Something to consider.....about Swift

In 2005, I was let go from a company I worked for thanks to downsizing and being replaced with two temps...so, I decided to get back into driving. I have been driving big vehicles since 1991 when I enlisted, and commmercially off and on since 97. In 2005 I decided to go through a "refresher" of sorts. I narrowed the choices to Swift or Schneider. I decided to go with Swift because I wanted to do flatbed.

Swift put the students in a hotel and used this hotel as the students address in many cases. This was over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2005. They sent the students back home, and said that when they returned they would have met the length of time to meet the criteria to have been considered a "resident" in the state of Tennessee, so a c.d.l. could be issued to them.

I thought this was odd, but I kept on. I did all the driving there was to do and all the obstacles on the driving course also and was helping others who had no "clue" what they were doing..... Test time, took the test, took the written portion inside a building in a room with many computers, (At the Memphis Tennessee terminal). At the back of the room there were three or more Tennessee law enforcement officers entering the information into the computer system, taking your picture and issuing your c.d.l...so you would think things were ok.....right?.............not so.......

Since that time I drove for Swift for a while, moved to Virginia then worked recovery , drove for over a year otr with another company out of Tennessee, then a smaller outfit out of Mississippi,then decided to become an owner operator..................

Fast Forward to 2 September 09..........I am driving along on the way to my next load, driver manager tells me to stop, and to call safety, I call safety, and my C.D.L. has been revoked....It states in the computer system per my annual review that my license is revoked as if I have gotten a ticket I never paid for or something.(Im someone who has never had a ticket or accident).... Upon safety calling, they are told that my license was revoked due to "fradulent information submitted on the application", upon me talking to Tennessee, I am told that it was due to "certain practices" deemed unacceptable by the "third party testing"...(I am wondering how it could be third party when there were Tennessee law enforcement officers present????

So now I am sitting in a truck I am paying for, and one that I cannot drive for liability reasons, due to an internal audit that the state of Tennessee has done, on a license I have been driving on since 2005, and one that expires in December this year, on my birthday little over two months from now....keep in mind I have gone through quite a few inspections, logbook checks etc. where I had to present my license, and there was never an indication of a problem.......I cannot get an answer from the state of Tennessee what type of "audit" they were doing when some genius decided to just "shut me down"..... this is being done to someone who has driven for years safely and with no issues what so ever......

I would avoid Swift if at all possible because the company could be doing other things you may not know about which may actually come back to cause you harm and suffering in the future......literally......in addition on this note I cannot imply as to how much at fault Swift is along with the state of Tennessee and/or both of them. I am/have been reading many articles on the internet and doing research. The whole deal is best described as a total "nightmare".....I am suprised that I never heard more about all of this on the news, I heard most information about it a while back from the c.b., and thats "when" I had the c.b. on, and we all know why a lot of us keep it off or low.

I will post updates on this matter, as I am "clawing" my way out of this pit of "muck and mire" that has been created for me........

 

Thanks Iroc, I am finding all sorts of things about this on the net now...

 

I have been doing nothing but working. Paying for my own ride. I do not hang out in the truckstops, cept to fuel, shower, or sleep. I don't talk on the radio much at all thanks to the behavior of some drivers. As I mentioned before, my company "JUST" did my annual review, everyone on my end just found out a few days ago.

And my "cave" is a very nice 06 extended hood Pete with a twin turbo C-15 cat in it, so you can understand why I am fairly upset about all of this. I have worked and waited for years to get the truck I have always wanted just to have some idiot decide "oh we realize you have been driving for years, but we are still going to revoke your license"....

P.S. If it has been all over the news, how come two UTAH d.o.t. officers just oh two days ago, they never heard of it?....And how did I pass these inspections, and be let go to drive if the license was actually revoked?...Don't take the demeanor of this message as an attack on you about this or anything, this is just total b.s........

 

Its a sad thing. According to the F.M.C.S.R. they are supposed to give you a hearing, and I am seeking to make an appeal, but guess what, no one on the Tennessee end has even MENTIONED any of this. Or allowed it just told drivers that there license was revoked...

As of last phone call, I am supposed to "send in" my license, so THEN they can enter the information into the computer, to free me up so I CAN take the test..Hmm I seem to recall that wasn't part of the original conversation. I swear the phone coversation sounded just like a "political run around"...no lie...

I hope the lawsuit (s) makes it to Class action status, because Thanks to all the fingerpointing, no-naming b.s. that is going on between Swift and Tennessee, I am out of a job, and my one last dream I was working for is due to be gone soon.

Even if I send in the license I have to wait for the states attorney general to "approve" the action?? I tried calling the states attorney general office three times, each time got voicemail for three different lines, no live person. Going to keep trying though.

I have lost faith in so many things since 91 when I got back from the desert, Ive seen so many unbelieveable things...I don't even vote anymore, and people wonder why some veterans like me feel the way we do about our government...Heres another prime example.....

If it wasn't for my family and more importantly my girlfriend right now, well, I shudder to think....both parties involved can go to haites for all I care...Three weeks so far with no results...still on the "unwanted and unasked for non paying vacation nightmare".....


I think when its all over and said and done, honestly, I am going to be done with this profession forever.....Thanks Tennessee and Swift,(and the geniuses that just up and decided to include EVERYONE in the license revocation without looking at each individuals record)!!...... you just chased off someone who has driven for years with no tickets nor accidents...someone who has received safe driving awards ever since the early 90's.....

I wish I could really state what I feel about the whole situation right now, but I will not type such vulgarity, even if the geniuses/company/state highly deserve it ....