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

I've seen folks that use those CPAP machines and I don't understand how they can sleep with all of that mask on! That being said, everyone I have ever talked to about them has said they sleep better than ever with them. I guess you get used to them.

Congrats on passing the backing tests. Like I was saying, just relish each little victory and carry it on to the next part. Before you know it, all those little victories will make one big accomplishment.

Jake brakes are a wonderful little thing that I sometimes think we have grown too attached to! Kind of like Wal Mart. What did people do before Wal Mart?

Here's something I learned today that spiced up my supper- Next time you order a Chicken Burrito from Taco Bell tell them you want "Lava Sauce" on it. The KLLM driver in front of me in line swore by it. I tried it and I have to hand it to the guy. I went back and got 4 more to keep in the fridge. I knew KLMM could contribute to society in some productive way and I just found out how this evening!

 

I'm interested to know what they are telling you about "Life on the Road" and who's teaching that part. I met a Werner fellow the other day who was on his second week training that was bummed out because ( in his own words ) " This is nothing like the recruiter told me it was going to be like" . Listening to him sounded like his trainer was using him as a second log book to drive team.

Now this is my thoughts, so take them with a grain of salt, but I think one of the big reasons this industry has such a high turnover rate is because hey spend all this energy recruiting folks and just don't get them prepared for the "Daily Grind" kind of stuff. You can talk about safety, paperwork, log books ( or eLogs if applicable ), truck maintenance, company policy, and all the other mundane aspects that you can read in a manual the next time you have to check the plumbing out, but what about the day to day stuff you have to find out for yourself? A company will tell you what you CAN'T do, but don't spend anytime telling you what you CAN do. Little things can make a big difference for folks. I realize that a lot of problems can be solved with a good trainer, but that's really "luck of the draw" when it comes down to it. That Werner fellow was nothing more than a second log book for his trainer. Say what you want about Werner, but its still about not getting this guy prepared for what he's going to experience as far as life on the road. What I wish they would have done for my orientation class is go out in the yard and pick the first driver with more than 3 years experience to come in and do a Q and A session with all the new folks. Even for the veterans they could be useful about the company policies. I guess what I'm saying is to put a little personality back into it. Don't hold someone's hand, but let the person get a good idea about what is life is going to be like. All drivers who make it past sir first year and are proud of what they do should care because the ones who don't make it because they aren't prepared are one of the black eyes to this industry today.

Again, just my two cents worth. I just hate seeing good folks get burned out by either lack of knowledge or just drawing a bad trainer.

 

Hopefully you will get a good mentor. Again, it's luck of the draw for the most part. My trainer was a good dude who had one tragic flaw- he never met a slot machine he didn't like. He liked stopping at casinos, which I actually used to my advantage. We didn't run as a team for the most part. I did most of the driving and when we stopped, I got to sleep in a truck that wasn't moving because we were always parked somewhere where he could play the slot machines. Another bonus was by the time I was rested, he usually had been playing long enough where they would give him freebies like a couple of buffets. I had already knew how to drive trucks because I pulled cotton and grain trailers all through the Mississippi delta. I was able to ask him questions and I figured out the rest using common sense. He still works with the company and still goes to the casinos. In between gambling stops though, he was able to teach me the little things like never answering a knock at your door at night in a truckstop or telling someone you are hauling sacks of manure when they ask you what you have in the trailer. He taught me how to work the system with a dispatcher and how to eat healthy with a microwave and a mini crockpot. Just those little things like that made a difference for me. I hope you are ale to get a mentor that will have a little patience and take a little interest in getting you ready so you don't burn out real quick.

 

I suppose that's one of the advantages of living out west- Plenty of practice with mountains. We have a few hills on this side of the country but nothing like out there. I'd trade you some of our rain for a mountain or two.

Swift is supposedly one of the better companies when it comes to training so your chances are better than average that you'll end up with someone that has patience. As far as "clean" you never know. One of my bigger fears was not being able to keep a standard of clean that I have been living up to. It's all about give and take, but you will find little tricks that will help the cause. When I rode with a trainer, I always kept (and still do) a good supply of baby wipes that help out in the absence of a shower. I always keep a jug of water to brush my teeth and an electric razor to shave everyday. You will pick up little tricks of your own over time. A good rule of thumb is to remember that you can stay as clean as you want to be.

Sleeping in a moving truck takes getting used to but I got lucky in that department. As long as you don't run as a team it's not an issue. What is Swifts policy on training? Do they run as a team or does your mentor ride 2nd seat anytime you drive?

You seem to have the right attitude about the work so I wouldn't think you would burn out like some. You have to go into this with your eyes wide open. There are probably going to be times when you hate the job, hate the truck, hate the mentor, or whatever else you can get mad at. When it gets bad during your training, just know that when they turn you loose on your own, it's a completely different world. It WILL get better. Just hang in there and ride out the rough spots.

Heres a good metaphor I heard about this industry- Driving a truck is like going to prison without the well structured days. Stay away from the dudes that think its ok not to wear shirts in common areas and you will be just fine.