Swift Transportation Begins Sleep Apnea Program

good i want to see safe drivers

 

Sleep is overrated. lol

 

So Swift can find a way to run these drivers off and save on insurance cost. Large companies don't do anything just for the drivers benefit.

They will do things that benefit them, and spin it to make drivers believe they are being helped.

Just watch. The drivers who have Sleep Apnea will suddenly not be getting very many miles, no hometime, bad loads, or something else to make them quit, or they will get fired for some offense.

 

I didn't know Drivers stayed there long enough to get run off...lol...

 

I'm talking about the "old timers" with 5-6 months experience.

 

Actually, they are doing it for the benefit of their drivers. Other large companies are doing the same thing. Why it is you folks always want to make a big negative out of something? Here's a lesson for you, lowering risk through health and safety programs like this actually LOWER the insurance cost and is a benefit for the company (lower cost) and the driver (better health).

I would hate to go through life with such a negative or cynical attitude. And if you don't drive for Swift then why should you care? Just an observation.

 

I don't wear rose colored glasses, and have seen first hand how companies try to weed out drivers for any reason when freight gets slow.

This will help some drivers, and will help others out of jobs. But mostly it is to lower insurance cost and make great public relations.

When is the last time a company has actually unselfishly tried to help you.

I have had companies impliment things that accidently helped me as a by product, but the original intention was to help their bottom line. If the new policy just happened to help me, then they would really brag about it.

I hope drivers that need this really get the help. I would like to be studied, as I snore myself.

But think about it. In this very troubled time of weak freight and profits, why would a large company start this now if they were not going to weed out drivers who may fall asleep driving and/or face health risk.

The bottom line is the net to them is more than the upfront cost.

I am glad to see this program, but I am afarid it is only going to hurt many drivers who may have marginal sleep apnea. This doesn't mean I am aganist the study, but you know the results are going right to corporate.

Drivers that have apena and fall asleep driving need to be helped. I am just afarid the drivers that can really benefit from the CPAP machines will be shown the door, as these machines cost money that the self insured companies will not want to spend.
I am afarid this is the beginning of the weeding out of overweight drivers that the government has been talking about. (no, I am not overweight at all)

What is next, DNA test to see who is subject to certain diseases? Probably.

Yes I am cynical, but most times I am right about one thing. If a trucking company comes out with a new policy, think long and hard about how it will benefit them, no matter what they tell you. Once you figure this out, pretty soon you will see that is the reason for the change.

As I said, the new programs might accidentally, as a by product, help you, but the real reason is company benefit.

I've seen it hundreds of times. You don't have to be upset about it, just figure out what is behind new decisions, and prepare yourself for what is to come.

P.S. Pawpaw, who did you finally end up working for. I remember you were talking Prime and Swift, and a few others, but have lost touch of what happened. This is not to be smart or anything, I am just curious if you found anything out where you live you liked.

 

I will probably get beat up for this answer. I really like Prime and feel my earning potential there would be best. That earning potential position is based on a little higher per mile pay and the better consistency of refrigerated carriers in miles (due in part because they can carry dry or reefer freight). However, at this point I am looking at going back to Swift. They have a terminal in Albuquerque and they did me well when I was with them before. The Terminal Manager has already told me I will go back on my old DM's board and he was a great DM. I am actually thinking of doing a thread on here somewhere similar to the one for Crete -- a journal type thread.

As I have told people in answering their questions about who to drive for, you need to pick what works best for you. If I lived somewhere closer to a Prime terminal I would probably go with them. If I lived anywhere but New Mexico I would have a greater choice of companies to choose from, but I don't. From past experience and talking with current Swift drivers the company is not as bad as many make it out to be and there are many drivers who drive for them for years and are satisfied. I have recently talked with a couple of drivers with many years experience who once drove for Swift went out to the greener pastures that everyone here talks about but have returned to Swift because of how well Swift treated them compared to the "greeener grass" companies which many on here list aqs great companies.

So let the beatings and the ridicule begin. The way I look at it is Swift has been around a long time; they are one of the largest truckload carriers and with over 1,000 companies having gone under this year, some fairly good size, shippers are going to look more seriously at signing contracts with the largest companies so they know their freight needs will be met for years to come. That means more miles and more freight equating to more money in my pocket.

 

I won't beat you up for driving for anyone. A person has to do what he thinks is best.

I have no doubt there are many satisfied Swift drivers who have the personality to fit in, and were lucky enough to get good dispatchers and good areas to run. The best company in the world can be bad for someone who gets a bad area, bad dispatcher, or their type of operations does not conforn to what the driver needs. A so called bad company can be the best fit for others.

I have never been with Swift, or any other major carrier. My biggest complaint is the quality of many of their recruits. I have had to call the highway on three Swift drivers for dangerous driving. One driver almost ran over the patrol officers car that I had called for.

I have avoided many more that I have not called in on. I see it with a lot of campanies, but just in my experience, I have seen more Swift drivers weave and bob all over the road.

I have quit very good companies in the past because I wanted more consistent times to get home. This was a very good paying LTL company that I drove terminal to terminal shuttle at night. I would get home one night at 5 AM, and maybe the next at 11 AM to 2 PM. My body could not adjust, and I found myself falling asleep driving, so other than stick it out until I could move up, I took a job working more hours for less pay, before I killed myself.

I was happier. I went in in the morning, came home around the same time every night, and had very little stress. I got to see my family also.

I am looking now at going with a company that runs NC to Ca, team, drop and hook, 4 on and 4 off. I don't want to by all means, but things have happened to where I see almost no other choice.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do.