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

That's good that you do that for him. That's gotta help. I need someone to do that for me as I'm terrible with checking.

From what I understand, Swift will pay for mileage differences greater than 10%. That is, as long as it is their routing or issue and not a case of getting lost, etc. Something to keep in mind.

I have Boost Mobile and it is TERRIBLE. I don't get almost any service in about 7 states and outside major metro areas, my service is pretty bad. I'm going to look into maybe getting Verizon prepay down the line. I'm trying to avoid a $75 or $100 monthly cell bill so that's why I got Boost.

Yes, this is some of the best advice there is.


I try to pull straight through whenever possible and avoid backing like it's the plague. Too many things can go wrong with backing compared to what you can see in front of you. And, yes, it is so much less stressful.

I've had to do a couple of blind backs into parking spots out of sheer necessity when I had no hours and there was no other parking. The amount of stress involved is not worth it during those times. I've done it successfully but I can't help feeling like I'm rolling the dice whenever I back and it's not an absolute necessity.

There have been many times where there is a spot available but it looks sketchy so I'll continue looking for another spot.

Lately I have been trying to get those truckstop parking spots whereby I can loop around and set myself up for a straight back. I'm not perfect at setting myself up but getting better slowly. If there is a large truckstop I'll park farther away where I can just pull through at the expense of a longer (and healthier) walk to go inside.

 

Scottied...I would have done the same thing. I wouldn't have stuck around for that fiasco. Either way, he can't blame you. It's his truck and his responsibility. If he didn't see or hear you telling him to stop then that's on him no matter which way you look at it.

I've had people help me get into spots but I don't blindly follow what they say. If it's even somewhat sketchy then I move on to an easier spot.

My thing with pulling straight into a spot whereby I'm going to have to blindly back when I leave is this: In those few moments when I walk behind my trailer to make sure it's clear and then the moments in between where I have to walk up to the tractor, get in, start the truck and back anything can happen. Too much risk.

I remember when I picked up in Cincinnati and this shipper was located on a busy road. The docks required you to back in right off the busy street stopping traffic. There was a dirt lot across the street to stage until they called you to the dock. The only way in reasonably was to pull straight in off the road nose first and then back into traffic blindly when you left the dirt lot. I hated it. I asked one of the guys how he planned on backing out of there and he simply stated "I just start backing, the traffic will stop". Scary stuff... I got lucky in that I was one of the last trucks called to dock so by the time I had to leave the dirt lot the other trucks parked next to me had left and I could swing a tight turn around so I could pull out of the lot going forward.

 

There is something about switching from driving a truck and then driving a normal car when you get on your hometime. There is that adjustment period.

On my last hometime, I used my parent's car. The steering wheel felt tiny, like a go-cart. Then I noticed that I was not only doing the speed limit but a little under for the first couple of days. I signal much earlier to get over a lane and I check my mirrors constantly. I've also got in the habit of taking out my GPS and putting it in the car that I'm using.

I think something that non-CDL drivers don't realize is that we spend every moment in these things, awake or sleeping. We drive so many more miles that the truck almost becomes a physical extension of ourselves. I know when I get back on my motorcycle in a few weeks that it's going to feel so very tiny. I remember that feeling from last time.