Swift Is Good

If you pay for your CDL training out of pocket (at a private trucking school or community college etc), Swift will reimburse that up to $3900 # $150 a month. That's what they are doing for me. I'm really grateful for that.

DickJones as a reminder we are all looking forward to your posting about your first month's profit and loss on your lease/purchase owner operator deal you struck with Swift that you said you would post every month regarding thus.

 

it ok that they slow it down..... most people need to have a slow truck so no more overturn truck i hope

 

Dicky J has spent $320.00 on a BATTERY for the KW

 

Hi. I already have my CDL. Hope to get set up for orientation today in Laredo starting Dec. 7th. I know orientation is 3 days. How long does it usually take to get out on the road with a mentor? Also wondering if I get sent home to wait for a mentor would I be on the payroll?

 

The battery was only $100, the labor to take out the 'bad' one and put in the new one was bargain basement $220. Heck the truck payment is only $550 a week, $320 is spare change...

 

I have been sitting waiting for two weeks now for a mentor. No pay so far!!

 

I was talking with a Swift mentor at a consignee. He said he had 4 students in a row who quit after a week or so. Said these people are coming to trucking due to the bad economy but cannot handle the lifestyle or homesickness. One of the students when 2500 miles from home became super homesick requested the mentor arrange a load back home so he could quit lol, mentor kicked him off at a terminal and the poor fellow had to catch a bus home.

It's a spartan existence I reckon, takes some getting used to. Can be overwhelming and lonely. Sucks to be treated like crap at some shippers/receivers, and even worse when standing at the window of your own company window at the terminal to be totally ignored. In fact I was late on my load because of that. I went to the window to be assigned an empty trailer and the guy would not even look up to say, 'just a moment driver' or anything... for 2 minutes. So I walked away and came back later on there was a long line to get up there now-- probably the same amount of time I would have spent waiting the first time around anyway....

 

Did you do orientation in Laredo?

 

No Lancaster, I called and they said they are working on it.

 

One of there problems is they don't hire senior or experienced drivers. That is the reason one has to wait so long for mentors. One time on a dare from my friends I tried to apply with them. The recruiter told me that they was only accepting entry level drivers. LOL