Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Yeah I was under the impression that Swift was short drivers. And I figured out of all terminals, Phoenix would be the one with trucks. I guess I'm thinking back months ago when I heard people talking about all the available trucks here. I guess like the tractor assignment guy said, this is the slow season for available trucks. I'll be happy to just have my truck back at this point.

Wow I didn't know they only paid you for the layover pay for recovering a truck. I figured it would be more. I guess I'm thinking about truck abandonment. I know they charge the drivers $500 for that if I remember correctly.

That's some experience you have with truck recovery. I didn't think about all the different ways a truck would require recovery. I guess my first thought about truck recovery was a pissed off driver saying "screw it" and just leaving his truck somewhere. But considering the mechanical condition of those trucks you had to pick up I guess I should be happy that mine has only minor issues. I guess it could always be worse, a lot worse.

 

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Yes, I think that was the other one. I wonder if Swift would pay or reimburse me to stay there instead. I might be stuck here in Phoenix again tomorrow night. This place has smoking rooms but not much else. The gym room and the lounge would be nice in the Quality Inn. I'll ask tomorrow.

 

haha that is COLD! Cold like that is a tough ride, especially on the hands once you start losing sensation in them.

I don't dislike heat at all, don't get me wrong. Although I do hate humidity. But when it comes to working or riding it's easier to bundle up. Cold keeps me up, heat makes me sleepy.

I checked today and they said that they don't pay for the other hotel anymore since they won't honor a discount with Swift. This was from the shuttle driver. But I'll have to look into it some more.

haha...it gets tougher with age.

 

Rough day and a threat to trespass me...

I was a few steps away from wearing pink underwear in some razor wire enclosed tent camp in Phoenix today. At least I think they still do that when you are locked up in Maricopa County jail.


More waiting at the terminal with not much progress...

Crap day as I took the shuttle back to the terminal only to see my truck hadn't moved. The forecast for my truck getting into the shop went from yesterday morning to yesterday afternoon to last night around midnight to 9 trucks still in front of mine early this afternoon. I was cranky and trying to quit smoking and was doing pretty well, I thought, up until this point. I wish I could be one of those Zen people that can take deep breaths and see unicorns and rainbows but instead I just see red.

Went into my truck and opened up my Coleman to smell something funky. My ice has now melted and I dumped the cool water out next to my truck. I'm happy for the exercise this allows me but not happy about the smell of something going bad in my cooler. Someone had told me yesterday that the corporate parking lot at the Phoenix yard backed up to the rear of Walmart. I walked back there trying to find a route to Walmart to buy some replacement ice for whatever was still fresh in my cooler. Walked and walked and walked until I finally found an open chain link fence that descended down into a drainage ditch. But there was another wall about 8 feet high beyond that encircling, what I thought was, the Walmart. Not trying to be a ninja and take my chances with finding a way over the wall I walked around some more only to see the wall stretching off into the distance. That wasn't going to work. Being decently annoyed at this point as sweat built up and started dripping I made my way back to my truck.

I called my terminal and told them that I had to get some ice as I had just bought a bunch of groceries before this whole shop issue. One of the cool ones that I like to work with from my terminal was in disbelief that my truck still hasn't even been brought into the shop yet. When I talked to my DM later she was also sympathetic. Good people those two. However there is someone new that I spoke to a few times today at my terminal. I don't remember his name but everytime I asked whom I was speaking to he would repeat his name and I still wouldn't understand. Not sure who this is but I can tell him and I are not going to get along. Right off the bat he was telling me I had a piss poor attitude. I didn't, I'm just very to the point and I want to make money and get rolling. I guess I should be more sing songy when I complain about sitting at a terminal for what looks like an indefinite time. Him and I would have another conversation later that evening.

One of the cool DM's at my terminal said that even though my truck was in shop status, he would put a note in the system so I could bobtail out of the terminal to run to WAlmart for ice. Again, very cool. I like this guy. I always have. I took the chance, rolled up to the gate and they let me out. A quick trip to Walmart to get some ice and a sandwich and I was back parked at the terminal in front of the shop.

I checked in and now I'm 8 trucks away from getting in. Down 1, I guess that's progress.


Back to the hotel only to have the day go from bad to worse...

