Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

lol, I'm not sure if I said or not.

I got an International Prostar "Eagle" with the condo sleeper. It's pretty awesome for the most part. I've made it pretty much like home as much as I can.

It is a 2011 with something like 375,000 miles on it. The transmission seems a little more finicky than the other trucks I have driven (Volvo, Columbias and Cascadias). Sometimes the tranny shifts smooth as butter but if I miss the rpms on a downshift it is unforgiving. Overall I like it and, in time, I could possibly love it.

I think it was a trainer's/mentor's truck. When I first went to pick it up and see it I immediately started taking pictures of everything - damage, scratches, missing parts, etc. Everything. I jotted it all down in detail on the checklist they gave me. As I was doing this a few other truckers (up there at the New Boston, Michigan terminal) got out of their trucks and started pointing out flaws with me. It helped. One of them stated they thought is looked like a mentor's truck so that's where I get that from. It has some damage here and there including a cracked front bumper, damage and dents to the bottom/passenger side skirts, etc. and I noted it all. I haven't had a chance to wash it yet but I'm dying to. I've detailed the inside pretty good. I started by using an all purpose cleaner on everything. Then I Armor-All'd everything. I have a dustpan I use regularly. I got a carpet runner and then placed a couple of soft, furry bathmats on top of it near the bottom bunk so I can be comfortable. I got some nice faux-silky sheets and a 32" Vizio LED tv with a DVD player seperately. I hooked both up to a 300w inverter plugged into the outlet nearby. I think of it as the pimp palace but unfortunately it is just me.

This truck has some pretty cool storage. There are two cabinets with areas to hang your clothes. One of them is lit when you open the door. One of my favorite storage aspects of the truck is the little netted storage areas over the foot and head of the lower bunk that suspend down from the bottom of the top bunk. It makes things easier to reach and keeps them from rolling around. During my many visits to Wal-Marts I have found those little Velcro squares to be invaluable. I used them to keep everything in place. I even stuck a couple to the back of my cellphone and a couple of corresponding squares against the dash so I can attach my phone. Saved me the $20 for a real cellphone holder and I can remove the squares at any time without leaving a mark.

There is a built in cubby space with outlet for a fridge. Based on what I've heard from a couple of my mentors, I am going to avoid the refrigerator route and go with a plug in cooler type thing. So far I've been using a couple of small, white styrofoam coolers but I have to put new ice in them everyday and drain them. It's a PIA. Think I'm going to buy that 12v cooler this week because my food keeps getting ruined when the ice melts and it soaks out my dinner.

My rear bunk controls do not work. I'm hoping they finish this this week in the shop. I have a few other issues as well. My windshield was just installed back in Detroit the day I picked up the truck. It has been leaking ever since whenever it rains causing rainfall inside the truck all over my Qualcomm and dash.

It's a pretty decent truck and I'm enjoying it.

Nasty stuff. I've seen most of that. Thanks Jakaby for the comments!

I need some Quentin Tarrantino to add. I did see a shady character standing with his suitcase near the exit of a Walmart back in some state as I left in the morning. As I pulled up to the stop sign he gave me the thumbs up sign, not that I was doing a good job driving but implying he needed a ride. I thought about it for a while thinking of the possibilities of what could have happened had I picked him up and my life was being directed by Quentin T. I could see him taking me hostage making me drive us around the country picking up other hitchhikers, making them do a silly dance on the side of the road before mauling them with the reflective hazard triangles and the tire thumper. We could leave a reflective triangle at each roadside grave as our calling card and I could use a cool and spooky CB handle to taunt the ever closing in coppers. Hmmm......

Thanks. That was some pretty sketchy driving. It's not often that I get that scared driving but that night had me by the balls. Makes me really look forward to spring.

 

So something I have noticed at my terminal and some of the other terminals: The mechanics either do not like us truckers or they hate their jobs. Not all of them, just some. This past week being at the shop, this being my first experience, I found them to be pretty rude. Now, remember, I'm a Jersey native so I have been indoctrinated with rude and have no problem with it usually. But something just didn't seem right here. I'm always really courteous and try to be understanding but if I get attitude for no good reason I want to react. I didn't but I wanted to. Something I didn't understand was when I put the truck into the shop and asked them when I would know it was finished they stated that I simply had to keep checking back in with them. Ok, fine. After getting my stuff out of my truck in the shop I was asked by someone who never introduced himself, seemed pretty "corporate", whether I had cleaned out all my belongings out of the truck. "No" I stated, "why would I clean everything out? I'm coming back in on Saturday after my hometime." He stated, "well, if you are out for more than 48 hours then you need to clean your truck out and turn it in." He asked if I had anything left in the truck and I told him "yeah, of course. My tv, dvd player, clothings, toiletries, everything..." He shook his head. Still, I had no idea who this guy was as he just started making these statements to me as I just got my bags out and prepared to go to my bike to start my hometime. He again stated that I needed to clean my truck out if I was going to have hometime more than 48 hours. I told him that I had always heard that we got a maximum of 3-4 days hometime and that my driver leader had been the one to give me the time off. In addition, I reiterated, that I had always heard the 3-4 days thing from my recruiter, from the Swift academy, from orientation and from my driver leader. He stated that in Phoenix they would take my truck. I replied that it was a good thing this was not Phoenix and walked off. He asked who gave me my hometime and I told him who my driver leader was. He said he would have a talk with her. I walked over and gave her a heads up stating that some guy that seemed "corporate" had asked me about my hometime and that he had planned on talking to her. It sounded like my driver leader and those within earshot of the conversation knew who this guy was. It sounded like he was the shop manager or something. Who knows. The whole thing kind of pissed me off. Maybe it was that I was ready to start my hometime. Maybe it was because some guy who never even introduced himself was trying to tell me something completely different and contrary to what I've heard before. NOt sure but it annoyed the hell out of me. I get the feeling that when I put my truck in the shop that I'm somehow putting the mechanics out, like I'm inconveniencing them somehow. Maybe it's me but that's just what I pick up from the whole experience.

