SWIFT Orientation and Mentor A Diary

Half way done! 3 weeks down, 3 weeks to go.

I have been driving alot lately, which is good, because my mentor is usually sleeping. He told me the day before we took off for the holiday that he was visited, abducted and experimented on by aliens when he was a teenager. He says that one night an alien visited him, he found himself floating above his bed and the next morning he had scars on his body he could not explain.
(can any one say "Therapy")

He put the truck in the shop during our break because the charging, cooling circuit (TAS in a Volvo) was not working the way he wanted. He even gave the mechanic a copy of the schematic with the area circled that he know was causing the problem.

Not looking to getting back in the truck and hearing his stories of his trip to the strip clubs and how the women there all know him and treat him special.

Want an image that wont go away? Two days before our break he decided he wanted roasted chicken, so we stopped at a grocery store and bought a whole roasted chicken, now for the picture,

350+ lb person laying on his stomach with 4 pillows stuffed under his chest eating a roasted chicken with his hands ( kind of reminded me of a hog at the trough)

Well hopefully the next 3 weeks go faster, now that we are team driving, most of the time I am sleeping or he is.

I feel my skills are improving and maybe with some more backing experience I will be little more comfortable "running" the truck.

I will keep you all informed and hope to see you all out on the road soon

 

MY LAST WEEK!

First let me say THANK GOD.

Now for some more info.

1. My mentor eats ALL of his meals laying down, in 5 weeks I have only seen him eat 4 meals at a table.

2. Driving the other night for 9 hours, he wakes up and
turns the A/C to high (even though I was comfortable where it was), Changes the radio station to "his" station and cranks it up (even though the station and volume was where I like to drive), takes my water out of the cup holder and throws it on my bunk so there is a place for his coffee. So now I have to drive listening to his music, freezing my ### off and with nothing to drink. Can you say egomanic.

3. We rush (drove non stop for 20 hours to get to a consignee) and get there 26 hours EARLY. He parks in the lot (so we will be on time for our appointment) and for the next 26 hours I have NOTHING to eat or drink. (of course he does, he just refills the trough)

4. was driving for about 6 hours and HAD to pee, so I pull off into a rest area and he chews me out because I did not wake him and get his permission. I reminded him I have been driving for 5 weeks, we are running as a team and I dont need his permission to empty my bladder. Told him to live with it or drop me at the nearest terminal. After thinking about it, and the fact he would lose miles and money by not having a trainee, he decided that when I was driving I was in control of the truck and could pull over as needed without his consent.

5. Since being back in the truck since our break (2 weeks) he has not taken a shower, remember he just freshens up.

As far as learning, despite him, I have learned alot, I feel alot more comfortable driving a truck now even at night , in the rain, and through city traffic. I know I have ALOT more to learn but think I am doing well for 5 weeks experience.

SWIFT has lived up to all of its promises, I have had no problems with pay or reimbursments. I know that all companies have problems but most of the gripeing I hear seem to be from drivers that would bi*** now matter what.

I'll keep you all informed of my progress and let you know when I get my own truck next week