Finished orientation 2 weeks ago and still waiting for a trainer. I have been set up with 3 so far and I am still sitting. #1, O/O, called and during my interview he said he was basically broke and I needed to bring enough money to cover both of us for a "while" as he sold his cooler and had no food in the truck and I was not allowed to bring food. I called driver development as had him taken off as my mentor. #2, Company driver, came to Fontana Terminal to pick me up. I walk into the lounge and call out his name. He looks up from his recliner and says loudly, "man, they stuck me with a MF'n white boy". All during my conversation he kept calling me white boy and cracker or cracker boy. After 10 minutes I had enough, excused myself and walked up stairs to driver development. He was no longer my mentor and I went home. #3, O/O, called and we had a good conversation. I told him Swift needed to install an inverter for my CPAP and he said NO. He would not allow a Swift shop to do any work on his truck so it would need to be done at Kenworth. Well once again I am on the phone with driver development and once again I am without a mentor as they said no to Kenworth. Is it me? Are I being too picky to not want to pay for someone else to eat, or be called white boy and cracker? #3 I understand, it's his truck and his decision, but the other two were out of line in my opinion. I know I'm new but ####!
nope...definitely not you. not if one believes your side of the story anyway. especially the racist scumbag. he should not only have been taken off as your trainer, but shouldve lost his truck as well. but perhaps as a newbie you were hesitant to TELL the whole story about that one...i probably wouldve been. 1st guy....understandable from both sides (lease purchase guy???) if youre broke youre broke...but i wouldnt pay for a strangers living expenses...especially when you consider how much money YOU make HIM. hope it gets better...surprising thered be such a problem getting a new driver with a trainer.
How about asking to pick up one out of a different terminal. I know Fontana is not the best terminal Swift has
I'm sort of in the same boat as you. My first mentor just plain didn't show up after waiting 2 weeks. Took a load north when he needed to coem south for me then took a load east when he needed to come west to get me. He was from Atlanta so I'm guessing he went home for Thanksgiving. I am waiting for my 2nd one now. Supposed to call me today or tomorrow. Hopefully we will click and I can get moving. I'm from Fontana too but who knows where the mentor will be from. I have a friend who just quit Swift after he had loaned $350 to his mentor for meals (broke O/O) and when the mentor refused to pay up after the training was over Swift refused to do anything saying he should not have loaned out the money. Probably so, but they should not have broke mentors hitting up students for cash. If they can't run a profitable business then they need to shut them down. 6 weeks of training and getting only negative settlements should tell the company something.
I can not believe about all of the broke O/O mentors that I hear about out here. I do believe your story. There are many O/O mentors that are doing quite well. Keep trying. I do know some that are out of Fontana, and they are great, and profitable.
