My Time With Swift

Ok, let me address this weeding process and the orientation. When you apply with a company, you provide them with all your personal information, references, and job history. Then the recruiter calls you, or you call the recruiter, and they ask more questions and email you a release form so they can check your background. Many drivers think that by the time they get to orientation, the comapny has already run all their checks and everything should be good to go. This is not true.

When the recruiter gives you the go ahead for orientation, they have only done a preliminary check to see if you pass the basic requirements for the company. They aren't going to waste their time and money doing full background checks on someone who isn't going to qualify. The truth is, the full background checks aren't performed until you are in orientation and have passed the physical.

Everyone has heard the stories about their orientation classes starting out with 50 drivers but maybe only 20 pass. Why? The majority of those are eliminated by the physical, and even those aren't completely disqualified. Many of them just have some issue that they need to return home to see their Dr. and then can return to orientation again. The physical is the big thing. Once you pass the physical, that gives the company the go ahead to complete the background check. That is when you start to see other drivers get sent home for some reason or other.

Ironrider, I would suggest that if you have any medical conditions, go to orientation over prepared. Get in to see your dr for a check up before you leave for all the tests and bloodwork or whatever the issue involves. Get any release form from the dr that says he clears you for driving and as long as you have been honest with your background and driving records, you'll have nothing to worry about.

 

I'm not in a contract with Swift since I attended an outside school so I ca actually leave anytime I feel the need to. The fact that I'm still here should attest to something. The honeymoon is most definately over, but I still don't plan on going anywhere else just yet. Everything has been about as expected. It's been said if you have a problem with your DM, Just say so and you will get another one. It took some persistance on my part, but I did get a new DM. If there has ever been an issue with my pay or anything else, it has always been fixed whenever I bring it up. Case in point, the load I just dropped thursday morninng. My wife noticed when it got posted to my pay it was only 410 miles, but I know the preplan and dispatch said 434 miles. I called my DM about it and after he verified that the preplan did in fact say 434 miles, he sent a message to payroll to get it adjusted.

I have said before and will say it again, Swift, as well as any company out there, is made up of the people that work for it and as such is far from perfect. People make mistakes, have a bad hair day, deal with cramps, whatever. The problem with dealing with a company made up of people is that you have to deal with people. If you cannot accept that people make mistakes, find another job.