Swift Transportation - What The Recruiter Didn't Tell You

Discussion in 'Swift' started by madmoneymike5, Mar 11, 2012.

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  1. Friday

    Friday Road Train Member

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    Apr 7, 2016
    Charlottesville, Va
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    I don't carry chains. My company actually requires me not to.

    Here's why

    I don't go to states that require them.

    Now while you may think this is a bad thing... I did as well at first. But you know where I was this winter instead of Donner? In the Carolinas. Or Texas. Or even Ohio/Indiana. It snowed, sure. But I only stopped for one evening all winter because of weather.

    So yeah. Not having to carry chains is a big plus in my book now. And that's what I assume people really ask when they ask if I do or not.
     
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  3. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Nov 23, 2012
    Yukon, OK
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    Here's a scenario that illustrates what I am saying...

    ...running west/southbound on US-277 from Wichita Falls toward Abilene at night. Roads are dry. Suddenly a blizzard comes on you.

    While I know this route like the back of my hand, I know that safe places to stop are far apart and best known by those that travel the route frequently. Take a typical OTR driver in that situation and there aren't many or any options.

    You HAVE to be able to drive in bad conditions UNTIL you can find a safe place to park. If you are overwhelmed by the conditions you become the hazard.

    Learn to drive when conditions are bad. Learn how to put on your chains, preferably on a sunny day in a terminal. All my trainees put on chains in Swift terminals several times before I finished their training. Some we're blessed to chain up in real conditions and have me in the passenger seat, talking them down Cabbage Hill in a blizzard.

    Beyond Swift and similar companies, there are opportunities for drivers that have skills when conditions are bad. I'm a prime example. I left Swift two years ago, to pull flatbed for the oil industry. Ice storms, muddy steep hills, or blizzards. It doesn't matter to me. If it's possible to get a truck there I get it there.

    Safely.
     
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  4. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    Nov 1, 2010
    Burnsville, MN
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    That is a good point, and one that should be made throughout this industry.
    The people at Swift respect the driver's decision to shut down when the DRIVER deems it prudent.

    Too many people want to bash Swift as a bottom feeder because they train and hire new drivers, and for being on the lower end of the pay scale.
    Some say Swift is abusive to drivers.

    I say nay.
    And yet again nay.

    Swift always defers to the drivers judgement in cases of safety - to a fault!
    It is usually the drivers fault when something goes wrong, and not the fault of Swift people 'pushing' them to do something unsafe.
     
  5. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Amen.

    I was never pushed to drive in bad conditions. Quite the contrary.
     
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  6. Traffic Jam

    Traffic Jam Bobtail Member

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    May 9, 2017
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    I sure appreciated your article. Do you mention pay for lumpers? How that is arranged/coordinated when driving for Swift? If so, what page? Thanks.
     
  7. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    When you get the lumper's tax ID and amount to pay, you send a Macro message on the Qualcomm with that information. They send back a message that lets you write a Comdata check for that amount. No money out of your pocket.
     
  8. dptrucker

    dptrucker Road Train Member

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    adelanto,ca.
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    Just make sure you turn in all lumpers receipts to get reimbursed
     
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  9. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Yes, any expenses that need to be charged to the company have to be scanned together with your trip paperwork. If you don't then that lumper fee will get taken out of your paycheck until you do scan it.
     
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  10. Antinomian

    Antinomian Road Train Member

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    Buy a white legal pad. Every time you need a reimbursement do the following. In the top left hand corner list the trip#, the truck#, the trailer#, and your driver code. In the top right print the amount you want to be reimbursed and circle it. Under the amount write the purpose: lumper, oil, washer fluid, load locks, etc. If the amount is more than $20 you will need a PO#. There's a macro to request that, or you can just send a free form message saying how much you spent and what it was for (but you must use the special macro if it's for a lumper). Write the PO# at the top in the middle. Now tape the receipt to the page and circle the amount that corresponds to what you are requesting. Scan it in with your trip paperwork and the reimbursement will be on your next check.

    I had problems getting reimbursed only twice in four years. The first time I had had five tolls in one trip and put all five receipts on the same page. Payroll said only one receipt per page and made me resubmit it. The other time was a reimbursement for bottled DEF fluid. They said they don't pay for bottled DEF. I even had a PO# for it, but they never paid it.

    Payroll will not call you and tell you if there is anything wrong with a reimbursement request. The first you'll know about it is when it doesn't show up on your check. So you have to review all your reimbursements every time you get a check.

    I claimed everything I could: washer fluid , straps, oil, etc. Loves had a cheap in-house brand of oil that cost less than $20 with tax so I could buy it without having to mess with a PO#. A couple of times I did request they raise the limit for reimbursements without a PO from $20 to $25 so we could buy better oil, but that was a waste of time. Swift doesn't pay any attention to drivers.
     
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  11. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    Burnsville, MN
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    I once had to get fuel at a non-approved station because I was in the middle of nowhere.

    I didn't check the receipt close enough - it said unleaded fuel and not diesel.
    That one was not reimbursed, and I was out $125.
     
    Lepton1 Thanks this.
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