The start of my first year with Swift.

This is a "curtainsider" - a semi towing an additional 2 more trailers. this config is not allowed to run from cities. In qld they can't pick up the trailers until they get out to Roma, 500 kms from Brisbane and then run 3000kms to Darwin. Axles are non adjustable. Passing one of these on a single lane road requires a bit planning.

 

I don't think this guy straps down his load.

 

This is a curtainsider B triple. No drawbar on the 2nd and third trailers. The trailer in front of each has the dolly with the 5th wheel attachment. Permitted to run on selected city roads. You can see why they don't back up to docks for loading although I've seen a guy back one up into a parking spot. Not quite what you'd want to be trying to back up into a space at the Fying J especially if you had only 3 mins of your hours left

 

Being based in Fontana what states or areas did you primarily run?

 

Mostly western 11. I had my "comfort zone" set to west of Mississippi River in the system. But, even with my comfort zone set, I'd run east when they needed me to. Ive not been north of PA. In fact, I was never offered a load anywhere north east but I've ran every other state more than a couple times. Seems like I've spent a lot of time in CO, UT, WY, MT and ID. Not so much time in NM or TX, and too much time in CA, OR, and WA.

 

Thinking more about it, I now recal a load I was offered going somewhere into NJ, which I declined for being out of my comfort zone. North east just does not sound like a fun trip to me!

 

I'm not aware of any fuel bonus for company drivers. Company trucks do not have a real time mpg readout nor do they have a boost gauge. This was a bit of a surprise to me, since fuel savings would be important to the company. My mentor's driving style is to floor it, set cruise control on max, and in heavy traffic accelerate hard and brake hard. Definitely not interested in mpg at all, since it has no impact on his paycheck. Quite the new world for my way of thinking. I suppose the company simply thinks that by governing the trucks at 62 mpg they are automatically getting the most fuel savings they can hope for, but I certainly think a real time readout of mpg and a fuel bonus would go a long way to improving their bottom line.

Another head scratcher is the lack of APU's on the trucks. They monitor idle time as a percentage of total engine time per trip, and if you go over 40% idle time they ding you for it. My mentor is into idling big time. I've seen our total trip mpg drop from 7 mpg to less than 4 on short hauls because of it.

 

Hold on there whoa, Better to do it right, dodn't go flying off the handle, I know your pissed but you can't just walk out if you do you'll be charged with abandonment and that ain't good. 6mos and you've had time to see how it is. But you might want to come back in 6 months or a few yrs. Better to give them a two week notice and find something that shows that you really did put that in like I dodn't know what maybe a email from your DM and then hand over the keys when you get back to home terminal. You got to hand over the keys and sign off on the truck. Cause you might find out the sheet at home is more than the sheet on the road and your still young in trucking,but if you fly home forget it.

 

SNI will run you hard. At least at first and 33 cents a mile. 3 weeks in and I'm praying for a break.