Swift - New Pay Scale complete details

The trailer lights that I usually need replacing are the ones at the top, and I can't get to them.
The lights I can reach, I replace. It's very easy. Same with mud flaps and such small things.

Other than that I call for repair.
I don't want the responsibility if something goes wrong that could/might be attributed to my repair work.
I am not certified to adjust brakes, or anything else on Swift's equipment.
The fact is, it IS their truck and they have the responsibility to provide maintenance for it. It is not for me to do, at possible risk to myself or my job.

And the FACT is, I am paid to drive it and haul it - on time and safely.
And that is pretty much it.
I don't get paid a dime to do any repair work, except for the money I would be making if I avoided the down time.
I doubt workers comp would pay anything if I was hurt making a repair on the truck, just as Swift would not compensate me in any way.
I would be told that I was not qualified or authorized to make such repairs.

In the long run it is far better for me to let Swift handle anything but the very minor stuff.


And it's not simply a matter of a new breed of driver.
It is a new breed of trucking.
20 years ago it might have taken a very long time to arrange a repair if the truck was down mid-route. That is not the case today.
Swift has a network of repair contacts all over the country. One is never very far away.

 

I am mostly talking about the drivers that will not even do the small repair. Brake light out on trailer, take to t/s and fix. Head lite out, take to T/S, and then show up at the T/S and be told it will be 2 hours b4 we can get you in and then wonder why the load will now be late. These are the drivers that I am talking about. True, we are not even allowed to adjust the brakes unless we are certified. Many years ago I worked for a company that we had to go through training regarding adjusting brakes on the trailer and be certified. In some states that have those pull offs that say brake check area, if you were caught checking your brakes by DOT and you did not have a card that said you were certified, that was a very large ticket. This was back before all of the self adjusting brakes.

 

The new breed of trucker won't even pull over to do a leak down brake test in those brake test areas-- they just crest over the hill and yell Geronimo!

 

I think most younger people these days have a difficult time changing a light bulb in their house, not to mention an air filter for the heater/ac.
Those types of things can't be done with a simple text message.

 

As a owner, one thing that I learned with my last truck, many of the small items I did not know how so I watched the mechanics when they replaced certain items. Now in the new KW, when I need it, just purchase it and install my self since now I know. Save that nice little labor charge. I remember when they came out with the road ready kits, you had to watch a video so that you would know how to do certain things.

 

Ah, the good old days.
When kids worked on the car and around the house with dad (or mom, as the case may be).
When high schools had shop classes.
When there was a good manufacturing base in this country that also had apprentice programs.

 

If kids and young adults can't do something online or on a smart phone they are lost. "Smart" phones are actually making people dumber.

Most things that require physical exertion are dismissed out of laziness since they spent their childhood sitting around playing video games and surfing the net instead of playing outside etc...

 

Nowadays you can find plenty of instructional videos on Youtube. Frustrated because your headlights are aimed so low you are crawling along at night and want to aim them a tad higher? Get on Youtube and start typing, "How to aim headlights Kenworth..." and pretty soon you're likely to find a good video walking you through the process. Want to know how to change a fuel filter? Plenty of videos about that.

Most Swift company drivers I met couldn't tell me what engine they had under the hood and certainly never took time to read any of the manuals that came with the truck. That's why you have folks running high rpm's with the jake on high all the time or lugging up grades at 1100 rpm, then end up at the smoking area of a terminal #####ing about having to bring their truck into the shop AGAIN.

One thing I always taught my trainees was "Own The Truck". Not as in become an O/O (unless that's your goal), but to have the attitude that it does no good to be in the saddle unless you have a pony under it. Take care of the truck and it will take care of you.

 

as long as companies are offering near 50 cpm for a years experiance swift will never retain drivers. Drivers that stay with swift when they can make 10+ more cpm deserve what swift gives them. Also drivers will never report trailer problems if they can complete the run... it only costs the driver money and miles

 

The other day I was doing my Pretrip and noticed my low beam light was out.
I called my DM to ask if I could just get a bulb at the nearest Truck Stop. He told me I could, so the next Flying J I pulled the old one and matched it to one inside that looked the same. Tried looking at the numbers but they were not the same.

I purchased the new one, popped it in, and Wham. All done... Cost was $15.99 and took me 5 minutes.
Easy Peasy.. Im not very mechanical, but was proud I took care of it myself.