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

I would have but they already gave me a load back east. By the time I drop this load on the east coast I'll just put my hometime in for Washington.

From what I understand, you have to wait 13 days after your last home time plus it has to be 5 days in advance. So the fastest home time turn around is 18 days. My 13 day requirement should be up by the time I drop this load. Then it should be another 5-7 days back to Washington depending on my available HOS. I'm already on recap hours so I may have to budget my hours on the way back out to Washington.

 

I'm currently at the Gary terminal doing some laundry and taking advantage of Large_Marge

Last time I was at a Target in Billings, MT waiting on a load. I got one. Picked up south in Wyoming and it's going out to Jersey City, my old hometown.

The pick up was easy enough although I had to do a little four wheeling and muddin' to pick up the loaded after I dropped my empty. The lot was a muddy mess but the drive south into Wyoming was scenic. I picked up my loaded trailer and reviewed my routing again while rereading the plan's comments. I pulled to the side near the dropped trailers before continuing.

The comments on the plan stated "Do not take highway 14 or highway 16 out of shipper". I had already set the Q.C. gps to route me to my next stop, a fuel stop in South Dakota. The Q.C. had me routed across highway 16, contrary to the comments in the plan. I plugged the next stop into my Rand McNally gps and it also had me going across highway 16. I referred to my trusty and well-worn atlas and the only way to bypass highway 16 was to go south/southwest on highway 20, then east on highway 26 over to I-25 and then north onto I-25. The difference in mileage from where the Q.C. was routing me and the way I needed to go was 195 miles. If I could take highway 16 straight out of Worland, where my pickup was, I would go due east and run right into I-90 at Buffalo a relatively short 84 (or so) miles later. Bypassing it was another 195 miles extra to Buffalo.

I called Phoenix as it was afterhours at this time. The comments had stated something about putting the 10 digit pickup number in the stop 1 location. I had no clue what that meant as this load had only a pickup and a final. There were no stops. And it wasn't clear what number they wanted and where they wanted it. The girl in Phoenix was lost as well. We agreed that I would just put the BOL number in the BOL field on my loaded call. I sent a freeform to no one in particular as well just to cover myself explaining that I did not know what they wanted based on the comments. After reviewing the routing of the GPS/Q.C./fuel routing/and the restrictions, I called Phoenix again a little while after the first phone call. A guy answered and basically he just kept telling me to follow the fuel routing. I explained about the 195 mile discrepancy if I go the way suggested by the comments. "Follow the fuel routing. I'll resend it to you".

Me: "But...but...but..."
Him: "Follow the fuel routing...."

I understand the after hours group doesn't usually handle stuff like this but I needed someone to say it was ok to go 195 miles out of route. The fuel routing, the original and the one resent, were no help as the fuel route just stated where my first fuel route was in South Dakota off of I-90. That wasn't helping.

I started driving and went a few blocks, heading in the detoured way up to I-90, the route that was roughly the shape of a saucepan versus the route of the GPS in the form of a spoon. I went a few blocks and had stronger reservations. Everything was still unclear after the call to Phoenix. I made a couple of lefts and ended up about a block away from the shipper again. I pulled off to the side of this neighborhood side road, hit my 4 ways and pulled into some dirt off the side of the road. I started to call Phoenix again when a guy in a pickup truck pulled up. He asked if I was looking for Crown, the shipper. I stated that I had already picked up from there (I'm guessing he worked there and was thinking I was lost - almost all the trailers at Crown Cork are Swift) and that I was considering what I should do. I roughly relayed to him what was going on. When telling him about highway 16, he asked me if I had chains. Yes, yes I do. Am I going to need them? Yeah, you probably will. It's twisty and most likely covered in snow he said. I wasn't going that way anyway. Nice guy though. Before we could finish our conversation Phoenix picked up the phone and I asked for a supervisor. I was put on hold for a short time and then the supervisor got on.

He was a nice guy and I explained it all to him. I told him I had reservations about going 195 miles out of route without any kind of authorization. He was obviously looking at a map while we talked. I also told him that the extra 3-4 hours of out of route might affect my delivery time as it was already kind of tight and, additionally, I wanted to make sure that I got paid for the extra miles. Not for nothin', I don't work for free so I just want to cover myself.

