Diary of a current Swift flatbed driver

Do you need to have the other experience to go to flatbed or can you just start out in trying to get onto flatbed with swift?? Would running box first help and this is just for someone who just got their cdl a?? If I past my test in a couple weeks I would like to go to swift to get experience especially in flatbed.. Thanks any info helps

 

I think that when a new driver wants to go flatbed, they put him with a van driver to get the driving thing down. There is more to learn with flatbed so they want those mentors to concentrate on the flatbed end, tarping and securement for example.

 

It's a total of 240 hours behind the wheel drive time. From the E-logs, I might mention. And a required documented 40 backs, day and night, straight, angle, blind side, (10 not specified). That done, some courses done, then I can get 2nd half flatbed training and then my truck.

Update: Due to Mentor availability, they put us with 'regular' Mentors for first 120 (or maybe 100) BTW hours. Then we'll be with Flatbed Mentor. Unfortunately, CA DMV put a snag in those plans for me. Even after talking about it 4 or maybe 5 times to the fellow behind the desk, CA failed to REMOVE an auto tranny only restriction left over from my class B license. So I am stuck at home until I get the AZ H6 sent to me that I overnight requested (SASE prepaid). Today was first day it could have gotten back, and no joy. There have been times in my life that I have regretted believing so strongly in doing the right thing. Fortunately, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I get complemented for doing that. It makes the difficulties of doing that much easier to move through. Soon, soon.

Shar.

 

Hang in there SHARDRK , a lot of times in my military/R.R. life I've had to get tunnel vision just to to see the light ? LoL . Why do we do these, wife / kids/ and just because we want to ! My son goes to orientation next Tuesday ( been driving for 2 yrs ) and I'm trying to talk him into going with a mentor for a month just to learn how to cross all the T's and dot the I's, then get his own truck and team up with me, I've asked , but will ask again to make sure that I can go to the classes just to learn how to do all the paper work/ e-card etc.
Reason why ? Mom wants a new house , so put all the driving money into buying one / keep my son on the straight and narrow. and get away from the honey do list's. With God's grace . ...............................................................................................................

 

Mattchu, There were drivers in my class that had just attained their Class A CDL and were going through flatbed training.

(Maybe just a LITTLE tongue in cheek to spice it up. <hehe>)

It goes like this: Driver wannabe goes through CDL class and gets a Class A CDL so he knows not to run over the top of the police car while driving an 18 wheeler. He goes through orientation (which is NOT this direction is north, that's an advanced lesson) and THEN gets hired by the company that oriented (or orentated if you are like some of my relatives) him.

THEN, if you have begged, pleaded, whined, and sniffled enough (i.e. asked your recruiter, and repeated like a mantra at every oportunity when asked) said "I'm going flatbed", you SHOULD be told you are going to start the next flatbed class. (Note, the preceding sentence can be of enhanced effectiveness if started well before the Orientation if the opportunity presents itself.)

Then you go through Flatbed phase one. This is when you go out and learn that a flat bed trailer has NO WALLS!!! And that you actually have to <GASP> work!!! Well, ok, so you throw a few things around, and you tighten up a few things, and you hide it all from view cause you don't want to be embarrassed dragging ugly stuff down the road.

NOW you get to go out with a Mentor. This is one of a wide variety of people that are supposed to enlighten you in the day to day aspects of being a GOOD Swift Driver. Send in your daily macros, no, do NOT run over the baby buggy on the corner, the police officer is watching, take your vitamins, send in your shipper macros, fuel macros, hours of service macros, receiver macros, available macros, but you really really really don't need to worry about home time macro. Yet. For several weeks.

Now, this Mentor is PROBABLY (these days) going to be TWO Mentors. One to teach you how to spell Swift, and one to teach you how to spell Flatbed. After you sit behind the wheel for 240 hours, and have backed up 40 times (or more), you come back for your Solo Evaluation. Once you've proven you can count to one while NOT running over police cars or baby buggies, you THEN get to go through phase 2 of Flatbed Training.

After that you will get assigned a bright shiny (after you polish it all up) Big Truck complete with boxes, chains, straps, and other kinky, err, wicked, err, functional equipment and get sent out on your first solo flatbed load. Which by the way could involve pulling a van to a shipper or receiver. Probably not, but yes, it DOES happen, so PAY ATTENTION to all those Mentor spelling lessons!!!

Steve aka Shar

(Just couldn't resist. Got my H6 back from Arizona today so I can go beat up CA DMV Monday and get them to fix their mistake that's kept me home for the last week. Home good. No earning money, NOT good. HUGE relief, so kinda giddy. Plus I got home built brownies today - yes the legal ones <chuckle> )

 

Thanks Skip. Best of luck avoiding those honey-do's. Especially if you get a new abode!!! Even the little one (foster child) whispers to Peaches that I'm grumpy and grouchy the first day back. I'm gonna have to get em trained to just let me be a grumpy gramps for a day before I can be the goofy grumpy gramps the other little one labelled me with.

 

Thanks Shardk, Have had a weird couple of days with the company (swift ) ? When we ( son+I ) started talking to our swift recruiter. About our plan ( Son goes to orientation , drives with a mentor for a month ) and then leases one. I had asked several times if it would be OK to go to the classes and just set and listen/learn all the does/don't s , as he was going to hire me and we would team up. Recruiter said sure that's OK , sounds like a good plan ! So i called the yard yesterday just to touch base and reaffirm everything . Had to leave a message, which when they called back wanted to know how the recruiter was and then hung up ?? Told the boy, who tried to call the recruiter and found out by a different one that hes has been missing for two days. Will try to call before Monday evening as that's when were leaving

 

Good after I get my CDL in a few weeks I am gonna give Swift a call to see if I can come out there... Or should I call earlier? Will it help or wait till I have Lic. in hand? Thanks

 

I'd call now. Get in touch with them.

 

I just saw that swift offers free tuition for veterans in there cdl school. Anybody been through it? What do they start flatbed at? I'd rather hear the truth then the "recruiter truth".