I have been semi good about updating a thread with what has been happening, but I've also held a lot back because I don't like to complain. Now though I'm pretty sure I've reached my hard limit and I need some advice.
I'm out with my mentor. After 4 weeks, I have still only been able to drive 127 of the 200 hours required to upgrade. I am on the Swift flatbed fleet but was sent with a dry van mentor, who a few days after getting on the truck, decided to go Target dedicated regional(my region at that) and since then have been pulling reefers, all in the Southern region... Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana. I'm getting no OTR experience, no winter driving experience when I need it the most(ie when I have someone there to guide me through it so I don't kill myself or someone else). I'm not getting the hours or the miles, because he keeps taking home time and rejecting loads. I stayed with the truck for 72 hours on what was supposed to be a reset, that I didn't even need to take because I had 22 hours coming back over the next 2 days. On top of that, these dedicated loads are all live unloads with multiple stops, so I can't just go off duty and preserve my clock. I have to be inside watching and counting pallets coming off the truck. So I burn 2-3 hours every day just sitting on duty and 2 hours a day in Dallas traffic, and 2 hours a day in traffic wherever the hell these loads are going, because Target stores aren't all in the middle of nowhere unfortunately.
So as a result, both of his laziness and my having to drive the first leg(all night time hours mind you, no day driving experience AT ALL) of every trip and then making all the stops so he can wake up and deadhead back to the terminal...
Well he also keeps trying to get me to drive on his line 5 to the #### truck stop and to the terminal, so he doesn't have to leave his personal vehicle somewhere else. And when I refuse, he then decides I should solo on my line 3 to the truck stop. One is illegal and will get me fired, possibly lose my CDL... And the other is against company policy and will get me fired, ruining my DAC.
Today he also outright lies to me about refusing a load that I woke up to on my phone and the Qualcomm. So not buying that ####, I called the dispatch and said oops, I accidentally refused that load is it possible to resend it to us... And she confirmed that not only did the load get refused but that it was me personally who refused it. He logged in as me and refused the load!
So I asked for another one, which she said would be sent at 7am tomorrow. I messaged him and said fear not, I got us another load so be up at 7am to accept it. And he got pissed, telling me not to tell him what to do and to worry about myself. If he's up he's up, if not oh well... Worry about myself. Well, I am worried about myself now.
Will I be hireable if I have a felony assault charge? Because they just sent me a new load which he accepted and leaves tonight. Problem is I slept 12 hours expecting a load this morning that he rejected and I can't just sleep like that, on top of which, I've half a mind to bobtail to a swift terminal and start returning phone calls to recruiters from other companies.
What the #### should I do? We are now about to be under a load and I'm an hour away from completing 5 days worth of 34 hour resets, been awake for 12 hours and have 3.5 hours until I pick up this load(which he expects me to drive illegally or against company policy to do) and I'm not going to be able to drive for more than maybe 5 hours and he's going to be pissed.
I feel like I have reached my limit with regard to how much #### I should put up with before asking for a new mentor or flatly demanding to be taken to a terminal. It's weird because this dude is an otherwise very cool guy. Maybe that's why I have stuck it out as well. But how the #### am I supposed to go solo flatbed, never having pulled one, over the road never having driven a class 8 vehicle on ice, snow or even with the threat of ice or snow, let alone with spread axles, pulling #### that I will definitely have to scale...
Would you get off the truck?
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by RedRover, Dec 6, 2016.
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I only got 2 paragraphs in.... get a real mentor, not some jack off using you to make money and his life easy. F him. Move on.
randomname, DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife and 17 others Thank this. -
I'd spend some time in the Swift forum and try and connect with somebody who can offer some quality advice related to dealing with the Swift politics and mentor program. Good luck. Don't worry about the winter driving experience and if Swift requires it, then it'll be on them to make it happen. But for now, focus on learning to become proficient with the basics of time management and truck backing skills. The more advanced skills will then come much easier as your more comfortable in the job and the truck.
DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife, Lepton1 and 5 others Thank this. -
If anybody were acting manipulatively and using my name to do it... I'd be tempted to garrote them with their own seatbelt.
So yeah, I'd split, since prison isn't an appealing option.AnotherObserver, DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife and 7 others Thank this. -
I agree with STexan don't worry about the winter driving. I would think you would know who to contact at Swift to get a new trainer, didn't they give you phone numbers to call for any type of issue like a driver manager?
AnotherObserver, NavigatorWife and RedRover Thank this. -
Call your driver leader [not his) and report whats going on and request another mentor immediately . There is no excuse what he is doing. Also dont ever get into any kind of physical altercation with anyome. Immediate termination
AnotherObserver, DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife and 4 others Thank this. -
AnotherObserver, DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife and 4 others Thank this.
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This is what you should expect when you sign on with a mega carrier. Find a decent company to work for.
edit:
DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife, ExOTR and 2 others Thank this. -
Regardless, this IMO should be the last straw.DustMyBroom, NavigatorWife, icsheeple and 2 others Thank this. -
This is true. Either way, it's on his trainer.
OP, if you're too fatigued to drive safely, then refuse to drive. The company cannot take any adverse action against you for refusing to drive while unfit.
Yes, you should pack your stuff and get a cab to the nearest airport. Fly back to the terminal and get on another truck.
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