now Thursday. The rest of the day is nothing but straight line backing and study pre-trip info.

    Continued...
     
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