MENTOR...why bother?

Discussion in 'Swift' started by otherhalftw, Nov 28, 2010.

  1. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

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    In keeping with the "Mentor why bother" theme, got a message about prepass scale problems with Swift drivers blowing right past en masse in several states. My theory is that these are predominantly new solo drivers just typically coming off mentor training running around the country and simply never learned from their mentor what to do in the scales. Now we all have to suffer, message said certain states are no longer prepassing any Swift trucks at all now.

    On a side note I thought if you ran a scale with a prepass, they are going to know who your are first of all, second, wouldn't they chase you down and you'd be subject to killer fines etc?
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2010
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  3. schmud0811

    schmud0811 Medium Load Member

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    It was in Michigan...we are suspended for 60 days.
    The word i recieved, it was a mentor truck, student was logged on the sleep berth while driving:biggrin_25513:
     
    scottied67 Thanks this.
  4. Oilpatchtrucker

    Oilpatchtrucker Light Load Member

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    These are all radio controlled roadseach with a specific radio freq. asigned to that area.. We call our location and direction of travell If you listen to that vid you will hear radio chatter talking about on the T road at 0..etc
     
  5. Oilpatchtrucker

    Oilpatchtrucker Light Load Member

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    If all you do is give a new guy/girl some sage advice you are a mentor.. takes no time to pass on some valuable knowledge to some one.. remeber youwere a newbie once too and had to count on an ol vet to learn the ropes
     
  6. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    I'll tell ya what....unless you know the details, and KNOW they are fact....please dont repeat a story that is just that. I could say it was a lease/op truck who just didnt want to stop. but do i KNOW? no i dont...so i'm not going to repeat hearsay.

    that being said.....

    i'm starting to think that missouri followed suit of Michigan and turning off swift's prepass' for 60 days. I've been thru 7 scales on I-70 in missouri, and never once have they gone off. and i KNOW i'm not even close to being over weight. once it didnt go off, and i was MT.....AND i wasnt even allowed to bypass the scale even after hitting the 'weigh in motion' scale.

    thinkin' if i'm paying for the prepass, and its not working, i might as well give it back to em....and just find a route around the scale.
     
  7. Texas-Nana

    Texas-Nana Princess Drives-a-Lot

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    *holds up my hand* Alpine WY scale house. Yes, they'll come after you. There's a thread somewhere about my lil mistake.

    If you're very very fortunate and are able to make the trooper laugh at your reason for not stopping then you don't get a citation. However....it's still a really STUPID mistake to make.
     
  8. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

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    OK, I'm looking at the Driver Manual I was given at orientation when I first started here at Swift-specifically chain requirements for the tractor and trailer combination. Shows All Wheels must be chained on Primary Drive Axle. And drag chains on the trailer but I want to focus on the tractor part because I have two conflicting instructions from Swift. I picked up a Service Information Bulletin at a terminal recently but only really looked at it in detail today. It showed Full Chains on the Front Drive Axle-- just the opposite of what is shown in the driver manual.

    To recap, Swift directions say to apply chains to both drive tires on:

    • Front axle with singles on rear axle
    • Rear axle only nothing on front axle
    pictures are a little blurry will try to clean up later.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    What you are looking at is the "maximum chain" configuration...Swift took that directly from the CA DOT book. Keep in mind it is a guide for "MAXIMUM". When you are chaining the tractor, if conditions are "minimum", you can apply a single chain to both sides of EITHER DRIVE AXLE, flip your power divider to the activated position, and you are legal and ready to go. For "MODIFIED MAX"...a single chain on all four outside drive tires. Only under extreme conditions will any state require maximum application, and in all practicality, if conditions are that bad, they will probably shut down the roadway.

    Get in the habit of always activating the power divider BEFORE you step out to apply the chains...it is a little thing and easy to forget once your fingers are all stiff and cold and your primary focus is to thaw out!
     
    SheepDog Thanks this.
  10. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    CA...gold discovery foothills
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    You are all correct! That message (canned Macro from Phoenix) goes out every year....the story behind it follows it also....Michigan and Missouri, and a couple others, have random company checks lasting up to 2 months...so they block the specific company on the pre-pass to get inspection stats up to date.
     
  11. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    Michigan only very recently installed Prepass. My guess is their officers are not used to seeing trucks bypass the scales and someone got their panties in a twist over it. I hear Prime's Prepass "priveleges" are also suspended for a while in Michigan.
     
    scottied67 Thanks this.
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