Swift Lewiston starting Monday 8/1

Orientation Day 2 -

Days are running together, my head is crammed full of new information...

Started with a lecture on discipline. Not as in punishment but as in discipline to reach goals. Insightful and explained the WIG (wildly important goals) that I see here and there at the terminal. Again crammed head so didn't feel like the lesson was complete.

Qualcomm e-log class. Okay being a gadget guy the new Qualcomms are pretty danged cool. Had the old clunky things in the academy trucks and didn't even want to look at it. The new qualcomms I wanted to play and tinker with but don't have a driver code yet and the demos weren't set up on wif-fi so most of the functions didn't work.

SWIFT decision driving. Had this class at the academy, but honestly the academy instructor that did it that day isn't a class instructor, he's a driving instructor. Good class in orientation and better presented. I would recommend this one for anyone, even four wheeler drivers. Yea might be a bit boring but safety and situational awareness are my two biggest things even in my four wheeler. Situational awareness is what I get on my wife's case about the most when she's driving.

Few other minor admin things today but those where the three main topics.

Oh and if I didn't mention it the brutal heat has cleared a bit. 70-80 yesterday and today instead of 95-110 like the last month. Absolutely wonderful weather now that I'm in a building all day instead of on the academy range. Yep figures

 

Back at home again. Wasn't driver coded by the time we got finished with orientation. Two of us were coded and mentors lined up, two of us in holding pattern basically. Coded guys were able to schedule mentors to pick them up from home.

Orientation was over and didn't have anything to do now 'cept wait so was given choice to get picked up at the terminal in Lewiston or head home and get picked up there. Hard choice, chose home.

Call my wife and say I'm coming home at least for tonight. Grab my bag and paperwork. Hit the head. Step into the driver's lounge and get a soda. Walking out and the Safety manager filling in for the vacationing driver manager says "You wanna go out of the terminal today?" Ugh. "Sorry if you had said something an hour ago I would have said absolutely, but I literally just called my wife and said I'd be home tonight". "I understand completely, head home, spend the day with your family, we'll get you set up from there."

So coming back from Lewiston on US-95 I saw a Swift truck in the last escape ramp at the bottom of Whitebird. Sheriff's SUV parked on the side of the road parallel the ramp. Driver standing on the driver door steps talking on his cell phone. Probably not having a good day. First time I've ever actually seen a truck in the escape ramps and I'm on hills with ramps every weekend pretty much.

Called in this morning and with my DM on vacation till Tuesday, and the office people off for the holiday weekend it sounded very very busy. The safety manager filling in for the driver manager said he hasn't forgotten about us (me and another guy) it's just "freakin insane here right now, I'll find out and call you later today".

That's cool I'll take the extra time with my wife and daughter. I'll just make sure to call every morning and let em know I'm still alive and waiting.

 

Just got a call from Lewiston. I'm coded and mentor is half way here from Lewiston. I guess the mentor doesn't even know yet he's supposed to pick me up. Just happened to be rolling this ways.

 

First run done.

Mentor picked me up at the truck stop near my house yesterday morning and off we go for Las Vegas. At Wells we switch and I start driving. Made it to Ash Springs with about 30 minutes left on my 14 (mentor was out cause he started an hour before I did) so pulled off the side of the road to sleep.

This morning Swift sends us a live load preplan, but yanks it from us 15 minutes later before we even have a chance to read it. Oh well, but turns out to be a good thing they yanked it.

Delivered to customer and they took our trailer, had no empties available. Went to the drop yard to pick up an empty. Only one available, container with a flat tire. No thanks, we'll pass.

Remember that live load? Yea we got no trailer so good thing it got yanked.

Now sitting at Morton's/Flying J hanging out waiting for a dispatch. The Mexican grill here isn't too bad.

PS: Mentor said something about if it wasn't for the 50 mandatory hours of driving before teams he'd put in for teams now. Said he'd happy enough with my abilities where there are now, just needs polish. Guess that's a good thing.

 

Oh hey and got to change my profile. I'm no longer a wannabe, I am a 0-1 year trucker.