I prepared my bag again for the hotel and caught the early shuttle, a little after 3 PM, back to the hotel. New faces on the happy bus. Driver was friendlier than the one we had yesterday Yesterday's driver was in a foul mood and barked something about "this is my rig, you do what you want in your rig and I'll do what I want in my rig" when someone had made a comment about him making a questionable stop at what I think was a homeless shelter to pick up a buddy that sat in the front seat.

Happy bus drops us off and I get my room. I had asked for a smoking room so I expect it to smell. I'm fine with that. But this was room had a weird smell that the rooms the other two nights didn't have. It smelled like something moldy or something had turned. By itself, not a big deal. Again, it's a smoker room so I expect the worst. But shortly after I noticed red stains near my chair. Not sure what that is. Could be blood? Probably not but I had no idea. Then I feel wetness seep through my socks as I walked around. Pull those off to notice a puddle of wet carpet I had just stepped in near the tv. I pull the socks off step away towards the bathroom and I step barefoot into another puddle of wet carpet near the tiles in the bathroom area. Now this is strange.

Not sure what I was thinking. I should have probably just kept my mouth shut but with the puddles, the red stains and the smell I was thinking at least I should let them know and maybe see about getting another room. A lot of things happen in hotels and wet floors make my imagination go wild. I made my way back to the lobby and waited behind about 4 other Swifty students that were just checking in. Waited in line behind them until my time came up. I told the girl behind the counter about what I had found and asked if she had another room available. I guess part of it was that I didn't want to get blamed for the wet carpet, stains or weird smell. I've been in much worse conditions in hotels so not a big deal overall.

She was standing next to a guy who I later found out was the manager. He spoke up for her when I asked about another room and he immediately didn't like what I had said in front of these other guests waiting behind me. That's my guess. Maybe I could have been more discrete but I wasn't. The guy barked something about me stepping to the side while he checked in the rest of the guests. My thought was maybe just get me another room but, ok, I'll wait. When he was done checking in the few people that were behind me he asked when I discovered the puddles and red stains. I told a short while after I got to the room. I was questioned why I didn't report it immediately. I said I had thought about it but didn't notice the puddles until I stepped in them. He kept going on about me not reporting this right away. I really didn't have an answer. He said he would go to my room to check it out. When I told him I would go with him he said "no, you stay here. I'll go to the room". I responded,"No, I have electronics all over that room. I need to be in the room when you check it out. Besides, I want to show you where the puddles are". I wasn't trying to be argumentive but I've it made no sense to me why he had to go to my room unattended and why I couldn't go with him to show him where the puddles were. He immediately closed the gate next to the counter and went back behind the counter.

"Then you can't get another room. Good day".

I was in shock a little. Maybe it was me being cranky. Maybe it was because I hadn't smoked all day. This didn't make any sense and his reaction surprised me.

I told him that he has to at least check out the room. He clammed up and didn't say anything. I asked if there was a corporate phone number as this was ridiculous. He took out a card, wrote a phone number on it and said I could call tomorrow morning at 9 AM. He said they are closed right now.


And it got worse...

I was in disbelief. Then it got worse. I said I couldn't believe it and that I would go back to my room to grab my cellphone so I can video this guy telling me that he wouldn't even look at my room. It just spiraled downhill from there even more. I don't know what got into me to actually go back and grab my cellphone as I've never done anything like this. I guess my feeling was that my back was against the wall and now I'm stuck in a room with mystery puddles, mystery stain and mystery smell and that I would have no recourse. I really don't know what I was thinking. But I went back to my room, went back to the lobby, turned on the video on my cellphone and asked him to repeat what he had said about not going to check out my funky room. He didn't say anything right then, stepped out of view and said "you have a half hour to remove your stuff and get off property. Do you want me to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing?". I said, "go ahead and call them. I paid and all I'm asking is for you to look at my room". He responded only that I have a half hour to get out.

What a mess. I went back to my room and started to pack my stuff up. It wasn't much as I really hadn't unpacked much. I called my home terminal and got the same guy I had spoken to earlier that day. The guy whose name I couldn't quite understand or hear. He was the new guy that had told me earlier in the day that I need not have an attitude about my truck status. Again, I was complaining but never thought I had an attitude. Regardless, when I called about this hotel situation he was the one I got on the phone unfortunately. He chewed me out that my constant attitude got me into this mess and now I wanted Swift to bail me out of this situation and get me another hotel room. I just listened as I wasn't in the mood to argue with this guy. He went on and on and on..."you have this attitude and expect people to not have attitude back...you made this mess...first it was your truck and now you're getting kicked out of your hotel...." And on and on and on. He put me on hold.


