Mentor for Jan. 3

I would highly recommend a company driver mentor because you will be learning life on the road and, more importantly, how Swift works from a company driver viewpoint. I believe the L/O and O/O here will agree that a company driver's approach is substantially different from theirs. I am not saying a L/O or O/O as a mentor is inferior because most were once company drivers. It's just that a company driver is dealing with a slightly different Swift system, the same one you will encounter when you go solo.

Your packing list:

You'll also need a few towels. They don't supply them in the terminals where you will have to force yourself to use the filthy, disease ridden showers. Don't forget baby butt wipes, the greatest invention since rolled toilet paper. Also your preferred ache and pain medicine because you will be using muscles that are exclusive to driving a big truck and they will complain. Loudly. I don't know how long the cord is on your CPAP machine but you might need a 12v extension cord. They have them at Radio Shack. Also consider getting a 12v port doubler. Wait until you are hooked up with your mentor to buy heavy items like drinks, canned emergency food and laundry detergent. Ask your prospective mentor if a Walmart stop is possible the first day or take a shuttle/taxi to the store from your terminal.

When you pack, stack, then roll a complete change of clothes. Makes it easier to grab what you need in one bundle when you head to the showers. It also eliminates most of the wrinkles because there are few sharp creases. Don't forget cold weather gear. Take leather gloves and a small flashlight. Put all your leakable stuff in zip locks in case of...well, leaks. You should be able to fit everything except your sleeping bag and pillow into a bag the size of an airline carry on. I had a second bag for my laundry as well. If you have time, go by your bank and buy a couple rolls of quarters and a bunch of crisp new $1 and $5 bills for the vending machines and laundry.

A non-smoker can probably do okay on about $80 or less a week so have some cash for the first few weeks. The pay period is Thursday 00:00 to Wednesday 24:00 and payday is the following Tuesday 00:00. Set up direct deposit at the kiosk after your driver code is issued at the end of orientation. If you have your pay put on your Comdata card it will cost $3.95 for every cash withdrawal and the places you can use it like an ATM card are limited unlike a bank card with a Visa or Mastercard logo. You will be paid $64.29 for the partial week days after you go out with your mentor. I started on Friday, the 9th and my first payday was the 20th for 6 days: Friday through Wednesday.

I hope this helps. You are in for a great time on the road and I hope you get a mentor who is as great a teacher as mine.

Frank

 

"I like beer.
Beer likes me.
Beer completes me."

Now I drive a big truck; beer misses me.

Actually, I was helped enormously by many of the fine people on this forum and it's a 'pay it forward' thing. I am happy to help. I'll PM you in a few with my contact info.

Frank

 

Any Mentor offering to take you from any contact on this forum is almost moot. You will be assigned a Mentor....and it could be either company or L/O...

Beyond the non-smoking part...don't try and be too picky until after you see if there are any obstacles the two of you can't work around. Trying to cherry pick a Mentor, is just delaying your start date. Get the training done...but don't allow the Mentor to skip important parts of the training...pay attention to your check list, and get the required items completed!

 

they will ask your smoking preferance.they won't force u to go with a smoker.when i was at swift and trained,i had smokers on my truck as long as they knew they couldn't smoke at all on the truck.the biggest problem i had was that they were going to be on the truck for 6 weeks,no at home time.i worked a training cycle,then took a week or so off.had a couple of guys that agreed too get on the truck,then whined they wanted too go home on weekends.the first stop i always made with a trainee was walmart.the only thing i had them buy at the truckstop was an truckers atlas.

 

Moot, boot, scoot... I contacted my mentor through this forum. Yeah, we met online but I tell everyone we met at a coffee shop. In fact many drivers on this forum have been my "mentors" for the last several months without knowing it including you, Otter.

Frank

PS: I could be wrong but I believe you may have mis-used the word moot which means irrelevant. The sentence structure of "Any mentor offering to take you from any contact on this forum is irrelevant." just doesn't work now, does it? Snickers and snorts as he clicks SAVE...

 

For one...YES, you are wrong in the definition/meaning of the word! Very few words in the English language have one specific definition/use or synonymous structure.

Second...accusing Otter of a "mis-used" (incorrect spelling)...misused...word? Surely you jest Sire! ROFLMAO

In your phrasing in your response...you don't clarify....[to be specific]...whether you "arranged" for this person you met on TTR to be your Mentor, or if you "met" and arranged the place of meeting. Yes, a student can "request" a specific Mentor...but that would require that specific Mentor being available, and being in the area to take on the student. If you were to reread my post...you will see that I did qualify...[put a certain structure, or limit, to my posted statement]...such being that there could be a delay in the new students start time if such constraints were requested of Driver Services.

Now...reverse your "SAVE"...as it is now extremely moot!

*Never tempt the RED PENCIL of Otter!*

 

BUMMER....he just made me break my RED PENCIL lead!

So....if this wasn't Christmas Eve....would you still appreciate our input?