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

Thanks Kimi. Sounds like we just missed each other out in Hammond.

I think you got the right idea about staying with Swift for a while. Some might disagree. The way I look at it it's good to get some consistency. At least that's what my plan is. If ya end up liking it at Swift you might stay.

Sounds like you are finishing up with your mentor any day now. I think being OTR with a mentor is the hardest part. After than it's fun, exciting and kind of scary being on your own, at least at first.

Let me know your progress and when you go solo. Feel free to ask me anything...

 

I think I saw a sign for Abita Springs or possibly passed through. It sounds familiar. I'll keep my eye out for it next time. Yeah, the humidity is something else down here although it's not too bad here today. Wish I could pick up some authentic Cajun food. The only thing Cajun I've had a chance to eat were Voodoo Potato Chips. They're delicious.

 

That is how I understood the Swift academy pay back thing. It's not a bad deal if you stay for the two years (my plan). Free training so that's $3900 in the bank untimately.

Yeah, the "raht chair" was her telling me "right there". Not sure what the accent was but it was in N. Louisiana near Arkansas.

 

Sitting at a Loves in McComb, Mississippi.

Yesterday was a day gone wrong. I was so aggravated I felt anxious and exhausted by the end of the day.

The night before yesterday they sent me, what I though was, a repositioning over in Mississippi. I was sitting a little over 100 miles away in Hammond, Louisiana. They also later sent me a load to follow up from Georgia Pacific.

I drove to Kimberly Clark in Mississippi with my empty trailer and asked what they wanted me to do with it. There was some confusion as I clogged up the main drive into the yard. They told me to drop the empty trailer there, as Kimberly Clark needed an empty, and bobtail to the Sams Club DC to pick up another empty to bring to Georgia Pacific. Aggravation was already setting in.

I drove down the road to Sams Club and there was no empty there. Thanks trailers solutions. I parked down the street and awaited direction where to get another empty. They sent me some miles away to a Dicks Sporting Goods to pick up an empty. Super tight lot and some time later I swept up the empty trailer and made my way to Georgia Pacific.

Drove something like 60 miles to Georgia Pacific. Waited in line. Checked in. Nope, load won't be ready until tomorrow night. Thanks, drive thru, come again...

No truck stops nearby with parking so went to the Walmart in McComb, MS. My DM threw me extra money all day for the troubles because my day was killed with about 200 miles. I appreciated that. He's a good guy and I know he works for me.

Lately my DM has been trying to get me to a terminal. Secret squirrel stuff. It makes me nervous because they won't tell me why they are sending me to Memphis. They are persistent on me getting there and getting there soon. I hope I'm not getting fired for something. Last time they were all secretive about me getting to a terminal and stepping inside it was similar circumstances. That time it was for a random drug test. But that was only about 6 months ago or less so can I be due for another random. A drug/alcohol test I wouldn't care about but getting fired or some kind of discipline I do care about. Now I'm thinking what I have done lately. Nothing that I know of. Is it because I'm questioning the HR department about getting that breakdown pay for the week I sat at the terminal in Ocala? Did it annoy them enough that they want to just get rid of me. I'm thinking it's not and most likely another random. I asked him why they didn't just send me into the Richmond terminal when I sat there for a day plus last week and I was told that it slipped his mind or something like that.

They just gave me a preplan picking up tomorrow at 1100. It's going up to Ohio so I think that is the load that will get me to the Memphis terminal so I can find out what this secret squirrel stuff is all about. As it is I"ve been sitting listless since yesterday afternoon when the Georgia Pacific load failed out on me. Going to try and see if they will give me layover pay for this almost 2 days I'll be sitting.

 

Ok, that's great thanks. That takes a load off of my chest.

My biggest worry about corporate America is that they would call me in to fire me for something while telling me "you're not in trouble or anything". When I asked my DM why they wanted to send me to Phoenix I was told that I wasn't in trouble or anything and that he couldn't tell me anything more. I worry that this thread could get me in trouble sometimes. I wouldn't want it to but I have to be honest about my experience here without making Swift look bad. I won't badmouth Swift as I'm thankful for the opportunities they have given me but this whole thread has to be a real world experience as well.

Thanks for the reassurance. Hope this is only a random drug test.