Diary of a New Swift Driver

Man I can't wait for my first student...

Que daydream sequence and graphix....

my trucks going to be cleaned n waxed, inside #### n span.. someone to do all my backing, and go get my food. Make my bed, map out the next run.
... and all I have to do is sleep in the back ...

 

What, Zuki!!!
Drivers must read these posts and tattoo on their chests on reverse so they can read it
"DO NOT BECOME A TRAINER FOR THESE
UNGRATEFUL WHINERS NO MATTER WHAT!!!!"

 

Got my 240 plus today! Now we need to get a load from SLC to Laredo so I can upgrade. We have ben running back to back to back since the 10th.
Frank

 

I have been stuck in a hotel here in PA for 3 days for truck repairs and I have been reading a LOT of these threads on here. I just signed up for this site "the 1st 1 ever", a day ago. I am hooked on reading everyone's experiences.

I started with Swift about 4 weeks ago and I only have 150 hrs btw. My husband is also with a mentor...his 3rd one and has over 200 hrs. His first 2 trainers would not allow him to stop for meals or even bathroom breaks. He texted me several times saying that he peed his pants!! That is just WRONG!! When he had his phone interviews he told the truth and they immediately pulled him off the truck, put him in a hotel and got him a new mentor the next day. I have to say that Swift was good on their promise that if you are having problems with your mentor let them know and they will fix it. I want to say this right away.....if you are not comfortable get off the truck!! This training is important to keep us all safe out there. I agree that most people cannot train. Just because they know how to drive and know all the rules doesn't mean they can train. It takes a special confident and patient person to train someone else.

On a positive note I am VERY VERY VERY pleased with my mentor. He is awesome. He has patience with all of the questions I have....and I ask a LOT of them. He doesn't use me as a log book. I get regular showers and meals and pit stops. It sucks that I have been down more than driving nut that's because freight is slow and the truck had a mishap..not his fault. He told me when I asked to go to the bathroom "you're driving". He lets me make the decisions when I drive. He is respectful and funny and we joke with each other all the time. I wish he could train everyone. Swift is very lucky to have him. He started as a company driver and is now an O/O. I get to know both sides of things. Every time we have been in Phoenix (his home town) he put me in a hotel. I do not have to stay in the truck alone. Like he says.....mentors are getting paid pretty well to have us on the truck and he makes my time away from home and my husband bearable. I can't say that i won't be happy to get off his truck and on with my husband but my experience has obviously been a lucky one.

I have read a lot of BS about Swift on here but i don't want to read any more....I want to fins out for myself and not be swayed by others that have probably made mistakes and want to blame it on the company. Every profession has it's good and bad points. The last company I worked for was in sales for Oreck and I worked there for 15 years. I am like everyone else. The economy was making it too hard to pay the bills. My husband is/was a structural iron worker in Las Vegas. His career took a nose dive 4 years ago. So, I decided that we would become truck drivers.....I really hope it all works out. I think I will get out of it what I put in it. I know that for the first 6 months i will just roll with the punches and not turn down any loads.

It's hard to get a feel of how it will be like for "us" out on the road by reading others' experiences but I have found a lot of hope and instructions from this web site. I thank everyone for their reports and good luck and as always BE SAFE. Let others go by, you will still get there....don't worry.

 

That's kinda what I did, just get through the time and get my own truck and do it my way. No matter what I said, I was wrong and my 'mentor' was right even when he was dead wrong. I just gave the guy a Pass on the final report card thing, my mission is not to help Swift weed out the stupid mentors, my mission was to get a paying gig, this guy's talents or lack thereof will be found out by subsequent students.

There is a lot of anti Swift BS floating around on here but I gotta say they have given a guy (me) who lost everything a chance to work hard and own his own business and feel like a provider again rather than a suck on society. I've made a lot of mistakes, like service failures and tickets but Swift has hung right in there with me, they haven't fired me like so many come on here (bad truck companies thread area) and say happens, makes me think there's more to their stories.

My advice, keep your license clean from tickets and accidents, no load is worth it. If you're going to be late, oh well, maybe too many of those Swift will fire you, but at least you could still get another trucking job.

 

I completely understand the discomfort with being in a confined space with someone you wouldn't socialize with on your own. We all had to do it. I know that doesn't make it any easier and it sounds cliché. I guess it's my way of encouraging you to keep your eye on the ball. It's extremely uncomfortable and I get that. That's the biggest reason I'm not a trainer.

Swift is not perfect. But it is a step in the right direction. Once you get your incident free year in, you can pretty much go where you want and direct your own career.

Do your best and try to shine on the BS.

 

I have to say I agree with Injun. I too prefer the freedom of being by myself and will not mentor for that and a few other reasons. I am glad that you are deciding to stick it out with Swift. Even after your year is up, they are not that bad to stick with.