Can I go somewhere else

Give it a chance before you think about it. Most students don't know what they're talking about because they don't know trucking. There's a lot of truth to that.

 

Not true at all. Yes some mentors don't care but there are plenty that do. If you find yourself with a mentor who is abusive to you or you just don't get along with, call your manager and ask to be put on a new truck. My husband is a mentor with Swift who started like you did by going through their school. His mentor was good to him and his past students will tell anyone that he isn't the type who doesn't care. You learn plenty while driving your 240hrs. It's called a little bit of experience.

 

Bad Mentors are NOT exclusive to Swift. There is good and bad peoplein that position. i trained some for Swift, i saw good trainers in a lot of terminals, and a few people that would be happier working at a Fried Twinkie stand

 

No reason you can't move on if you find something better. There is always a company out there willing to hire a driver with little or no experience. I am proof of that. After a 10 year break from trucking I had to start all over. I hired on with Schneider because they accepted newbies and they were the best for for me at that time. On my TAH I spent it looking for a better paying job. I was hired by Schneider on Jan 30 2013. On April 20 2013 I found a local/OTR company to hire me. I drive local and have the option to go OTR whenever I want. Best company I've worked for. Great pay, great dispatchers, great shop. They address every issue you bring to them. Great equipment! On the rare occasions you have to buy a fuse, bulb, coolant, washer fluid, etc. you are reimbursed as soon as you turn in the receipt. None of this waiting until your next check. The Boss isn't a cheapskate like you hear about with many smaller companies.

My point? Don't listen to people who tell you that you have to "stick it out". If you find a better company willing to hire you then go for it. Best of luck driver!

 

Living in Cicero, you're in a good location for some excellent jobs. Stick with Swift for you're initial experience. Swift will probably let you transfer to flatbed division at some point. Many start out with Swift flatbed; did you ask about that?

 

I have met a lot of drivers who started with Swift, moved to a dedicated route as soon as they could, then moved on to a better job after a year or so. They were all happy with the experience Swift provided.

 

f
You'll learn how to not hit stuff or you'll hit lots of stuff and realize this isn't for. There's really only one way to learn how to drive a truck and that is to drive one. A good trainer is only an extra.

 

Your a day late and a dollar short in getting your research work done on Swift. Your better off sticking with them, getting your experience and moving on to better places. I've read where other newbies from Swift got a good mentor, so its not impossible.