Best Swift Terminal-Worst Swift Terminal

Well, I think the worst is Otay Mesa, CA for facilities. The worst office attitude is Fontana, CA but that's based on the fact that I had a male weekend trip planner follow me into the inside ladies room to inform me that drivers were not allowed to use the restrooms inside the building. A janitor let me in because the drivers restrooms had been shut down for cleaning for 45 minutes. Ever since this happened I just think they're the jerks of the world.

And as for my favorite........my little home terminal in Casa Grande located at the Wal-Mart DC. It's small but friendly, our rest rooms are kept clean, we have a small exercise area with equipment, NO window that you must use. You get to come right into the office and talk directly to the staff. Our shop has always done well by us but we have had to wait on parts like the panel that had to be replaced after I hit that suicidal deer. We don't have food other than the vending machines but.....neither do a great many terminals. LOL

I <3 my terminal

 

Best and worst for what?

My opinion(s)? Never drive through a terminal gate unless you're outbound, on a tcall or you need to get a B service to get yourself off safety hold because you've been so successful at avoiding terminals.

Don't breakdown near a terminal. While I've experienced occasional satisfaction at some, no shop is reliable for a correct diagnosis or a timely and accurate repair, no matter how simple.

As a rule, shop and office personnel don't like you. They know you're coming in with a problem and they know you'll eventually leave, problem solved or not. They don't get to run away from the insanity like you do.

I can't complain about the food at any terminal that attracts outside vendors and I've never had food from any that was worth making a special trip for. I don't shower at terminals. Nudity surely increases my vulnerability. I haven't been to my home terminal in almost 2 years. I've never met my DM, FM or TM. They sound nice enough on the phone and that's all I need to know.

Compared to the others, Sparks and Lewiston are Shang-ri-la! If it wasn't for mountains and winter, I would try to get a dedicated run from one to the other. You can visit either anonymously and they both offer convenient access to at least some things, whether or not you can use your truck. Sparks, of course, offers gambling, Lewiston has the Wrangler and the hotels are cheap (Red Lion is full service and they'll pick you up!).

An OKC DM offered and gave me a ride to my hotel!

Menasha WW (window woman) gave me a hotel voucher just because I inquired about hotels!

Other than that, nothing good ever happened at a terminal.

Mira Loma offered to let me sleep in a loaner . . that's a TERMINAL.

I forgot about Pueblo. Pueblo is a perfect terminal. It's permanently unmanned and vacant, for the most part. It's actually kind of funny. It seems to exist only as an overflow lot for MTs from the Target DC. The Target people treat it as though it's still open. They don't release MTs. If you need one (of course) "You'll need to check with your terminal." "The vacant one?" "Yes. The vacant one." And there have always been MTs available. Remove the bureaucracy and the system works quite well.

And anyone who has anything good to say about the Phoenix terminal is living in a different dimension than me.

And you can still park . . well . . a few of you can . . at the defunct Eden terminal . . if you can find it. And, if you need service, there's a service guy who lives nearby, with a service truck, who'll come to you.

And the Gary terminal wasn't on fire, it was something nearby. Too bad.

 

I did park at the Eden terminal in the employee parking lot. There is 2 guys that do road call out of there. The head guy helped me find an empty, did some minor repairs and diagnosed a problem that he didn't have parts for.

There is a for sale sign in the front of the terminal. Fleet Master under bid Swift and we lost a big account at Miller/Coors right behind there.

 

The Fontana terminal driver's area has been greatly improved since 1nonly was there. I remember the trailers. There is an inside driver's lounge now with a large women's room, two new showers, a TV area that hasn't been fouled with body funk yet, a microwave, laundry facilities....hugely improved over a few years ago. Still nothing to eat unless you get it from the vending machine, wait for the taco wagon or walk three blocks over to Two Sisters.

The lot was cut because the people the other part was being leased from thought they might be able to get more money from the truck stop. Apparently, the truck stop wasn't interested. Since Mira Loma is so close, overflow is sent there.

Mira Loma is not a terminal. It is a drop yard. It will not have the same amenities as a terminal, although there is a single pathetic little shower upstairs from the shop.

So. My favorites: Sumner, Troutdale, Albuquerque and Lewiston.

Wrost ones in my opinion? Decatur, Lancaster and Gary.

It's about the people for me. You can have fantastic facilities, but if the people are d***s, there's no use in bothering to go there.

Number 1 for me is Troutdale. (Maybe I'm biased.)

Bottom of the s***-pile is Decatur. Hands down. I avoid it like it'll give me the plague.

 

See, it's all relative.

Things change, things improve or worsen and sometimes it's just a matter of who is on duty and the day.

Injun (who's opinion I value highly) thinks Troutdale is great.....my experience there was very different. They had a nice facility but well.......we went down and stayed at a truckstop. Of course that was when I was first on the road and I was much more easily intimated. Perhaps now I'd just bite the window worker's head off and hand it back to him. LOL

 

OH Yeah, Walmart, forgot about those little terminals. I've only been to a couple of them but the planners/DM's? whoever they are are generally extremely helpful and nice to the drivers.I would probably try to find a home at a Walmart DC except I don't care for standing on the dock and trying to rip off those little stickers from each pallet and pasting them to the invoice sheet-- you have about 7 associates running around like little worker bees with pallet jacks trying to unload your trailer as fast as possible but often times have to run them down to get the little stickers- hate that.

 

I suppose it depends on several factors when you are at a terminal. Sort of like meeting someone for the first time...first impressions can be everlasting...lol anyway I think the one's that I am familiar with are ok...because I know what to expect. Manteno-Gary-Laredo-Lancaster-Memphis-Phoenix....been in and out of a few others but I really try to avoid the terminals...and syracuse sux.
My biggest complained about terminals is that they all have different procedures for everything from entry to premesis to picking up or dropping a t-call. Why can't they all operate all the terminals the same way? I have sat at the entry gate for 15 minutes before I realized everyone else just blows thru whatever opening is available (that's how I learned to back up)...I try to understand the rules and then play by them....seems the bottom line is just do things however you want then act dumb if someone says you did it wrong.
Oh well Phoenix and Larado tie for the best.

 

The 4 things that I liked about the Laredo terminal, at least when I was there, 3 lines for trailer insepction and moving quick, night dispatch was very friendly and helpfull, the lunch wagon out front, and the guy that brings pizza at night for sale. I think that it was Papa Johns.

 

I think the cycling water pressure in the showers is fun. You never know where to stand to get wet.

But I do like the shower rooms. As long as you get one that the toilet paper hasn't been stolen out of.


And, a perplexing question that has been bugging me: What are they doing with all the gladhand seals off the trailers?? Is there some black market in Mexico for gladhand seals? Are they on the controlled substances list over there? Are they being used in jewelry making? WHAT?!? I mean, really!

 

*looks up from my gladhand seal jewelry work bench and tries to look innocent* WHAAAAT? I know nothing about missing seals.