Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

I have no idea when this thread turned into a company vs. o/o argument. And I don't recall anyone at any time saying or even implying a company driver is less safe than o/o. The only thing I have said is if you want to drive a truck faster than 62mph, either get a truck that is governed higher or go work for a company that does not neuter its trucks.

I have said before and I will say again: if you want to be company, great. Your choice. I chose to lease my truck on with Swift. Regardless of any preconceived notions, you really have no idea whether I purchased my truck through International financing or through IEL. All o/o trucks, whether privately financed, owned outright or leased through IEL are governed at 68.

And I will also say (again) my truck, while governed at 68, rarely even sees 65. I just don't put myself in a position to need the extra speed. Therefore, I average 7.5 mph overall. Some weeks it lower, some higher. I have no trouble getting miles. Occasionally that means yanking a few chains, but I'm almost always moving.

My safety issue with some drivers is when they float their truck down a hill over the governed speed, claim they are 100% in control of the vehicle and then give advice to brand new people on how to do this and get away with it. If a person thought it was okay, he or she would not have to buck the system or play games with the QC to hide the behavior.

I started out as a company driver. I understand the frustration of only getting 62 on the road. That was one of the reasons I chose not to be a company driver this go-round. When I first started out, it was the o/o's who showed me how to operate the QC, where to get things done in the terminals and who to talk to about various things...like getting a load while everyone else was sitting around complaining. Therefore, as a company driver, I did not have any animosity toward the o/o's. In fact, many of the o/o's I knew then paid their trucks off and have the titles free and clear. There are people who can do this and people who can't. That's life.

Do I take occasional risks? Absolutely...like that time I went up over UT143 instead of turn around and take US89. However, I have the option to route myself any way I want to, fuel where I want to and turn any load down I don't want to haul. I am also responsible for my own expenses. I have no idea why that offends some folks.

But back to safety. I can tell the difference between a company truck and o/o. I can also see when someone is floating their truck over the governor. And I am a tattle-tale. Whether it's company or o/o, if you are floating over your governor, you are not being safe. The occasional...oops, need to slow down a touch...happens to everybody. What some here have offered is flagrant, deliberate and continous.

Since we have talked about service records, I have never had a late load. Ever. I have never had a ticket, an accident, a written warning from any DOT or other officer, never had a safety violation and never had an overspeed from any compay I have run for, including CDL C with hazmat and the fire department.

To our newest drivers: if you have someone tell you to do this, whether it's. Your mentor or somebody else, you can disregard that and anything further that individual has to say.

 

When I am going down hill, I usually try to keep it between 54 and 60 mph...nothing faster than that.

The key is to be in the proper gear and have your RPMs around 1300 to 1500. With the Jakes on, I will take my foot off the brake around 54 and when it gets to be in the 60 area, I will break down to 54 again.

I am not overheating my breaks and I am in complete control of the truck and its speed.

 

Don't we have enough people criticizing us for driving for Swift without attacking each other?

Look. Each of us has the right to voice our opinion. And frankly I'm standing with Injun on this one.

However with that said......Dick.......did she SAY you're not one of the 10? No she didn't but she does get to say she thinks certain habits and actions are unsafe. If you want to say they're not then say it. But frankly......no one needs to get so personal.

Injun is an o/o, I'm a company driver.....and we've got no problems between us.

Sheesh people stop showing your butts in public.

 

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i'd have told him if he didn't like it, to go around me. the center lane is the safer of a 3 lane interstate, as you dont have to worry about merging traffic. your 'out' in the slow lane is the emergency lane. your 'out' in the center-lane is your 8-sec. of following distance. I dont get paid to babysit 4-wheelers who dont know how to use the big window mounted in their driver door. wonder how many of them actually know its fairly clear enough to look out without much distortion. =)

i'd have told him hes got 66% of the road to get his truck around me. and if he had problems with that, that he shouldn't be driving a truck. Had he given me any lip about it...i'd have just got his truck number and turn him in.

 

Actually, saying 'driving over the governor is unsafe', then bringing up company drivers are governed at 62 and lease trucks at 68....one can come to the conclusion that if you have both trucks running at 68, by your definition based on the limits of the govenor, the truck running with the lower governor speed is 'unsafe' while the higher governor isn't.

And i'm not arguing about leasing a truck or not. All i'm saying there, is if you lease a truck thru swift, you aren't an O/O...you're a L/O. Sure you get the 'freedom' of turning down loads, fueling where you want, routing yourself how you want...etc. As a company driver, there are times i dont follow the fuel route. For example, if i get a load out of Columbus going to Gary, IN. They want me to take I-70 west, then take back roads clear up to I-80 just east of the I-69/80 interchange. its 16 miles longer to take all interstate. Its faster, less wear and tear on the brakes and tranny. Not to mention i will guarentee 7mpg rather than the 5.5mpg i'd get running back roads.

I could really care less WHERE you got your truck, who you're leasing it thru, whether you actually own your truck and lease it on with swift as a 3rd party truck. What i am saying, is that if you DO lease your truck THRU swift/IEL, you're NOT an O/O....you're a L/O. Again....i get a kick out of the drivers who almost have a swager/strut to themselves after they sign up to a flease to own deal....then think they're better than a company driver because they think they're an actual O/O. Ego and pride, is all it is.

but again...i'm done with this argument. i'll drive my truck how i drive my truck, and you drive yours. If swift has a problem with my speed, they need to bring me into a safety meeting. If they don't...then they either dont care, or i'm not breaking any company policy enough to warrant a warning or a write up. The speed info is on the QC for whenever they want to look it up. They dont care, because i dont get into accidents, my loads are 100% OT, i've had ONE road report, and that was from another truck driver driving like an ID10T, 50mph in a 65, and texting on his cell. I give him crap on the CB...and he calls a road report in on ME, saying i was slowing down to 50-55 in a 65mph zone, backing up traffic. But its like a woman claiming she was assulted on a date, when it was mutual. Who do u think the cops are going to believe. Same thing here.

again....tattle on me....i could care less. with my record, i'll just get a slap on the wrist.

 

Crap, I give up............

 

*decides not to post my thoughts but to send them in a private message.*

 

Ain't worth worrying about.

 

Me, too. Some people just will never understand the benefits of having throttle power left as they are going down a hill, on flat ground, or even up a hill, for that matter. I'm done. See ya'!