"Dear Swift:"

now that trucking pay is down to about $4-5 an hour, I guess you get what you pay for. you know, I'm really starting to NOT miss trucking!

 

You're calling me oversensitive when you're the one who is distraught over having been delayed by two drivers in one day.


I'm not offended by you at all, I think the whole issue is absurd but if you wish to let TWO other drivers in ONE day get your panties in knot.....you go right ahead.

Here, I'll tell you the entire truth of the matter: All 20thousand plus drivers at Swift held a secret meeting and it was decided to hunt you down and make sure you had to flick your lights, sit and wait and otherwise be totally destroyed. Yes, all Swift drivers are out to get you. YOU! No one else, just YOU. It's our vendetta for you getting to have that nifty pumpkin colored truck with the hot wheels track painted on the side. Yep, we're coming for you. Be afraid.........be VERY afraid.


Lighten up, laugh a little and get ahold of the idea that the entire industry doesn't revolve around one driver.

I STILL hope your day is better. I STILL wouldn't wish to meet you in person. Sorry.........but that's just the way it is.

 

You have to understand that in todays trucking world that we have way too many drivers from the "me" generation. The worst drivers out here today are the impatient "me" drivers. This letter is a good example of the "me" generation because within this letter the words "me" and a form of "I" was used 25 times. It would be safe to say that somebody is always in "his" way everyday of the week. Slow down, be safe and enjoy everyday because there is no guarantee of a tomorrow.

 

The other day I watched a "swifty" back into a rather tight parking spot. He made it in one shot. Gave him a "toot" and a thumbs up. That youngster had the biggest grin on his face....

 

The facts are simple. Swift has alot of trucks so their visibility is very high. If you look at SafeStat their numbers are no better than any other entry level company. Which to me is not that great. They as well as OTHERS could use improvement in drivers and equipment. I don't blame the company, I blame the company and the CDL schools.

I still believe the only way you're going to see an improvement is have a safety program mandated along with mandated driver trainers. Have requirement that driver trainers must meet and maybe even have it as another endorsement. Put back defensive driving and common curtsey in daily driving. Inspect the companies to insure they have a working safety program that follows the mandated guidelines. Pay the driver trainers extra all the time because they will need to know more all the time.

The way it is now the larger companies will not spend any extra time or money on driver training. They leave it up to volunteers that may or may not have the experience to train. If the new driver can't adjust or is unsafe out the door he or she goes and a new driver is in the process all over again. Some companies have learned from past experiences that it pays to train the drivers safely and they know once the driver is trained he or she is an asset to the company and will save them money in the long run.