Helpful pointers for a newbie starting @ Swift.

heres the number 1 advice when you get into a pickle pull over and shut the truck off and relax for 5 to 10 minutes its hard to do but it is a life saver to be able to clear your mind then re examine a situation any where from getting lost stuck or stuggling to back in

 

I had my permit and all endorsments before going.
You'll have both good and bad trainers you'll also see that you can't fail once you have your permit.

Watch these videos this is everything they will go over with you

 

They had a tale at sni about a guy who followed his GPS... A long one. I'll spare you.

The short version, when you drive a 4-wheeler and not a semi you can follow that thing off the edge of a cliff if you so wished. In a 4-wheeler you can get out of most situations without having to call the police or tow truck for help.

When you have your cdl, that "Global positioning system" means something else. "Good place to start."

I let my GPS build a route, then while it's doing that I pull down my trusty atlas that works no matter what and come up with my own. Usually they match, but that time when the routes don't match... Well, that could be what Rusty is talking about...

(Let's just say an sni driver quite literally followed the GPS off a cliff.......)

This! Remember this!

 

Use The Smith System. It is named for the person that developed it. 1. Aim high in steering. 2. Get the big picture. 3. Keep your eyes moving. 4. Leave yourself an out. 5. Make sure they see you.

 

When you hit the six month mark....get the hell away from Swift as fast as you can and go for a smaller local company or driver temp company (Pro drivers,Drivers Ambition etc)
That said here is what I did that has protected my license to this day and I am sure I do not need to explain you the value of a clean record especially today with the CSA.
1) ALWAYS inspect that truck.
2) NEVER drive tired.
3) NEVER speed...not even a few miles over....no matter what the other idiot drivers might say on the cb.
4) NEVER drive in weather that you feel is unsafe...no matter what dispatch or your company says. Shut down or stay home until road conditions improve.
5) NEVER drive close with other trucks. I cannot tell you the times I have seen wrecks where a group of say 3-5 trucks were close...one had a blow out...went into another truck and soon you had a pile up.

Always remember YOU are the only one looking out for your license and protect that because your future career depends on it. Using these simple rules and a few others I have had a perfect career and you can use this later to negotiate better runs....more home time and money.

 

Good luck

why wait 6 months I started getting pre approved during training at swift and got a better offer so I'm taking it. Swift isn't for everyone but if you leave make sure you have your hard copy in hand befor doing so