He agreed. Again, a nice guy and he took the time to work with me. That's the first time I have ever asked to talk to a supervisor at Swift for any reason but I felt assured that this was something I had to do to be on the safe side. We worked on the routing the way I saw it in my atlas and he plugged it all in. I was routed south, west and north back around to I-90 and it was fixed, to the best of my knowledge. It added almost 200 miles to a great mileage trip as it was.

I'm heading out to Jersey City again. Well, last time, it was Bayonne but basically the same place. Before the 195 mile adjustment, my load was about 200 miles empty and almost 2000 miles loaded. With the extra miles this load should be about 2400 miles total. Great load and I haven't had a load like this in a while. When I got it I worked it quick to see if it was doable and snapped it up. No complaints that I'm going into the bowels of hell all over again in north Jersey. I'll get some pizza.


Taking every load...
I'm making an honest effort to take every and any load they throw at me. I've read everyone's comments on here, the Swifties with experience, and read about those that turn down loads. I'm guilty of it myself in the past. Not often but I have done it. I did it a while back in the form of a very revised Mac 9 on a load that was taking me from Virginia up into Connecticut via the Cross Bronx Expressway/I-95N during rush hour. I whined and mac 9'd my way out of it. Not sure if that was a good decision. Either way, I don't want to be that guy, ya know? I don't want to be on anyone's list as being difficult, the guy that turns down loads etc. I don't. I'm still learning in this whole process as I'm about 13+ months in solo and it's still pretty freakin damp behind my ears. I'm trying though and I do take advantage of the wisdom and experience of you guys and gals on here. I listen. I want to get better and I don't want to be on any naughty lists whatsoever.

I talk to my parents every few days and they live vicariously through me, to some degree. They always ask me where I am and where I am going. I told them about my trip out to Jersey City. A while back, my last load that delivered out there was a little bit of a nightmare with the morning traffic, trying to find parking, etc. I delivered nearby in Bayonne and I had #####d about it to my parents. We all agreed that I wouldn't go back out there again if I could help it. At the time I was pretty frustrated and so I was venting quite a bit about delivering out in the metro NYC/Jersey area. I swore I wouldn't go back. So when I got this load the first thing my dad said was "I thought you weren't going to go back out there? Didn't you learn your lesson last time...". Yeah, I did learn but I had time to think about it since the last time. As we all do, I had plenty of time to think while driving...

A few days ago, prior to this load going out to Jersey City, I was driving along and just thinking about how things used to be before this job. I'm not sure what brought this to mind exactly but there it was. I was thinking back that prior to working for Swift and starting this new career and lifestyle. I was thinking about how comfortable I am in the back of my truck every night when I shut down. I was thinking about my little gizmos around the truck, my electronics, my pillow top mattress. I thought, "I have a Blu-ray player!!" I have cash in my pocket. A debit card. A credit card and not a ######### one. I thought back to before I went off to Swift school and how I left behind a lifestyle that I don't miss. A lifestyle I never want to return to. I thought back to that little rented bedroom in a rented house (not even owned -by the person I paid rent to) in the worst part of Tacoma. I liked the neighborhood for the most part but gunshots twice a week, the kid across the street that was murdered, the kid that was shot in the house behind my house on that last Halloween while I sat on the front porch smoking a cigarette, the questionable activities of my roommates at times, the lack of any furniture in my little rented bedroom other than the air mattress, some boxes and a little desk, the constant rain in Tacoma that seemed to really get to me that last year living there, the ######### commuting to a temp labor place at 04 dark 30 in the AM in the wet on my motorcycle just to sit there in the temp labor waiting room for hours just to be told "hey, doesn't look like we got any work for you today - try back tomorrow, sorry". The ride back in the rain from the temp labor, with no work and knowing that I didn't have a dime in my pocket was always the longest and most depressing ride. Everything I ever had before those times that I took for granted was sold, pawned or otherwise gone from me. I remember taking a beloved video game system and selling it for $30 to a game store chain up the street for gas to get to temp work the next day. It killed me and I had nothing in the end before I left for Swift school. There was the close proximity to the woman that no longer wanted to be with me and had forced me to move from the privacy of my own house, that which I was used to, into a house with 2 other adult men in their 40's. I'm too old for this ####e, I told myself. Enough. It was nothing short of a miserable existence. All of it. Misery. It was a miserable time and, little did I know at the time, it was the end of a long era of garbage. I see that now but little did I know then...