I also had been trying to reach my driver coordinator for the past few weeks. My last mentor told me I was due layover pay for the time I spent back in Gary, Indiana with the first mentor waiting for 4 days for a load. I left my driver coordinator 4 messages over the 2 weeks with my phone number and a short message each time stating that I would like to put in for that layover pay that I was apparently due. No response. Not a phone call stating that she would get back to me. Nothing. When I went into the terminal the other day to speak to her in person (can't not return that phone call) she was out sick. I was told by someone else to call Phoenix and let them know about my layover pay. I did and they are now investigating my claim. I hope to hear something. It gets frustrating.

On a positive note, whenever I have called my terminal in the off hours there is the same couple of guys that answer the phone. They are pretty awesome. They are always helpful and patient with this new guy. Kudos to them.

Maybe I'm just new but sometimes I get the feeling that everyone that supports us truck drivers has a lot of disdain for us. Even though we are the backbone of what happens within a trucking company, we are somewhat disliked by the support staff. Maybe it's deserved, maybe it's not. Maybe I"m wrong about it all but it's just the way it seems to a new guy like me.


I moved my location from down near the terminal up here to Everett, WA to a Motel 6 where I can park my bike right outside my window. I'm going to stay here for the next two days/nights. Tomorrow at 1:00 I meet this girl up at the Tulalip casino for lunch and maybe some gambling. On Friday I'm meeting this other lady around here in Everett. Looking forward to it and it's kind of nice for the change in locales although the ride was a little long with traffic.

I'm kind of looking forward to getting back on the truck Friday night to be ready for dispatch Saturday at 7:00. I think. I just paid the $155 to get my license renewed and need to take another hometime in a few weeks to pick up my license (the laminated hard copy) and maybe get another tattoo....

Wish me luck at the casino tomorrow with this girl I haven't met.

 

Yeah, I noticed the same thing about the apprentice or at least junior mechanics. Seemed like the higher up they were the more rude. Some of the regular mechanics seemed pretty cool.

 

I will do that. I kind of had that attitude with one of the guys the other day when I asked to get into my truck to switch some stuff out. The head mechanic, or whoever he was, said it was ok and the mechanic he told me to ask said it was ok. While I was in the sleeper getting some new clothes and stuff another mechanic popped his head inside and said that I needed to tell him next time I jumped into the truck. I was almost apologetic but I mentioned, matter of factly, that the head mechanic had cleared me as well as the guy that I was instructed to ask. I told him the issue wasn't with me but with whoever cleared me to go inside. Just stupid stuff. No sweat.



Jakaby!!! You jinxed me! lol. Funny you mention about mixing girls up because this just happened about 2 hours ago...

I spent a great day at the casino with the first girl I will call Giada (because I like that little cooking Giada on tv). I walked her out to her car after a couple of drinks, some slot gambling and some dinner. Earlier, when we first met in person, she asked if I wanted to put my helmet and jacket inside her car since there was no coat check, oddly enough, at this casino. I conceded and put my stuff in there. So fast forward about 5 hours and we walk out to her car...

Now, I haven't been on a "date" or whatever you want to call it in ages. Not since before my exwife of course and before that it was a loonnnggg time. I'm no playboy. So it's been a while. "Giada" and I walk out, she hands me my helmet which I place on top of the roof of her car and put my jacket on. It's an awkward moment because I don't know what exactly the etiquette of the situation requires. I had hugged her when I first met her and that seemed to go well so I kind of muttered something again, when parting, that I would give her a hug goodbye. As I went in for the hug her head purposely got in the way and I kissed her. And then we kissed some more and it was awesome.

Now, here is the funky part. She gets in her car to go pick up her son and I start walking back to where I parked my bike. I had heard some texts come in earlier that I hadn't checked to I broke out my phone and checked. One from the exwife responding to me not getting my divorce papers in the mail and another text from the woman I am supposed to meet. We'll call this woman I am to meet tomorrow "Mila".

This is the text, verbatim, of what I received from Mila that I checked as I walked back to my bike...
"Don't forget to think about me...while on ur hot date. Love!! Hee Hee!! *muah*"
So I texted her back "that she was so evil LOL" and thought that was the end of it.

My head still befuddled and drizzly like the weather outside I text "Giada". I apologized for the awkward kiss. I stated I wasn't usually such a mess but that I was off my game since it was unexpected. I told her I had a great time with her today and that it was even better in person. I then hit *send*. Off goes my text...

4 minutes later I get a text back from "Mila" stating "Ohhhhh REALLY??"

What? Now I'm totally confused. I go back and read my texts and I realize that I sent the original text about having a great time, the kiss, yada yada to "Mila" instead of "Giada". Holy crap...what a terrible feeling. I'm laughing at my monumental screw up but I think I blew it for tomorrow. Guess I will be getting back to my truck a little earlier than expected without that second meet up.

You jinxed me Jakaby! lol.....such is life. Feel free to laugh at my issues with poor technology managment...