Swift orientation questions?

That is pretty #### cold. What did you start out driving for?

 

Not according to the training depts in the SE anyway. Here there is a gradual progression to running as a team. They say you are to start at one to two hours a day the first week. Three to four the second, Five to six the third. According to them the student should not be pulling 10-11 hours until the fouth week at the earliest and they really prefer the fifth week. The sixth week the mentors are to allow the student to actually run the truck (ie make decisions on accpeting preplans, routing etc) to verify they will make adequate decisions.

Of course MOST of the mentors don't follow the rules when it comes to this because the only reason they have students in the first place is to increase their income potential. Nothing more.

 

glad to hear that stupid lifting test is gone. just make them walk the line. I got tired my first day and told the trainer I'm done. his comment was keep going. first truck stop I seen we stopped he got pissed I got pissed and I won. as soon as I said let me talk to safety he was like okay whiner. the next day he was as nice as could be and we became good friends. still talk once in awhile.

 

So much old and inaccurate info here. I just tested out.

Week 1 You run as a single. I was to drive 5 hours max. Mentor is on line 4 on duty not driving, riding shotgun. He can drive 6 hours.

Week 2 Trainee to 8 hours max. Mentor can sleep if he feels confident the trainee can handle it.

Weeks 3-6 run as a team. This is the only place the mentor can make the extra money. L/O's do it at a reduced rate to compensate the company for the trainee's salarly. They are dropped to $.88 a mile VS $.92.

In the past once a trainee went solo the mentor got $.01 a mile for every mile his grads run for 12 months. Thin you could make some $$$ that way?

Recently some mentors have ran their trainees 11 hours right off the bat. They are getting fired from being mentors.

And to tell you the truth you screw up your logs in Memphis and they will hang you by your toe nails. The guy that does that department is known throughout the company as the toughest.

Swift ain't playin around, you run safe, legal etc. Or you are gone!

 

Just love when some rookie thinks they know it all.


Look, I got the info on what is expected from training directly in both the Decatur and Greer terminals JUST FOUR WEEKS AGO. I was trying to decide to stick with Swift and make a decent living or move on. Turns out about the only way to make a decent living (60k+) with them is be an o/o and risk your life by trying to train idiots they hire to drive trucks. Ain't risking it so I decided to move on.

 

I see you started in aug 09 lugnut and I know Memephis Terminal is the pits they tried to have me run illegal"ovetrime" so yeah you probably get that crap, but I can tell you factually that trainers still run guys 11 the first wek if they can and some as soon as they feel comfortable go to bed and leave you alone. so before you get pushy remember Swift is a BIG company and they can't see whats happening in the truck on the road.

 

it also takes some NADS to call and report your trainer. I'm sure the person who receives that call will warn the next trainer about that rookie. I'm sure that will not fly in such a MACHO work enviroment.

 

Ummm actually started with Swift 05/08 and proud to say I will quit them tomorrow upon completion of the Atlanta to Charlotte round trip I have

Yeah, they are a large company and lately things seem to vary from terminal to terminal on what company policy is. But that's life when you have too many cheifs and not enough indians I reckon. I agree trainers will always be trainers and the majority will do their level best to use any student as a team driver as soon as they can, no matter what the policy is. Only way they can make a decent living with the company imo. Majority of solo company drivers out there make $45k annually at best. Judging from how they have the l/o deal set up I would imagine it's rather difficult to net much over 50k a year. Would like to see some honest numbers on what their "independent business owners" actually net a year tho.