I was thinking about all of this and was thinking that I can never, ever go back to those times prior to Swift. Whether I stay with Swift in the long run or I don't, I am thankful that they sent me off to training and gave me a job when I needed one. Other companies required me to verify all the 5 years prior to Swift that I spent in back and forth, gap-toothed employment holes. I tried to start a photography business. I worked on the computer at home for a while. I did a lot of temp agency labor and a lot of just sitting there in that depressing lobby before being told to go home because there was no work. Other companies asked for verifiable employment, consistent employment and I couldn't provide it. Swift gave me a shot based on some letters from others stating what I was doing and trying to do. That chance they gave me is what I'm thankful for and it is at those times when I realize that I may have forgotten this fact that scares me the most. I may not have a lot by other people's standards but to me, I'm living on top of the world. I won't allow that to change or slip away. With that I happily, and I mean HAPPILY, accepted this load out to Jersey City, into the bowels of hell because it's nothing compared to what I used to know.

 

I received a message while I was driving. They moved my delivery time back to 0800 on 4/21 from the original date which was a day earlier. I think there is about 900 miles left, give or take, from the Gary terminal to final. I don't think I can t-call it as I'm close enough to the delivery time that it probably wouldn't make much sense for them to pass it over to someone else at this point. So I have time to kill. Now I just have to plan out where I'm going to stay the night before the delivery and where I'm going to stop running tomorrow.

I got some good news yesterday. I had my first positive DOT (type) inspection.

I crossed the scales located at the west end of I-90 in South Dakota near Spearfish/Sturgis. I think it is Tilden. My load is only 8,000 lbs. so when I got the green arrow to go inside I was pretty upset. About a year ago, not long after I first went solo, I got a few Swift points at this exact scale house when I had moved my tandems earlier that day screwing up my axle weight distribution. My mistake but I paid for it in the form of a nearly $200 ticket and some Swift points added to my record. I would never make that mistake again.

So when I saw the green arrow pointing for me to pull in, I figured I was red flagged at this exact same scale due to what happened there last year. I was not in a good mood and I was not smoking that day. I went inside, kind of standoffish. The DOT inspector said hello and I didn't respond right away. She said hello again, this time more pronounced. I said "how are ya" but I was still pretty cold. I felt that I had paid my dues that first time and I was annoyed that I was being called in again at this same scale, especially since I only had 8000 lbs in the box. She remained friendly and she was cute. Very cute and I'm a sucker for that. Plus she was just straight up friendly and was putting up with my coldness. I warmed up quickly. She said that I was called in randomly. I explained to her what happened last year and she saw it on her computer screen. We both laughed and she again reassured me that it was completely random and coincidental that I was called in. She went through my paperwork - drivers license, medical card, truck insurance and registration, trailer registration, bill of lading. Everything was good. I left the trailer registration outside and she wanted to check on my hours of service. We walked outside to check out my Qualcomm. The only thing she asked to see was my HOS summary and she noted how many hours I had left on my 70, 14 and 11. She then asked me, "Does that thing work?". I was confused and asked her what she meant. She pointed to my Shakeweight sitting on the passenger floor. I laughed and told her that it actually does work although it looks kind of odd when I'm using it should someone walk or drive by outside my truck while I'm using it. She laughed again as she got the mental picture of me using my shake weight sitting in the front seat. It was at that moment I realized that I hadn't expected any visitors in the truck today. It was neat and pretty orderly, although a little crowded, inside. But you leave a lot of yourself exposed when someone unexpectedly looks into your truck. The front of my truck is like my office. The rear is my home. I have dumbbells sitting on the floor, the Shakeweight, some pushup bars and Spanish language cd sets. I had Post-Its of reminders in various neon colors stuck all over my dash. Bananas on my seat. Running sneakers on the floor.

We walked back inside and she said that I was getting a positive report. She gave me a copy to keep myself. I wish I had met her under different circumstances.

