Chronicles of a Swift trainee

It's advisable to have $130 a week when you're on the road. I figure $30/day at most, because by the time you get food twice a day, drinks, smokes, and shower if you dont have enough credits on your rewards cards... it comes to a lot. Cat scales cost $10-12 for the first weigh, then $2-3 for each re-weigh. You'll notice that a lot of drivers don't scale their loads when they're less than 35k pounds. As long as you're under 32,000 on the trailer axles, you're legal. That's not how I would like to do it, but its what my mentor is doing. She says that load scaling is not reimbursable but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Maybe over 35k pounds is reimbursable though seeing as how you need a scale ticket before a t-call is needed on a load that heavy.

You will also more than likely not be going home during your training unless your assigned mentor is from your area. Mine is from Maine and I'm from NJ, so she put me up in a hotel this weekend. I just spent $9 to wash and dry two loads of laundry today at a laundromat. I took a $100 advance a few days ago and its gone already. It's expensive out here! Once I get my own truck, off to Costco I go! Gotta buy in bulk and from grocery stores. I got a huge bag of chips at Shaw's for the same price as a tiny bag from the Flying J.

 

its under 34000 on your tandems your legal. but yeah any load that is under 35000 or so you dont really ahve to worry about. i scale anything under 32,000 just to be safe and make sure. my kw im in now has an air gauge so i can always know what i am on my steers and drives so that is nice

 

Oh, yes, 34k. My mistake! The air gauge setup would be really nice to have in fleet trucks. It would make self-scaling a lot easier and less if a burden on the companies who don't reimburse for scaling but do take care of cost of tickets.

 

as long as you scan your scale receipt...they"ll reinburse you.

 

Yep, that's how it works! Ask about the pay cycle though because I just got my first check today and the period ended on the 13th with a 22nd check date. 9 days seems kind of excessive to me, but who knows.