want to come to swift!!!

Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical, TDCanterbury.

You've worked for TMC, Maverick, Prime and some maw n paw, all since March of 2010. You even claimed to have worked for Prime for either four months or seven years, depending on which post you want to quote and you claim to have completed a lease with them. You were going to Swift in April and September of this year, and now you say you're going again.

Your story has so many twists in it, my head is spinning.

Are you really going to Swift? Or are you just yanking our chains again?

BigBusMan, do NOT give personal information out! You do not know who you are talking to!

 

I have never been just a number at any of the three companies I have run for. To this day, I can walk into the Mellinium Building and chat with office staff at Prime. I still have my old boss' phone number and send greetings to his wife from Celtic.

If you want to stand out, and it is possible even at a large company like Swift, you have to consistently do your job right and be pleasant to office staff. Learn their names and greet them each time you see them. Schmoozing is not the same as brown nosing.

First, show yourself to be reliable.

Second, show yourself to be knowledgeable.

Third, take extra little steps like never dropping a dirty trailer (on the inside...sweep it out.)

Fourth, get your PMs done on your tractor within company standard, before you are threatened with safety hold. And tend to other maintenance that is needed. Do not let problems just ride.

Fifth, be productive. Be proactive about getting miles. Be the squeaky wheel.

Sixth, don't turn loads down without a legitimate reason. "I don't want to go NorthEast" is not a legitimate reason for a company driver. If you get plugged with a short load, ask what it will be backed up with before you accept it.

Seventh, if you don't get along well with your DM, request to be moved to a different fleet before it becomes a frustrating and possibly volitile situation. Mind your temper. There are better ways to solve problems than raising hell in the office.

Eighth, be pleasant to other drivers, but keep in mind many of them like to gossip and complain. Try to stay out of that mindset.

Ninth, find an experienced, knowledgeable driver or five, get their phone numbers and ask them questions. Having support like this will help you through the rough spots. Each will have his or her corner of expertise. Pick their brains regularly.

Tenth, make sure your DM knows what's going on with you. He or she can be your advocate or your barrier. That's entirely up to you.


These are in no way directed at any single individual. They are useful for anyone, at any company.

If you are, in fact, coming on over to Swift, I hope you find success.

 

Injun, that was a great reply, but I have a small issue with #10. Back when we had individual DM's, we could talk to them and they could talk to us, and we could get to know each other, but then when they went to this POD system, that no longer exists. Now instead of 50 drivers for the DM, they have all of them combined. there is no more getting to really know each other, unlike you, you have the ability. Now in a POD, there could be up to 200 drivers. When you call in, you have to idea who you are going to talk to, and that is when they actually allow you to call. Where I am, it is all QC. There is no personal feeling anymore.

 

Injun, good advice for everyone, especially new drivers, or folks like me, who are making the decision to start driving.
I'm thinking about starting up with Swift in January.
I have never driven OTR before, but I'm single and retired now, and on a pension, so I think it would be an exciting, and challenging venture for me for a few years.
I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the pointers.

Oh, by the way... Nice Hog. It reminds me some of my old Shovelhead.

 

Thank you. It's a 1949 Panhead.

It is possible and even probable to do well at Swift. Or any of the other big companies. Whether we like it or not, there is a certain amount of contact with people required in this job. Yes, most of it is solitary and you are judged purely on your own merits. But even as a company driver, if you treat Swift and all of its employees as if they are your customers, you have a better shot at it than the driver who is surly, unkempt, smelly and treats other Swift employees as if they are servants. Presenting yourself as a professional to your company and to its freight providers (shippers and receivers) is more likely to get you noticed in a good way than the driver who looks and acts like he or she just doesn't care.

It's not brown nosing. You don't have to suck up to the boss. Most of the office staff find that singularly annoying anyway. But if you are pleasant, greet people like they matter and even joke around with them a little (know the limits!) you will develop strong working relationships with people who have some control over your destiny.

Company, Lease or Owner, you are constantly trying to sell a service. As a brand new person, you have no reputation to work from. You have to build it. Your reputation will follow you from company to company in the form of DAC and CSA...or, more correctly, PSP. These are the things that will determine where you go in the industry.


Look around the forum. You will see people like American Trucker who, while a bit of a pain, has a good enough record to move onward in the industry. He seems happy with his choice, but did not burn any bridges with Watkins/Shepard. He could probably walk in their door tomorrow and go right back to work for them. You have others who messed up, refused to acknowledge where they messed up, blame everyone but themselves for what happened and then cry how unfair it is they can't find another driving job. In most cases, when you see someone has had problems with a company, 85% to 99% of the problem was not the company.

To see what happens when you mess up, get fired and then own up to your part in the problem, read JustSonny's thread about no longer being a Swiftie. He accepted his part of the responsibility, did a little research and landed a decent job at a company he is happy with. It is possible to bounce back.

In this industry, it's all about you and your attitude.

 

Injun thaks for all the info over the last few months it seems like i am going to SWIFT ill find out more this week and ill keep my options open and you did give alot of good advice