Going with SWIFT...

I'm gonna give Lowe's a try and see what happens, if I don't like it I still have Swift. I sent the recruiter an e-mail, now although I didn't hear back from him (I am assuming he is ticked off) I can always try a different recruiter and jump on the "team" as the recruiter put it. If not there are plenty of companies willing to screw over a newbie like me...

 

I'm only going to be driving their flat bed tractor-trailer not the straight truck. I just went through my first day of orientation everything went well and I have a road test after some computer based learning stuff tomorrow. I start at 0600 and should be out by 1500 tomorrow.

I agree I should have gone with an OTR company to get the experience BUT this job came up finally after looking and applying a bunch of times and I took it.

I'm just wondering what to expect for the road test never been through one minus with the DMV Inspector back in late 09.

 

Well, I've gone through about 3 days of Orientation. I was supposed to get road tested yesterday but the driver I rode along with didn't have time so I just watched him do the job and he took me back to my store.

So Monday I am supposed to be road tested which is done in the parking lot that I know of. Then once I am released I will be going out with him for a day and he will watch me do everything to make sure I can handle the truck with an actual load since the truck handles, turns, shifts and brakes differently then when it's empty.

Also due to my lack of experience. He even said I would have been better off going to Swift, but if I did I would have found something better most likely by the time I got out of there in a year or 2.

So I am just gonna let "Jesus take the wheel" on this one and if I do good I do good if not well I will re-apply with Swift and US Xpress and see which one bites.

Wish me luck.

 

Well I gotta say doing flatbed is fun as hell, only thing is I am short and have trouble getting up on the bed. Also, since it's been a year since I have seen the inside of a rig I did horrible shifting but took my turns well a little wide but it's because I am not used to such a short bed I am used to 48ft. Driver told me you had your moments where you shifted well others where you didn't. So I didn't technically pass my road test but then again I didn't actually take a legit one. We drove through some new development with tight streets and some hills in a sub-urban area.

The driver(mentor if you wana call him that) thought it would have been best if I would have gone with an OTR company so I could have the skills of shifting and driving with weight on the truck vs how the school taught me with an empty he was telling me it acts different then when empty.

So tomorrow morning I am gonna head in and talk to the HR Manager and Store Manager let them know I would like to work in the store until I find out if Swift, US X, or another company will except me. Then hopefully after 6mts-2yrs I can find something better.

#### I was happy I was doing well with everything else I'm pissed at myself and kicking myself in the tail for not doing good with a few simple things..


If I want I have 1 more chance to prove myself after that it will be a no go for me. BUT I am just gonna do what I said above. Funny thing is today I would have been completing my first day at Swift's Orientation.