Swift, had a dumb swift driver hold up the shipping dock

Seriously, I would like to hear about your experiences on your new job at Swift. Maybe you can start a new thread on the subject. Many people have started threads about what they are doing on their new job at trucking. While I and others on this forum have a tendency to bash the newbie companies like Swift, you may have a positive experience there. Let us know if you would.

 

Welcome to the forums! You'll meet some really wonderful and very helpful people here. Congrats for heading to orientation with Swift in Atlanta. I know nothing about the terminal or fleet over there so I can't help you much at all. Things vary fleet to fleet, terminal to terminal. A lot depends upon the terminal manager and fleet manager.

Is trucking easy? No. If you take it seriously and responsibly it's not easy at all. Every tiny detail you're taught is very important from checking those valve stems to keeping a safe distance between yourself and the vehicle ahead. Watch ahead of you.........think ahead of your truck.........watch everyone around you and plan for them to make the worst and most dangerous decision in driving. I promise you.....most of the people on the roads are dangerous drivers. Remember even though Swift has us set at 62-65 mph some places that's still to fast. Choose the slowest speed despite what the "super truckers" tell you. Better to get there an hour later than dead on the side of the road. The idiot in the 4 wheeler has a child that he's risking in order to zip in front of you......you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you allow him to hit you and that child is harmed. Remain calm........REMAIN CALM. REMAIN CALM!!!! No matter what. If you panic nothing good will happen. Panic later. The freight matters ........ but not as much as lives. And if I could have one Christmas wish it would be that you and every other driver would STAY OFF YOUR FREAKING HAND HELD CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING

Seriously, either get a blue tooth or talk to your honeybunches later. Don't park in the drive of the truck stop. Learn to park that truck in a space even in you have to do 20 pull ups. Grow a thick skin and ignore the people that will insult you because you drive for Swift. Some of the absolutely nicest people turn into absolute hindends on this forum about Swift. They'll insult Swift drivers for doing the same things they themself do. Be a good driver, don't make me or the other Swift drivers look bad. Keep clean, wear shoes not flip flops, don't let your belly hang out of your clothes, don't look like a pig in that truck because if I see you I'll report your butt to the home office and send a photo with it. I and about a thousand plus drivers take pride in our job and you'd darn well better do it too or I and a few others at Swift will yell long and loud about you. Don't leave pee bottles in the parking lots. Don't urinate in the fuel lines. I'll freaking spray you with a water hose or throw a windshield wash bucket at you. When you're in that Swift truck you represent the rest of us at Swift........don't make us ashamed. There's already enough pigs on 18 wheels we don't want anymore.

Now.....that I've been mean I'll tell you the good stuff.

You won't get hometime when you want it. You'll get it when freight gets you there. Your fleet manager most likely will not care that you're going to miss your baby boy's boy scout awards or your lil princess' dance recital. He doesn't care that you and your wife haven't done the wild monkey dance of love in weeks. He only cares that freight gets where freight needs to go. Your DM will be the only one that might even care so be nice to him or her and hopefully they'll do their best for you. Don't go over your DM's head everytime you get irritated. And don't expect your Developmental DM to care at all.....he or she is dealing with every newbie that just got his/her first truck and he/she wants you to stay out solid for 6 weeks and then get off his/her fleet and out of his/her life.

Oh yeah I said the "good" stuff. LOL

Well.

You get paid on time.

Hopefully freight won't drop to drastically this winter and you'll get good miles. If it does drop drastically .......hold on if you can and it'll be better in late March.

If you get to the AZ, CO, NM, CA, UT areas....and we're not running our heads off we'll buy you dinner or at least a piece of pie. If you get the chance.....get on a dedicated fleet pulling reefers for W-M. I'm convinced it's the safest place to be in these financial times.

With all that terrible stuff said to you: I love this job. I love the sound of the engines, I love moving on down the road. I love knowing I do my job well, on time, safely and get to throw a smile and a bit of good cheer at the people I deliver and pick up from. Within the first week of being on the road I saw more of the U.S. than I'd seen in my life. There's people on here who really have been every where but not me. But I drove through WY in a sudden ice storm the second day of driving solo while my mentor slept. I stayed on the road when 3 other trucks hit the ditch.

I drove through New York City and enjoyed the heck out of it. I'd like to go back. I love it. The only job I've loved more than driving this truck was Pastoring children. I have a good time every single day I drive no matter how the day begins.

Wave to people. Please wave to every child who waves to you. They love trucks and they get wildly excited when we wave back.

*sighs* This is probably the worst and most idiotic rambling post I've ever made.

This job is what you make it. Sure there are troubles and sometimes jerks.......trust me there is in every job. But you have the ability to smile get back in your truck and leave that jerk behind. You're going to start out expecting what you thought the job would be......and about week 3 or 4 you're going to realize it's a heck of a lot harder, lonelier and intense than you ever suspected. Decide that day if you're a driver, a steering wheel holder, a guy waiting to get his "real" job back or just another schmuck in a truck. That day will be the important one. That day will decide what the job is. The job will be as good as you choose to make it. I hope you choose to make it great.

I like my job, I like my company, I love my fleet and think my fleet manager is a fantastic man both as a fleet & terminal manager and as a human being. I hope it all works out as well for you.

 

I've been with Swift almost a year now. I've already done the thread thing and even blogged about it. Frankly I'm to busy driving to do another blog or thread about it. Yes, you and others on this forum enjoy bashing Swift quite often. Some people have a reason, some use heresay, some are just attempting to make themself look better by insulting others. And then some are simply blowing wind period. I'll comment when they do that and then I'm simply to busy to mess with them. I do still try to respond and help people like myself......newbies and wannabees.

You have a good run. Or rather a good day.

 

Thank you Texas Nana I will do my best to represent Swift well and the drivers of Swift ....Thank you for your post . Sounds like alot of fun but it may save my life one day and I appreciate that.

 

I've been with Swift for 7 years. Had 5 Years experience before I came here. Just remember, the only difference between trucking companies is the 800# on the back of the trailer.

 

Yes its easy, just pay attention to those with experience . Most will tell you things to help you if you listen..

 

Leave it to dumb ##### truckers to mistake "cirlcles", with "circles". You see, "cirlcles" are an advanced theory in quantum physics, which expresses the relation between the atom and orbiting atoms. Only a learned Swift manager with a double B.S. would know something like that!

Just kidding dudes!!!!

Isn't it funny how every poster claiming to be a college graduate makes a grammatical and/or spelling error in their post. Proof reading is taught in grade school dudes. If I'm reading a post from Professor Swift, I want a real enlightening post, I'm talking equations depicting Swifts level of suckiness. Oh well, what can you do?

I'm 27 and have a degree along with a CDL A. College is no magic bullet leading to fortune and fame. Unless your studying for med school, law, or engineering, most likely your degree won't make you d!ck.

I don't know what it is with me? There's just something about a Peterbilt/KW extended hood, with loud pipes that just draws me to love trucks.....

 

Hmm
First post and already picking on our members???
Spelling: two sides to the issue

 

Relax, just kidding my friend.

The most helpful, cool, understanding and "take you under their wing" type of people I've met have been truckers. They've seem much more like "stand up" guys/girls then many other professions.

I know it was my first post, read it again, just sarcasm. Not an attack on anybody.

 

hemisareslow
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Yeah , you need at least 20 posts before you start picking on people and calling them ignorant and so on .