Swift orientation road test

I would like to use an automatic only for the initial road test and would prefer a manual once I go with a mentor. Why were the two months following the worst of your life? Was your Mentor that bad or did it just suck being with somebody else in the cab?

 

When I started at Swift they didn't do a road test for new students fresh out of trucking school. I did my 240 hours on a mentor's truck, then they gave me the road test afterwards. It was just a drive around the block and a couple of backing exercises. No big deal.

 

I didn't go to a Swift school either. I did my road test after 240 hours with a trainer.

 

From what I read on all the forums and from the drivers on YouTube if you haven't driven in a while but have your own CDL they bring you in for orientation and then you have to do a quick road test. Then they send you out with a mentor for 240 hours and then you have to do another road test before they let you have your own truck. I received my CDL in 2009 from the teamsters but have only driven automatic freightliners with flatbeds attached and heavy equipment loaded on top for the Army Reserves. I drove a 10-speed Class B milk truck for 6 months 2 years ago but aside from that I'm very Rusty. I'm confident to drive out onto the highway and to drive out onto the streets and take turns but I'm going to be rusty on a stick shift and I'm sure my backing skills will be ####ty.

 

How recently have you guys gone too Swift for the orientation and the mentoring? I'm scheduled to go to Syracuse New York after my next Army Reserves drill on the 14th

 

When I did orientation back in 2012 I did a road test the first hour of being there, then a longer one after my 240 hours. On the longer one the tester fell asleep lol

 

Did you stay with Swift & if not then why? Are you still trucking & if yes,what type?

 

I stayed for 6 months then got out. I should have gone long haul but started on the rite aid dedicated out of woodland ca. I was home on weekends which was nice. Mainly ran from woodland to Denver and did LTL rite aid stores out there then backhauls back to Cali. Wasn't bad except for the fact that when I had a local in Cali and it was say 200 miles round trip for a couple stores and back, I didn't get short haul pay because I was on a so called dedicated run. So lots of $250 a week checks. Now I haul fuel locally in Northern California