Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Discussion in 'Swift' started by DocWatson, Jan 3, 2013.

  1. DocWatson

    DocWatson Road Train Member

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    Jan 21, 2010
    Jersey shore
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    I'll keep that in mind about Lancaster. I would have been better either going to Lancaster and t-calling to pick up a load heading more east, northeast. I think the biggest mistake was heading due east from Houston out into Louisiana.

    The hometime was put in about 2.5 weeks prior to the actual date. I kept up with them about it coming up it just went to hell once I delivered that load near Baton Rouge. I know they overshoot the hometimes in either direction. Heck, once I was 7 days late for a hometime but since the terminal manager had spoken to me earlier about getting me there on time I figured they had a plan and had it under control. Once I was stuck at the WAlmart over the weekend, I was dealing with planners out of Memphis who didn't want to make any decisions without my driver manager whom was coming back in on Monday.

    Just a crap situation all around.
     
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  3. capthook

    capthook Light Load Member

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    Jul 16, 2010
    NC
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    Basic hometime, whatever. Get me there within a day or two after no big deal.
    Usually it's the day after.
    IMPORTANT home time?
    Schedule two days before. The 23rd, put in 21st.
    And get to the region ahead of time.
    In Texas and need VA?
    Preplan not going East...declined.
    "Need a load going east for christmas hometime please. Thank you"
    And only time/experience can help you figure where to be/not be for loads to wherever.
    For VA, Memphis and atlanta are good.
     
  4. inkeper

    inkeper Road Train Member

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    Jan 30, 2011
    Texas
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    I won't mislead you on loads going east out of Lancaster, most go on the shuttle, it's what I do. There are 12 trucks everyday except Sunday, that run halfway to Memphis, to meet a Memphis driver, we swap loads and go back from whence we came. However there are times that there is more freight going east than we have trucks to handle the loads, especially on weekends, Sunday in particular.

    During the week, your best bet in Lancaster is to take a load to OKC, then get one going east, or wherever you want to go, from there.

    But like I said earlier, when in Lancaster and dealing face to face with the people at the window, treat them as you would want to be treated, politely. I've seen drivers at the window get rude, throw fits, and shout and scream, thinking that they will get something. Well they get something alright, their truck is quietly and inconspicuously moved down the list.
     
  5. Wolfyinc

    Wolfyinc Road Train Member

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    Apr 21, 2013
    Salem, or
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    if you put hometime early and all else fails if you get there too early then just try and take a couple local runs if you dont want to get off yet, thats what I did on one hometime request, I put it for 2 days earlier than I really wanted, they actually got me there 1 day earlier than I requested.....yet if I request the actual day I want then its 2 days late....go figure.
     
  6. DocWatson

    DocWatson Road Train Member

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    Jan 21, 2010
    Jersey shore
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    True. Lesson learned. Next time I'll schedule it a day earlier at least and then try to get local runs if I'm too early. Most of my hometimes don't really matter that much as far as getting there on time. Most of the time it is simply just some time off out of the truck. This time was different and as Murphy's Law would have it, it got messed up.

    I'll keep that in mind about those loads out of those terminals. Like everything else in this profession, a lot of this is trial and error and just learning things the hard way.
     
  7. TeamingW/BF

    TeamingW/BF Bobtail Member

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    Dec 23, 2013
    Plano, TX
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    I did ask for a non-smoking truck due to the small size of the cab with 2 smokers (yes, I am a smoker) would be just gross. I should probably change this. I know I will be smoking at school. If Doc couldn't do it, just don't think I'll be able to quit just yet with the stress of school and everyone smoking there. I had planned on non-smoking and thought I could smoke an e-cig or get one of the vapor ones while I'm out on the road with my driver trainer. I talked to my recruiter about this and he didn't think I'd be able to do this. Haven't decided yet... Even though I'm a smoker, it usually takes me 3 days to go through a pack. If I end up with a driver trainer that chain smokes, I will definitely get nauseous.
     
  8. MysticHZ

    MysticHZ Road Train Member

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    Training would be a bad time to quit. Go with a smoker.

    I'm a non-smoker and there is no grey area. One cigarette a week or e-cig, you're not riding in my truck ... and for the record, I don't train.
     
  9. Wolfyinc

    Wolfyinc Road Train Member

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    Apr 21, 2013
    Salem, or
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    I dont think ecigs are a problem, I was with a non smoker and I had one of the better e-cigs that uses the juice and he was perfectly cool with me using that which I used the whole time never touching a real cig during training. It only gives off a water vapor, he actually liked the smell too since I would have cherry or watermelon.
     
  10. OzzyOKC

    OzzyOKC Light Load Member

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    May 29, 2010
    Durant, OK
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    does swift have any automatic trucks?
     
  11. MysticHZ

    MysticHZ Road Train Member

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    May 28, 2010
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    Swift tries out a lot of different things in their fleet. So there may be a few autos out there. But as a rule, no.
     
    Grijon Thanks this.
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