Helpful pointers for a newbie starting @ Swift.

Choosing the right company is a start.

 

Where water shoes or flip flops in the showers. never open you door at night unless it is someone you know. do not buy anything from someone at a truck stop, it may be stolen, or not in the box. like the others said, take your time, drive at your own pace, don't let anyone else intimidate you. Your life, your cdl, your living.

 

If you are the kind of person that can put up with a bottomless pit of bs and keep your cool, hold office workers hands and make them do their job so that you can do yours, all while being treated by nearly everyone at swift like you are just an unbearable nuisance and they can't figure out to save their lives what your problem is and why your still talking to them, then you will be just fine with swift.

There are lots of good tips on here that you need to remember and apply every day.

I'd say the most important is to slow down in tight situations, truck stops, parking lots and stuff. And don't listen to other drivers. No one is driving your truck but YOU. only YOU are responsible for your rig and only YOU will be held accountable if something happens. Take your time, GOAL GOAL GOAL and GOAL again. Even if your 99% sure that your perfectly in the hole and nothing behind you, GOAL. give all those drivers who want to sit in their truck and talk #### on the cb instead of getting out to help something to talk about.

If you run will you make pretty good money with swift. Swift pays .04 cpm higher for a rookie than anyone else I have talked to.

 

@Vilhiem I didn't mean that post towards you, I quoted you cause you said the problem with the rookie money at swift isn't getting it, it's keeping it. Which I have found to be very true

 

You had me wondering! LOL...

I know that to be true because I had a minor problem with that myself. It was easy running into a pilot and grabbing Wendy's for dinner. Except per week I was spending close to 50$, and that was just one week's worth of dinners. I've brought my total out budget down from 300$ to 150$ a week by just not going inside of truck stops.

Nah, I was going to say that I cannot stand, even loathe, being micromanaged and trying to hold someone's hand to walk them through stuff.

If you're new, that's cool. I'll help you with whatever. But don't expect me to sit there and tell you exactly what to do every time.

If you cannot think logically, make connections using common sense and draw your own conclusions... My size 11 wide will point you towards the door.

 

Yeah I wish I owned just one truck stop. The profit must be pretty solid. I had a couple months otr before I came to swift and I always kept my cooler pretty full. Yeah sometimes I had a sandwich for lunch 3 days in a row. But all the stuff I bought for sandwiches was less than 15 bucks. And that's only three sandwhiches. Probably 6 or 7 more sandwhiches can be made out of that 15 bucks. And nevermind the health factor. I'm no fit guy by any means but I know I feel a hell of a lot better after a cold sandwhich than a burger and fries and soft drink.

 

Try to get up early and park early. When you're first starting out, parking can be tough........
I get up at 5:30 and roll at 6 almost every day. And I plan to be parked by 6 that night. If you keep your left door closed, you can easily run 5-600 miles a day. Roll 2.5 hrs., take a 15 minute break. Roll another 2.5 hrs. take a 30 minute break. Roll another 2.5 hrs., take another 15 minute break. Roll another 2.5 hrs, and park.
At 60 mph, that's 600 miles in 11 hrs......a good days work and you're parking between 5 and 6:00 at night. You'll see what I mean when you watch those fellas come in after 8:00 at night and try to park (if there are even any spots left.......).
Also, try to know where you're gonna park, before you start your day. Here's a good tool to use:
http://www.findfuelstops.com/

good luck........remember, it's your truck. Don't let anybody make you do something that is wrong, unsafe, or dangerous. Just keep it between the white lines.......

 

Truck stops also sell a handy guide that lists all truck stops by interstate/road and state. I think it's 6$?

Pick 3 places within 20 miles of each other and leave yourself ample time to get to the next one in case it's full.

Sure, you'll lose some of your daily drive time by stopping early, but it's better than getting hit while parked creatively!