Swift - A journey in the making

I have decided that I am going to go with Swift Transportation right now. Hopefully I will be able to update this as the process goes forward and not leave it blank and one post and gone.

First a little bit about me and then about my decision.

I’m from Northern New York, not Albany, not New York City, but way up in New York. Think of the Lake Placid Olympics, or the famous Dannemora Prison Break a while ago. That is the area that I am from. My home is about 5 minutes from Canada. A nice place and all but pretty secluded as far as big city happenings go.

I have been working at the same job as an LEO for the past 21 years and will be retiring from that job pretty soon. It has been good work for this area but after a while it really grates on you. I can’t complain too much about it because it has provided for my family. I am an Army Combat Veteran. Did three years in the Army Infantry out of Fort Drum NY.

At 44 years old I really have to do something else to continue to support my family and get my three kids through college. Due to restrictions on the amount that I can make from government employment I have to find something private. There are no restrictions on what I can earn from the private sector. Problem is there are no private sector jobs up in this area that will work for me. Plenty of government jobs but nothing good in the private sector and I don’t want to relocate my family with kids in local schools and one in college.

That leads me to the point where I am at. The only experience I have in heavy vehicle operation was in the military driving 5 tons and 2 1/2s. Not much at all when you come down to the fact that it takes quite a bit of skill to operate a 80,000lb vehicle safely. Now a 4 wheeler, sure, I have plenty of experience there, high speeds and emergency operations, snow, ice, rain, all conditions basically. Doesn’t really give me a lick of skill driving a CMV. Biggest trailer I’ve towed has to be my 41ft 5th wheel with my dually. Now don’t get me wrong I have put that trailer into some spots no one else would go. Even put other people’s trailers in for them, but backing a 53 footer on an 90 degree alley dock scares the crap out of me. Just don’t know how that back end is going to swing in and there is no way I want to take someone’s fender out. I have always had a soft heart when it comes to CMV drivers. In 21yrs I think that I have only given one a ticket out of the number of them I have stopped. He deserved it though. Driving an oversize log built office building down main street with no signs, no lights, no escort, nothing. Then when I stopped him he didn’t have a single permit. Said well I was just doing a friend a favor. Nope couldn’t let that one go. The other ones were small things like speed and lights. No trailer lights were biggies. Tell em get it fixed and then I send them on their way. Speed I would usually hit the overhead lights for a quick second. Boom. Fixed. Automatic slow down and that was all it took. Others I would just tell them to slow down they don’t need the points on the CDL.

 

Now I have been on these boards since long before I signed up. Reading, researching, and trying to learn a little bit about the job. I thank all of you who have helped so many others and given suggestions. I’ve paid attention to what you have all said and that is what led me to my decision. I followed the freight in my area. Look for the trucks that come through town often. The biggest ones are the local milk haulers, then it would be Swift, then Black Horse Carriers, and then Werner. As you have said here, talk to them, well I did. Werner was on the dollar store accounts and complained about the fact that in the winter, and some times in the summer, backing into the stores is a real pain in the arse. Black Horse are day cabs and need experience to get into there. Milk Haulers want 6months tanker but one will take me with just my CDL but I only have the permit right now with my endorsements . I even spoke with the bread delivery driver who stocks the main store, day cab driver. Everyone was pleasant, nice, and willing to talk. Now maybe it was because of the uniform but I like to think that it was just because they wanted to talk and were pleased someone was asking them about their jobs. One of the Werner drivers was a little bit off, but maybe he was just having a bad day.

I have called recruiters and taken what they said with a grain of salt. To me having the ability to get home time when I request it was something I wanted to make sure would happen. Many of them were pretty honest and told me I am just plain out of their freight lanes and they couldn’t get me home for 3 weeks or more and then the truck would have to stay at a terminal. Well that’s just too far away for many of them so I had to “chase the freight” as you all say so that I could find a company in my area.

Swift drivers were also pleasant and willing to talk. First one said he has been with the company since ’98. Said it’s good and it’s bad but once you learn the system you can make it work for you. He was a former LEO and military so we chatted for quite a while. Reefer driver. Second I caught up with was also reefer and an old O/O who went company. 2016 FL automatic. He had some interesting stories and also said it is what you make of it. Last driver I talked with was on a call. He was blocking a lane on the main highway. I got there and he said that he heard a pop from the trailer and stopped to check it. We took a look and he had curbed the trailer tires on the blind side and bent the front most outside rim all to hell. Rubber didn’t look bad, but obviously needed roadside. Got him to a parking lot that he could get in and out of easy and set him up with some dinner. He sent his messages in and we chatted for a while. 3months on the job running dry van pulling a K-mart dedicated. 2016 FL automatic.

So needless to say it is like everyone has said here. It is what you put into it and make of it. Don’t have a problem there. Put my nose down, do the job, learn the system, and work hard at it. It will be trying at times but come out the better man. Don’t sacrifice yourself for something minor and have some thick skin. Don’t be ball less, but know when to bend and not break.

So Swift it is. From the reading here and the drivers I talked with that is the decision my wife and I have made. She is a life saver too. She knows it will be tough and trying at times and supports me. I know it will be tough for her too and we both understand that, but want to get that experience under our belts and work for the better. Perhaps Swift will be a long time gig, not sure until I start working, but they have two dedicated accounts out of this state that deliver to local Wally world. One dry van the other is reefer. That could bode well for home time or at least getting a 10 in at home. 2 drivers I talked with were on their 10’s here in town.

 

Long read. I know but I just wanted to put it all out there so that someone looking for a little info could find it. Kind of like @DocWatson did, but probably not as in depth personally. Great read by the way Doc good info.

So with this decision I put in my application on the 15th. Pretty easy to fill out I’ve had the same job for years. No arrests tickets or accidents to put down on the application. Recruiter called me back the next day and said that she had received it. She told me that if I sign for 1yr then my schooling and housing for school would be free because of the Veteran status. Don’t have to pay it back. No problem there I plan on staying at least that long. Being from NY she said I had to get my permit, DOT physical, and make sure I have original documents. I told her yup already done. Got the permit, tanker, doubles and triples, and the physical before I applied because that is what the email said when she sent it. Just easier I guess to get it anyway. Plan is to attend a company sponsored private school first and get my training. Then go on to the next phases.

Why company sponsored school you ask, well I just don’t have the money to swing a private school. By that I’m not talking about tuition it’s about the day to day bills. 10 weeks at a private school would be lovely and I have a friend that did that, but the loss of income for 10 weeks, just don’t have that ability right now with all the bills and day to day stuff that comes up for the kids. My retirement pay will cover a short time frame to get us by and then when it starts coming in regularly it isn’t enough to even come close to what I make now and that’s not a hell of a lot.

That is where I stand now. I will try and keep this up when I have info that may come my way or may be useful to others. There are so many questions about things people have that it may be useful to someone and if it helps than I’m all for it. Plus Moose, A12Cav, MM3deg, Mystic, Jenzie, Ms Jamie, and anyone else I forgot. THANK YOU!! Great honest information.