Swift orientation tuesday 2/16/10

Well it looks like I will be heading to swifts orientation in columbus ohio on tuesday. I recently finished driving school on 2/4/10. After doing all of my research before school and up until now I said I would definately not go with swift or werner or any of the other bottom feeders for that matter. Well guess what the only two companys that offered me a job was swift and werner (how ironic). Maybe I didn't give it enough time but I really don't have much to waste, so I'm going in with a clear mind and going to try and make the best of it.

 

Thanks man, I'm probally going to need it.

 

Hopefully you're right

 

Jim,
I'm beginning to notice that no matter what you look to find out about a company you will. From the 6 months or so before trucking school up until this week I've been looking to find the negative posts about these companies; and believe me I found plenty. But now since I've come to realize that my fate will lead me to swift on Tuesday, I've been looking for positive comments to try and make me feel better about my decision lol.
And I've found them, seems like more positive than negatives now. I guess its just whichever way you look at the situation and the companies is the answers you will find.

 

Well I Thought I'd just give a little update on my experiences so far. I left out Monday afternoon at about 11am and arrived in Columbus just after dark. The trip there left a lot to be desired, I've never seen so many wrecks on one stretch of interstate in my life lol. Tractors and trailers strung out all through the median on the sides of the road and everywhere else and a 50 car pileup, apparently they don't get too much snow up that way so no one knows how to drive. But anyway I arrived at the hotel; first impression was not that great it looked kinda run down, but after checking in and getting into my room it was very clean and actually halfway decent(for free anyway). So no complaints there. Tuesday morning woke up around 5am so I could get ready and head downstairs as they said the shuttle would be there to pick us up at around 6am. Well It finally showed up around 7:30. After that guy dropped us off at the terminal(very nice I might add) We filled out some paperwork, took our drug screen, and physical, and watched a few videos. For lunch they passed around a menu so we could order what we wanted for lunch we had choices of things like pizza, subs, sandwiches, etc. Very good food, and yes free so even better.. We Wrapped the first day up around 430 and the shuttle took us back to the hotel, about an hour after we got back to the hotel the desk clerk called and informed us that swift had ordered us pizza and it was down in the lobby to come get it. (very nice wasn't expecting that) Next morning woke up packed everything up and checked out of the hotel, and drove myself to the terminal now that I knew where it was. Wednesday was pretty much the same as Monday, watching a million videos, filling out more paperwork, and getting our comdata cards, logbooks, etc taken care of. Lunch was same as yesterday, very good.
Shortly after lunch I was informed that the doctor that gave my physical had messed it up and wrote a bunch of comments on there which caused Memphis or whoever not to accept it even tho I passed. So they gave me a new form and told me to run it down to the OSU medical center and have them fill me out a new one and keep their comments to their self. So that'll be alright no big deal.right. Well when I got there finally after swifts directions got me lost they told me that the doctor that gave my physical wasn't there but she would call him and see what was up. So she called and apparently after he ASSIGNED me my two year card, he had second thoughts about it, that's why he wrote the comments. Apparently he heard a heart murmur that I've had since I was born, which I told him during the test was nothing to worry about. Well the new doc had to give it a listen, and I explained to her what caused it, and she was just being a total #####, but thats a different story. So long story short, she gave me a form I had to bring back home and get my doc here to fill out just stating that I was fine. So OK no big deal I thought, well I haven't been to the doctor in several years, so they had to run all these tests on my before they would sign that paper, and I have no insurance so I had to pay that all out of pocket 500$+. But anyway I finally got the paper signed today and faxed it into Columbus, and she said she got it and would fax it down to Memphis and would call me sometime today, as soon as they got me "coded" or whatever that means.
But all in all I had a great experience and it was no where near as bad as i was expecting it to be, so maybe that's why it seemed OK lol

 

No prob Jim, it wasn't that big of a deal, like I said its something since I was born, its absolutely nothing, so I wouldn't' have had any documentation to give them anyway lol. Its not like I got sent home or anything because of it, EVERYONE in orientation got sent home to wait because they didn't have the results of the drug tests or anything back yet. So at most it just cost me an extra day or two and well quite a bit of money I didn't have but its all working out. Be safe.