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.
Swift Transportation - What The Recruiter Didn't Tell You
Discussion in 'Swift' started by madmoneymike5, Mar 11, 2012.
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...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.Moosetek13 Thanks this. -
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.ronvicki6653, dodgeram440rt and Lepton1 Thank this. -
I was never pushed to drive in bad conditions. Quite the contrary.Moosetek13 Thanks this. -
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.
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Lepton1 Thanks this.
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Rocknroller4 and dptrucker Thank this.
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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.Rocknroller4 and Lepton1 Thank this. -
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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Page 24 of 26