New soon to be swift trainee!

Happy late Easter guys and I agree with I50. People complain about lack of experience with trainers but arent doing anything about it themselves. I am stepping up to the plate and trying to at least try and help. Call me inexperienced for wanting to help but I rather do what I can than just sit behind a wheel or computer and complain about whats wrong in the trucking industry. When I was president of the SGA at a Job corps I attended a few years back I wasnt at the school but 2 weeks before the current SGA president saw something in me that she told her superiors and I was named the next president and also Battalion Commander of the little Army reserves group. I heard alot of complainers as you can imagine with what presidents have to listen to and hear on a daily basis and try to make everyone happy, one constant though was running into people who would complain and yet never came to one SGA meeting we had and only wanted me to approve free pizza nights and approve their loans of govenment money for bus tickets home for the weekend every week. I did a great job and proud I got to experience it and I hope that in the future people stop complaining and if not I hope they put feet to their words and do something and step up and train the new drivers since they have SO much experience they should be able to GIVE BACK instead of letting "rookies" like myself do it all for them. I never was given anything I had to work for it and I never had an entitlement attitude nor have I felt like what I had I deserved it. Things arent perfect but I am still employed, I still wake up and I still have the arms and legs to turn the key to the truck and press the accelerator. Blessed beyond imagination, my bills are shrinking, my savings is slowly increasing on a weekly basis, my family is still here, I get along with my DM and planner, why complain?

Now, mind you, I havent been home in six months, yeah thats right six long months. My decision, not Swifts doing there.Thats the majority of my "experience", I was supposed to be home on 3/29 and leave 4/1 morning so I had a load and was delivering it to Arkansas and the final was closed for good Friday and the Easter holiday, so I tcalled the load in Oklahoma and even though the weekend team planners tried their best to dispatch me home it didnt work out, I had to be at the terminal for mentor class this week, which I am looking forward to. Did I jump on the site and start bashing Swift? No I did not, I only tell this story because alot of complainers complain and forget that people are people and arent perfect. Things happen, even if its over and over, but you know what thats life. Coming off of Easter and what it truly means, NONE of us, not a single one, deserve anything in life and what we have. We deserve what we all dont truly think about except on Easter and Christmas, because of the truly lame excuse of being so busy. So I dont complain about stuff. I dont jump over a company for not being home this past weekend and I dont complain about a lack of real trainers and not get off my rump and plan on doing something about it. I have read the article and though it seems great some changes, it sure will either cost a lot that companies dont want to pay for or the lack of trainees will be extremely worse when it comes to limiting those who can go to schools by being recruited by the company and 6 months with a trainer otr? Think about that. Right now people cant stand being on the truck 6 weeks with another man or woman. Just imagine the stories, " I got into an argument with my mentor/trainer, he isnt training me at all.... oh well I have 5 more months to go." AND thats the majority of guys and women who have years of experience and lease and are owner ops. IF you really want change? Step up and do it yourself! The saying be the change you want to see in the world is valid. And also Michael Jacksons, Man in the Mirror truly fits here as well. Have a great rest of your night!

 

Just got out of the first day of mentor class and the guys who are training drivers today are to be blamed above swift. The things they have taught and the material they have given us to read and look over is great. I blame the mentors themselves who previous drivers have complained about. They didn't learn how to treat drivers just any way from swift and the trainers and the class being held. It's to and for the students benefit how the class has gone concerning the students and mentors relationship. You truly have to have bad motives getting into training other drivers to mess this up. It benefits the mentor fairly well to have a well trained student when he/she upgrades to solo status. How guys mess it up is thus far beyond me.

 

thanks, and even though the money is not why I'm training it is a perk, I'm not naive, lol. But even at .25 cents, which I've gotten a few raises from that pay scale, I can make enough to make me happy and support my family, get rid of all my bills and save the rest for rainy days and eventually to purchase my own truck when I'm ready. To me money isn't important but I can definitely see the potential. You mean I can help someone's career take off the right way AND make enough money for whatever my simple lifestyle dictates? I'll take it! At that point, and maybe before students are going to benefit from those funds coming in before they are released to solo status. Maps, tools, cbs, a little start up solo cash,etc. that's why I'm here to make someone's life better than before we came in contact.