Beginning my Process with Swift

Let's see if I can catch up here. Been rolling along as hard as we can go basically. We started to get some loads that were more to a team type operation so have been hitting the miles! From Paris wnet to Tulsa then back up into PA. Zigged a bit there down to Hebron KY back to Columbus then bingo out to Denver! Pulled a consigned load for Foward Air and dropped in Denver. Got a load of cans from Coors delivering into Los Angeles tonight. Sitting at the Petro in Vegas doing Laundry now. I'm needing less than 40 hours now to be done and am looking foward to working our way back to FL! My mentor has been great and has set me up for success I feel. I've been given all the backs I want even if a back wasn't needed. Yesterday leaving Golden for instance, instead of staying on I70 he puts me on US6 the HC route better known as Loveland Pass at the Continental Divide! Holy crap! But I'm glad he did, I feel really confident with mountain grade driving after that episode. Well for warm weather at least! He has a sense of humor too! Says 'If you make it over and down, you pass.' LOL!!

 

And we're done, with the training/mentoring process that is! We got a load right out of Cali from Pasadena up to Boise, ID. From there we pulled a load down into Denver and then had a pre-plan from Coors waiting on us to take over into Elkton, VA. I was concerned once we got into VA they'd start zig zagging us again through the VA/PA/OH triangle they seem to love dispatching. But, the load gods smiled and nodded and we got us a two stop paper load out of WV to take into Jacksonville, FL From there we dead headed in to Ocala on Tuesday evening. Would have tested out Tuesday but due to some poor load planning on the shipper's part that, didn't quite work out. It was a heavy load about 43k. Stop one was supposed to be two rolls at around 5k. Well, we opened the doors at stop one and guess what was there. You betcha, 38k pounds of paper for stop two. Heh, the other 5k was in the nose yay! And of course, stop two appointment is 3 hours in the future. Lovely. So we head over to #2 and get docked in and start sitting. Long story short got to the yard too late to get my road test in. No worries, hit the house for the evening and went back in Wed a.m. Road test went very well and was quite simple if you ask me. I enjoyed the whole process. Did a short 55 question common sense quiz on general stuff and Swift stuff and that was it. Was given a hearty congratulations by my DM and introduced to the FM. He asked me what I wanted to do as I had about 6 days coming to me. I told him I'd like the rest of week and weekend off and was told no problem enjoy your home time. I'm to call him on Friday about my truck assignment and will go back to the yard Monday to get on my truck and go over her and get ready to roll.

The 240 hours still worked out to be almost a full six weeks. Six weeks out is tiring. Very tiring. Mentor and I were both READY to get back in. I know it's hit or miss out there on the quality of the mentors as mine told me horror stories. I was one of the fortunate ones and very glad I got the guy I did. As I said before, the Swift training program isn't perfect. It's like anything, anywhere else though really. You truly will get out of it as well, what you are willing to put into it. I'm happy and satisfied and ready to get on with my career. At this point I'm prepared to recommend the Swift program to anyone needing to get that beginner's start in trucking. Will I stay with them ? Only time will tell, I do know this much. They will get the year out of me for sure and I'm planning to give them the 26 months I'll need for this all to work out to have been free. If you keep in your mind that Swift is like any other company out there, only way larger, you'll be fine. I'm not just talking about Commercial Carrier business either. I'm talking in general. I've been treated well overall and have no regrets.

 

Still waiting on a truck assignment
The FM told me this morning there were a few going through
shop so hopefully by tomorrow I'll have one. I was stir crazy after about
two days home. Bouncing off walls now.

 

Gave the FM the requested afternoon callback and,...... yes!! My chariot awaits! Well, it's being all 'fixed' up in shop now. I report back to the Ocala Yard tomorrow a.m. to get started! Wooohoo can't wait! See y'all out there!

 

I got two rolls!