Let me start by saying I am pretty low key, quiet, easy to get along with kind of person... so I am not being a snob.. ######.. or princess. Or maybe I was just expecting too much. Mentor 1- arrived at stops 16 hours early, no food, bathrooms.. told me to "go" outside or she would get me a 5 gallon bucket & bleach to keep in the truck. Mentor 2- an o/o who was a mad man behind the wheel. Tailgating other trucks, on the CB yellin at them. Putting high beams on 4 wheelers and laying on the horn. Had me fudge my log..and so on. Mentor 3- he is an o/o. The dirtiest truck I have ever seem or smelt. He goes about 3 days with out a shower. I am amazed his sheets have not crawled away! Always on the phone with his 21 year old wife (he is 51...enough said). He is flat broke and has borrowed $60 from me thus far in only 7 days. He is not eating, and I feel like crap not buying him something to eat. He keeps saying.."when teamming we take care of each other..like we are married". I have one husband and cannot afford another! I keep telling myself to deal, and get it done. Since we are teamming and only see each other to switch seats. I should only have about 11 days left on his truck. I run about 600-640 miles a day. So either I will survive this..or I am going to crash and burn. I am BEAT! Ah..yes, my point about this little rant is... Doesnt Swift evaluate their mentors..background checks?? Guess not!
Yes and no ... read some of the other "training companies" ... it's pretty much a crapshoot for mentors/trainers. Some are good, some are bad. I got lucky and had good trainer. Going on three years now and we still stay in touch.
I have also asked that question. My first mentor was an absolute nightmare. A filthy human being. After copmplaining three times in three weeks I got off that truck on my own. I now have a wonderful mentor. It was like night and day. I do not believe Swift does any research on these people. They think because they have been a truck driver for so many years that they are capable instructors. Most of them are filthy recluses who live in their trucks. The qualifications should be that you care about life, have a family and know how normal human beings live. Otherwise you should not apply.
Not "been a truck driver for so many years," - some have only been driving for less than a year when they become mentors. My mentor was clean almost to the point of OCD but he was just in it for money. He even admitted it.
It's pretty unfortuate that there's so many idiots out there who think because they have driven a truck for 6 months,it gives them the right to be a trainer.That's so wrong that I can't believe there isnt a shortage due to their students killing them in their sleep...lol. No one should have to endure this in order to have a job. I was very lucky and had a great mentor with another co. and they aren't concerned with you teaming but instead with you learning the job at hand....Good luck out there and hang tough.
Yea, mentors can be a handful and down right aholes. But on the other hand the students we get aren't the best of people either. My last student didn't take direction, would always say yea yea I got it and yet it was my fault he couldn't pass his backing test and quit swift.. These negative mentor threads are a dime a dozen these days. I think im going to start a student thread and have mentors tell our horror stories. Keep at it, absorb all you can and hope you gain enough training that will get you through the first few months of solo driving..
Please start a new thread. I for one would love to read it. I was a Swift trainer in the 90's and had wonderful students but I guess I got lucky from what you posted.
