Bad experience training but I know I'm good!

I dont think Ive ever seen a Swift truck do 75, lol.

But saying you were "trapped" in the upper bunk? C'mon.

 

I'm still stuck on "I hit something I didn't even notice, but I'm a good driver..."

 

Last I heard, Swift trucks are governed at 65. Must've been a nice downgrade. Swift will ding you for overspending. QC monitors all of those things.

 

There were two things he hit on the right.. and never saw them.. THIS more than any of the rest of the story was what stood out for me. I could fill a book with tales from drivers who insisted that they were fantastic drivers because they never saw what they hit..

 

Don't think about that; there thousands of truckers and many on this forum with university degrees. You'll meet many of them when you finally hit the road.
Focus on finding another job and get started on this new career.

 

Focus on seeing the world as it is, and yourself as you are.

The above posts point out issues with your view of the world around you, and of yourself, and your utter lack of humility.

Too educated to be a truck driver, but too blind to see multiple 'things' that you hit with your trailer?

What, exactly, is it that you believe this job consists of? You'll be pulling that 53' trailer 70 hours a week, I strongly urge you to take a little bit of responsibility for the fact that it's tied to your ###, and regardless of how far that yellow post jumped when it was beside you, YOU HIT IT, without even seeing it? Man, come on, get real, and get freaking responsible.

Dude, take some responsibility, please, before you, with all of your clearly obvious awesomeness, freaking kill someone, whom you didn't see.

 

"Educated" and "Smart" are not synonyms. I have known some very smart uneducated people. Conversely, I have met some REAL STUPID educated people. Good luck. If Swift will take you back, I would recommend jumping through whatever hoops are necessary to get back in the door. They already have an investment in you, they would really like to see some sort of return on that investment I'm sure.

 

I'm gonna refrain from any judgement on this, simply because I am only hearing part of one side of this situation. So, don't feel there's enough here to have any real judgment.
That said, I can speak to Swift. I started with them from scratch. Went to their school in Phoenix, was out with a mentor of their's and have been a solo driver for them for over a year now. My experience has been very good with Swift. I have also not been perfect. I had 2 preventables within my first 3 weeks. I wasn't let go and wasn't under the impression my job was in any jeopardy unless I had another preventable.
Anyway, they have been a very good company to train and learn with. Since they start with so any drivers with no prior experience, they seem set up to train and tolerate inexperienced drivers. But, I have seen those who seem to think they know how to drive a rig and aren't teachable be let go. IDK, I think it is an attitude thing. Once again, not stating this as my opinion of this situation, just what I have seen during my time here.
I was a former white collar professional and had my own reasons for switching to this profession. But, I never professed to know how to do this and have done my best, and continue to do my best to be teachable and learn. One thing I am positive about is that learning to safely and reliably operate a rig is so much different than driving a 4 wheeler. It simply takes time and patience and caution. I really understand why so many places won't consider a driver with less than 2 years of experience.
The biggest gratitude I have for Swift is my ability to stop if I feel, for whatever reason, it is unwise to continue. I have stopped on numerous occasions, for numerous reasons and Swift has done nothing but support me in that regard, even if it means having a late load. At this point, I have been with them long enough and have enough of a track record that they know I am neither lazy or incompetent. So, they know if I do stop. I have a reason for doing so.
I worry that I would be subject to a dispatchers coercion and could end up over my head and in trouble. It means the world to me that I am given the authority to stop if I think that is the right thing to do and have their support in doing such.
As a driver my 1st priority is being safe. 2nd is being legal and 3rd is getting load delivered on-time or as expeditiously as possible. Swift has shown a competent accord with those priorities.
I can only speak to my experience. I have heard many with not such high regard for Swift. But, I'm a happy camper and no intention of moving on any time soon. Also, in comparison to other rates I've seen advertised at other companies, I'm making decent cpm and assorted bennies. So, I got no issues with the pay either.

 

Thanks Six9SGS,
I too got my start with Swift. I did two almost 1 year stints with them. An ailing 86 year old mother pulled me out the 1st time at about 1year. Went home to help my sister take care of mom. Found a local job with Coca Cola. Delivering to C stores, Gas Stations, Mom and Pop outfits, etc. HOLY $#!+..... I learned to hate that job 3 weeks in. But.....stuck it out......Mom died.......life goes on. Contacted Swift. They hired me back on a dime. I had a 100% driver ranking when I left the first time. Went back..... drove for another year..... Left for a chance with a company with a "better fit". I have been with my current company since March. I am very happy with the switch. Danny Herman Trucking has the Lanes, Miles and the Home time that works for ME. Please notice the emphasis on the word ME. This industry is not a "one size fits all" gig. I like to run for 10 weeks and take 2 weeks off. NOT "Turn in the truck and we will issue you a new one when you come back" I park my Tractor at my Home Terminal, leave all of my "stuff" in it, come back 2 weeks later and roll. I may have run off of the beaten path with this post.....sorry. Let me get back to my point. THANK YOU for your post about your experience with Swift. Eff the d bags that will talk $#!+ about a company they "read about" or "watched a YouTube video about"
You have apparently found a comfortable place to learn this business. You may or may not choose to find a different path down the road. Swift provided me with a SOLID FOUNDATION to build on. It seems you have found the same thing. Good luck to you

 

Glad you found a good fit. My priorities are a bit different than most and mine is as much, if not more, about the adventure of it than the pay alone. I stay out about a month and a half to 2 months and then take 5 days hometime. I only take 5 days for the exact reason of getting unseated from my truck (2019 Volvo VNL760). Although, they know I really really like my truck and want to stay in it as long as I can. So, I think they would do whatever they could to let me stay in it if I was gone longer.