Flashback to a time with Newark Police Department...

I had placed my duffel bag in the crease of my open hotel room door and sat there at the desk with my phone on speakerphone, the Swift message reminding me about how much they care about drivers. Time was ticking by slowly and I was wondering when my half hour would be up. I figured the bag in the open doorway and the rest of my stuff ready to go would be a good excuse should Phoenix's finest come greet me at my door. In that time waiting I had a flashback to one of the worst days I can remember when I was just a college student and got a knock on my apartment door by the two police officers from Newark PD. In that situation I had been living in what was basically a housing project, although I paid full rent, most of the apartments had long since been converted to Section 8. I was the literally the only white guy in an all black housing unit consisting of two 22 story buildings situated on MLK Drive. It was the cheapest place for me at the time that I could afford and it was within walking distance to school. The only other white person there was my ex-girlfriend whom had moved up there with me when I got accepted at Rutgers. She was younger than me, didn't have any real credit and I had decent credit at the time. So upon moving in to this place we agree to put her name on the lease as it would help her get better credit. So we did. This day I had the knock by Newark PD turned out bad. Her and I had been arguing lately. That morning, before I left for school, she had made a statement that I had to move out. I was in shock as the only reason we were up in this ######## was because I was going to school. I worked for UPS in Secaucus sorting packages from 0400-0800 before school as they reimbursed me for my tuition every semester. I would go from UPS, back home, shower and walk to school. That morning she told me I had to leave. Me. Even though she had no real purpose to be up there other than the fact that we were together. She had no family, no ties, no job at the time. Nothing. This particular argument she told me to move or she would have me removed by the police. Pretty extreme and at the time I didn't understand. I called her bluff, told her to go ahead and have me escorted out and I left to go to school. Hours later I came home from school, sat at my rickety old wooden kitchen table that shook as I handwrote notes and heard a knock. I was greeted by two of the Newark cops and one of our public housing cops not far behind them. I explained the situation, why we put her name on the lease, that my job and my school were up here and that I had nowhere to go locally. They were empathetic, they understood, but legally they had to remove me as her name was on the lease. Legally. I understood. I was upset, not angry but sad and feeling at a loss of what to do. I still had work at 4 AM in the morning, I still had school and here I was being told I had to leave right now with just some clothes and my books. I left.

That is the feeling I had today and it wasn't a good one. I had a quick flash, a thought, that these Phoenix cops would come to my door say this half hour had elapsed and that they were mandated to take me to jail for trespassing. Seemed extreme but possible. They never came and I was still on hold. I broke out a pack of cigarettes I tried to hide from view last night, deep in my bookbag, and I took them out. I smoked and failed the quit once again.


Resolution and resignation...

I looked up to see the manager come to my door. Before he said anything I told him my bag was packed up, pointing to the duffel that he could already see lying in the open doorway. I was just on hold with Swift trying to get a shuttle or something to take me somewhere. I had no attitude. At this point, between the conversation with this new guy at the terminal, between the whole incident in the lobby, between the Newark PD flashback, I was kind of worn down and feeling defeated at this point. I nodded, acknowledging the bag on the ground. I asked him if he would at least see the puddles and stain I was telling him about earlier. He stepped in and I pointed them out. I told him again how I didn't notice them right away, not until I stepped into the puddles. I didn't know if it was from the previous tenants as weird stuff happens in hotels. He was understanding. He seemed remorseful and said that he would go ahead and get me another room. I told him, actually, it is fine if I stay here if he would allow it. I can live with the puddles and whatever else. He asked me again if I wanted another room and I said no, this one will do fine. He said that I had caught him at a bad time earlier. I extended my hand and shook his. I apologized for being on edge, for possibly overreacting and that I had a rough day with my truck being in the shop. He walked out with both of us feeling better about it. I felt relief that this situation didn't get worse.

I hung up the phone and called back. My terminal manager answered. I told him that I couldn't understand the name of the guy I was speaking to but that I wished to let him know to disregard. That everything was fine here and that the manager and I had worked it out. He offered me another room, said I caught him at a bad time, that I was high strung from the truck being in the shop, and that we had worked it out that I would stay in this room. I could hear the terminal manager relaying this to the other guy that I learned then was making me a reservation somewhere else. I can only imagine what they must say about me at my terminal.

What a day.