New to Swift, any advice?

Well, just talked to my mentor, and he seems like a pretty cool guy. Picking me up at the truck stop by my house around 7 am. Things are happening quick now!

 

Well, 2 days later, and I am still at home. My mentor couldn't pick me up, and make his unload appt, so he was going to pick me up today. Well, his DM said I was too far out of route, so I got a call saying I am getting a new mentor. He seemed pretty cool too, and he lives less than an hour from me, and he said when he goes home, if I can't get a ride, he said he will drive me home, and pick me up POV.

 

I must say I have a rather awesome mentor. After a week out, he had special request hometime, so I am home for 4 days. I'd much rather sit at home for 4 days unpaid, than have any other mentor. He cares more about making sure I am ready to go solo, than the extra paycheck (but does enjoy that bigger paycheck )

Had a couple days where we sat for a day waiting for a dispatch. According to a qualcomm message we got, "freight is slow and getting slower". So we went over route planning, qualcomm, talked about our families, cleaned the truck, and stuff like that.

However, I was his first ever student, on his first run, to drive a full day. 10 hrs (could have easily gone the 11, but delivery wasn't for about 18 hrs, and stopped at a Petro about 45 min from delivery town. Helps having some years driving under my belt, along with my spare tire that my belt holds back

Already have 15 of the 40 backs required (6 days otr). Including 2 blindside backs. And in the words of my mentor "I'll teach you how to blindside, but this should hopefully be the only time in your career you do it."

I'd say the thing that impresses me most about my mentor, is that he is always showing the safe and practical way to do things, and always tries to learn, so he can teach better. I've actually thrown truck chains many many many many many many times, and he said he has always lucked out, and never had to throw them, so sometime, I am supposed to show him how to do it, and we'll practice a few times, so he can show every student how to do it.

My mentor stocks up his cabinets with food, and wants me to have as little to no out of pocket expenses while I am with him. If I decide to eat in the truck stop, I'm on my own (as it should be regardless), but he wants me to save as much money as possible.

So far, my re-learning process has been very good. I've gone from the attitude of "get my 240 hrs as quick as possible" to "learn as much as possible, in as much time as it takes" I've started un-learning a few bad habits, learning some good habits, and learning stuff I honestly never had to deal with earlier in life.

So far, I think Swift was the right choice.

 

Well, a couple days ago, I ran 1550 miles, in 8 hours. Uphill the whole way, in reverse, getting 21 MPG, all while logging legal!

Did I pass the lesson on how to tell a driver's lounge story?

Anyways, 1 1/2 weeks into the mentorship. Already have half of my 40 required backs. Going to be crossing the 50 hr driving mark today. (1st week's loads sucked.....was a 1500 mile week) Miles picked up. We went over my first week mentor's review, I got all 4's and 5's......shifting was a 3. I thought I deserved a worse grade on my shifting, but apparently I am doing better than I thought. Haven't hit anything, unlike a flatbed I saw this morning, backing into a parking spot, with probably 10 open spaces on both sides of where he picked to park, backed into a concrete light pole base, and broke off a corner of the rear of the trailer where the lights are. Oops.....

Mentor and I get along well. Either he is a good confidence builder, or I am doing a good job of receiving my edumacation. He told me that he usually won't go off the student's route planning until the last couple weeks, but I've just done my second one, without it being checked. Half of my blindside backs are already done. Blindside backing out of the shop at the T/A (no other option) wasn't fun.

They "upgraded" us on Tuesday to a newer truck. Went from a 09 volvo to an 11 prostar...... which is a lease turn in. Nifty bells and whistles. Found an air leak down the road (air drain #### had been removed, and reinstalled, wiggled loose), teflon taped it, tightened it down, told mentor. Was shocked (and happy) that a student would take some initiative. I figure, why sit in the shop for 2 days to basically tighten something.

Talked to my old dispatcher from a few years ago, on Yahoo last night. It's funny when a dispatcher refers to an empty trailer as "dispatcher brains" With that, I will end this update, with a joke that very dispatcher told me.

One day, an old lifelong trucker passed away, and went up to heaven. When he reached the pearly gates, St. Peter said to him, "You have lived a good life, we welcome you to Heaven." The old trucker asked "Y'all have any trucks up here in Heaven?" St. Peter pointed to a building and said "Go inside this building, and take whatever you desire." He walks inside, and sees every make, model, color, and option of truck ever made. He picked himself out a 67 pete, fire engine red, and dripping chrome. That truck started up on the first crank, drove it out, and pulled up at the pearly gate. The trucker said to St. Peter, "OK, I've got my truck, I'm ready to go!" To which St. Peter replied, "Well, we've got just one problem. We don't have any dispatchers in Heaven!"