Another One Churned and Burned at Swift

Swift let me go a couple of days ago, I had my third incident. What's crazy is theyall occurred within about a month! I was about 1 week out from a year of driving with absolutely no incidents, and a flawless DMV record.

The first one occurred as I backed into a chain link fence in Tucson. I should haven't even been there, I was supposed to be home but I took a load there because the DM needed his truck serviced. So they had to take the gate off, and reset the post.

The second one happened at a 2am appointment in Phoenix. Tiny maneuvering area, dark out, with other trucks waiting. Trying to get my truck off the main entrance driveway, I had to pull over a rocky area, I hear this crunchy sound thinking it's just the rocks underneath. It's the #### passenger side step panel. There was a fire hydrant recessed where I couldn't see it at night.

The last one angered me though. I arrive at Swift with a T-Call, the guy at the window tells me to put it into the E row. I pull it in, and as soon as you release the brakes, there comes the yard goat telling me to put it into the D row instead. I go around a couple of rows so that I can pull straight in. As I pull into my row it's tied up with a guy doing a jacknife maneuver. I'm deciding if I should wait, or back up up and pull into the other side of the row. I pull up a little bit and "squeak!". The aluminum bottom part of the trailer scrapes the bumper of a rusty old trailer. A Mexican guy comes out of this truck, didn't seem mad. I apologized, backed up and proceeded to the other side of the row. Well that same yard hostler saw it, he was also Mexican. They get together and make a big to do of it and call security. Hell, most of the trailers have scrapes on the lower panels. Nevertheless it was avoidable I know. I'd been out for almost 4 weeks, and totally sleep deprived. As a company driver you drive when they say. They'll send you messages at 3am telling you to get rolling. Then I'm a grimy mess adding to my irritability. Haven't showered in a week and have the worst jock itch ever. They don't like us idling our engines, they send me messages telling me I need to reduce my idling. So you sweat ALOT. Then I saw that boon hogging the whole road, I'm just like, "####! I just want to park this thing, go home, shower, and go to bed".

I clean out my truck meticulously and turn it in for the next driver, it's slip seat.The next day our safety director informs me that they had to let me go. That was my 3rd incident.

So I'm just back at the house taking it easy, catching up on sleep. I'm taking alot of fiber to clean out my system. But I also feel very lost as to what my next move is. I'm 41 and thought I finally had a career. I enjoyed operating a semi tractor/trailer, they're awesome machines. And was pulling in $800/week! I had dreams of maybe driving for Landstar eventually, owning a shiny long-nose truck. I feel like my whole vision has come crashing to an end. I'm looking at jobs in other occupations, none of them get me excited. I could cry.

Our safety guy didn't want to have to fire me, but it was Swift's policy to do so.He gave me a number to call of a company that does alot of staffing for local drivers. He thought I might be better suited for that. He said to tell them he sent me there. Maybe I should just stay positive, get myself together, and work on salvaging my driving career.

 

Thanks for your encouragement, really. I know those incidents were my fault and avoidable. Nothing worse than that feeling right after it happens. You wish you could just go back in time 30 seconds! I have to recognize too that when I'm tired and irritable, that's when I have to be extra careful.