Liking Swift So Far

Depends on how you look at it.
It's Friday I'm supposed to be going home anyway. They can't get me there with a load so they leave me sitting all weekend only to go home on Monday. By that time if they had me go home anyway I would have been ready to roll. So now the Truck sat 4 or 5 days instead of 2 to 3.
What did they really gain?

 

Should have just drive home my DM has deadheaded me home over 200miles and even paid me for it, My DM said if I'm 100 miles of Home just go don't even ask if I'm due for Hometime but I got a Awsome DM though I hear most are worthless pieces of trash and have never even been inside of a truck.

Im glad I have a DM with driving exp. makes a huge difference he knows how it is and actually cares about his drivers and knows me by name not a dam#.

They shouldnt let and one be a DM with out 10+ yrs OTR exp just my 2cents

 

...I think 10 years may be unreasonable. Mines never seen the inside of a truck, but he also let me run how I want. I say no, he is in my corner, we are a team. Then after the dust clears, he figures out why I said no and learns and gains knowledge so next time a similar situation comes up he can handle it efficiently. MAybe I'm off my rocker. But then again, I'm usually not the source of his greif.

 

A truck, that might be a good idea, but also those that have worked in other facets of the company. Like mine was a Planner for 9 years before switching over to DM. He is very familiar with what goes on. Just ask Steve in his Cascadia.

 

I don't refuse to die, but I seem to keep going regardless.
Go figure.

 

Obviously, nothing.

But the mind set is what you are fighting against.
Just like the mind sets of left and right in politics.
All or nothing, and nothing in between.

We are told that we get one day of home time for every week out.
But if you work your butt off for 7 weeks - just try to get 7 days ht without being penalized by them taking your truck because it would be 'sitting too much'.
When, in fact, if you took 2 days ht every 2 weeks, it would not leave the truck down any more days.

But, and here is the rub, taking 2 days every 2 weeks makes it much harder on the planners. You make less money, and so does the company because they would be always trying to get you home.


Here is something we can do other than strike for better work conditions...
Everyone put in for HT every 2 weeks, for 2 days - or even for 1 if your terminal is that anal about ht.

Then let them see how it costs them more (and gives everyone more headaches) than giving us our due days, especially when we stay out a long time.

 

That was for y'all that have problems with home time days.
I don't.
I take the days I want when I want them, while always taking what I am due or less. And I stay out between 3 and 5 weeks at a time.

And I figure my days on a midnight to midnight work schedule.
Take this ht for example.
I finished today (Friday) at about 1800, so I worked today about 9 hours.
I'm taking the next 3 days off, which will be Saturday through Monday.
I set my PTA for Tuesday at 1200 - just because I don't want to wake up early after a day off.

It was actually how my first DM expected for home time, and I have not changed it with my current DM.
And it has never been a problem.

I have been out just over 4 weeks this time, by the way.

 

So, after 6 weeks... if you take the four days after you parked the tractor and arrive NOON the day after that counts for 4 days... what happens to the the other 2 days... do you lose them?
They won't give you 5 days will they? and probably you will have to clean up the truck for the 4 days...
Just wondering... whatever it is, it is.

 

I have took 6 days off I was suppose to be home Tuesday they sent me with a load that I got there on Sunday and didn't deliver until Tuesday AM so I didn't take that day off my DM if you work after midnight that day does not count.

So I came home on Sunday did not leave until Saturday afternoon there screw up not mine DM had no issues with it.

What they gonna do come find my truck and clean it out I dought it I've learned to stay out 24 days then go home it's enough for me and I always take 4 days off 1day for ever 6 out and still make great money and I still clear $500 when I go home unless I take more than 4 days

And yes you lose those 2days

 

Well, that's the thing - your DM and your terminal.

There is no company wide rule. It varies with each terminal.
Phoenix, I've heard, will take your truck if you have more than 2 days off.

The real problem, as I see it, is the drivers have no voice.
We are dictated to, and have to tow the line or suffer the consequences.

It is very unfair to penalize a driver for taking his or her earned days off.

But we are a very separated bunch.
We are all out here on our own, and we can never get together as a group with the 'rulers' to discuss things.
Just can't work, because freight has to move from here to there all the time.

And the drivers that are here in this forum are just a fraction of a fraction of the Swift drivers.

We need more Swifties in this forum. And if we had enough of us here, we could 'silently protest' in ways that might change things.