Diary of a New Swift Driver

Too bad GM, just don't let it "drive" YOU crazy... if you read the threads in TTR of ANY company: Central, Schneider, Prime, FFe, all you KNOW that getting a good trainer is a crap shoot --> SOME people have an experience they remember for a lifetime ... YIKES!!!! and what can a company REALLY do? when you think about it... being that trainers are in short supply? Be cool, we are all rooting for you.

 

Did you have to sign a 1 year contract when you started with swift?

 

Gold miner tell him to get his Layz a ss moving

 

If you get your CDL through Swiift, you will have a student loan that needs to be repaid. They will take $75 from each check and then immediately give you $37.50 back. This will continue for 13 months, at which time, you will not have anything left to pay. If you leave the company for any reason during that time, you will owe the outstanding balance of the loan. As long as you make arrangements to repay that loan and meet the conditions of those arrangements, Swift will neither add interest nor harass you about it.

It's not like some companies where if you leave before a specific time, you owe the entire amount of the loan immediately.

 

Im on my 6th week out otr, but that's by choice. No reason to go home when im running as well as I am.

Gold, hope yer taking advantage of this down time, meaning that you've taken all the required classes, watched all the kiosk vids, studied yer handbook on qualcom macros, etc.. go out to a day cab, practice yer pre trips, I mean id be taking advantage of this idle time, rather than 'no offence' complaining on a forum.

That being said.. yer actually lucky, as I've talked to students that have it far worse of than yerself. What are you going to do when freight is slow and yer sitting 30+ hours at some hole in the wall truck stop?

Wish you luck, and know you'll get yer 240 done, eventually. Hang in there bro.

 

Those kiosk vids are terrible, I had to watch the winter driving one and it taught me nothing, my eyes glazed over at one point. My mentor asked me what I learned and I said, not a #### thing, just some bits about trucks sliding or whatever. He asked if they showed chaining up or anything like that, said nope, asked a few other questions and then said I don't think you looked at the right one, got an office guy to find it for us (that was the best part, looked and tried to sound like shaft, love that black guy in columbia, made me laugh) and was the same one I already looked at

 

Hi I'm hoping to be attending the swift school in Phoenix pretty soon just waiting on the results from my background check right now. This thread has helped me in making up my mind to go with swift so thanks.
I have a question I can't find an answer to. while your with a mentor are you getting paid a daily rate or do you get paid for miles right off the bat?

I got to add you swift guys and gal seem to be the most helpful people here.

 

Hey: for 1 when your backing while ur training you should always get out and look just to be perfectly sure of where you are. If your trainer doesn't like it to bad he might say its his truck his way but you tell him its swifts truck not his and while your backing its your driving not his don't NOT get out cuz he says its embarrasing cuz if you hit something that's on you not him....just some advice from another driver lol even if it seems easy just make sure you get out before you hit something and blow your chances with your driving career cuz of your mentor.

 

Depends on both the Mentor & the Newbie right outta truck driving school! I heard plenty of horror stories however, I was really lucky & got Mr.Miguel Maxwell a long-time Swifty - he taught me to DRIVE & was a good person to learn from, a great Guy.

At the end of the day its on the new driver - if you meet-up with an #######, ask for another Mentor. Swift has a vested interest in making you THEIR driver.

This life is not for everyone, trust me. KB