I called Swift and let them know and they confirmed that these are points (negative points I guess) towards my Swift record. Good news as this is the first time I've ever had the point deduction, which is positive.

 

Swift point are also referred to your "RA score", or risk analysis score. Some corporate mumbo jumbo. I joke. It actually makes sense, especially with so many new drivers and with so many drivers overall.

Basically you start at 0 points. You want to be at 0 or negative points. You lose points (good) to gaining points (bad news).

The newer you are the more weight certain offenses carry. Since you are new they want to ensure that a driver that may be risky is either corrected or asked to leave. As you have more time with Swift "offenses" (for lack of a better word) carry less points.

Certain events or offenses that carry a positive RA are accidents, truck/trailer damage, damage to other property, speeding tickets, scale tickets and possibly over speeds/critical events (I think). I'm not sure about all of them.

RA score is seperate from CSA points but they can run concurrently such as an accident.

I had a total of about a 7 or so RA score. Positive, which is bad. I got mine from when I first started. I got a few points when I moved my tandems way back when, after scaling, and was called into that scale house in S. Dakota. I was overweight on an axle from moving my tandems and received a ticket at the scale house. I got a few points also when I got my trailer tandems stuck in a ditch delivering to some onion field in Georgia and I had to have the trailer pulled out. No damage but got me a few points.

This last scale inspection was official and was to my benefit so I lose about 4 points off my RA. I should be at about 3 or so points positive once they process this last scale DOT inspection. That's good. It would be better to be negative points tho.

I could swear that my 3rd mentor told me he had like 30 something or 40 something points with Swift from a couple of accidents over his 2 years with Swift. I was kind of surprised that he had so many points and was training and still driving with Swift.

I've heard of drivers getting RA points from getting flat tires in a parking lot. Not sure how I feel about stuff like that. But that's what it is.

Other more experienced Swift drivers may know more about the RA point system. Feel free to add or correct me as I only know what I've heard.

 

Overnight at the Youngstown Walmart. Easy access and entered off the side road Goldie Street. Parked on the automotive side and im the only truck here. No RVs either. Bought some cold cuts, window cleaner and some things to get me through the next few days since I'm heading to Jersey and don't know when I'll be back at a Walmart. Its nice and quiet here.

Running the final leg tomorrow of 389 miles to Jersey City. Hoping I can find a spot to park tomorrow night at the consignee or maybe on the street. I was hoping to get some genuine and worlds best pizza tomorrow night but I forgot it is Easter so I may be pizza less. Delivery appointment is at 0900 Monday. Should be light traffic tomorrow.

 

Thanks Ms Jamie! Good to know.

Im not sure how long I'm going to be out here but I think I'm going to put my home time request in tomorrow for Washington. I think the request said I had to be out 13 days from the last home time so its just about that time.

 

Parked outside the consignee here in Jersey City. I'm only about a block away from where I was a little over a month ago when I had that delivery in Bayonne. I must be right on the border of the 2 cities.

Since its Easter there are no pizza places open. I'm going to hope that I can stall a little if I don't get a load after this delivery tomorrow to get a pie delivered to me here. Besides there's really not anywhere I can go from here to park. There's nothing nearby and the couple of local truck stops around here are nasty.

I'm giving this dating/meeting people phone app/website a try again as it is nearly impossible to meet people otherwise with this job.

I tried this app once before a while back when I first started driving, based on one of my trainers suggestions, and it didnt work out. I met up with a couple of people out in Washington and it was a failure. One of the girls was high maintenance and the other girl told me she was only happy when she drinks. I'm sure I wasn't there cup of tea either. The one that was higher maintenance, during a somewhat awkward goodbye, was nearly headbutted by me as I thought she wanted a hug goodbye at the end of the date but she went in for a kiss. Another person I met on there suggested moving out to Virginia from Washington when we never met in person. So, in short, I don't like this new modern approach to dating. Just doesn't appeal to me. Call me old fashioned.

I might have missed an opportunity to meet someone last time I was in Virginia. I was out riding my new motorcycle when I pulled up behind a girl on a scooter. This was right near William & Mary College so I'm guessing she was a student. I didn't want to encroach on her personal space as she sat idling at the red light. I waited through one full revolution of the traffic signal and the green light skipped our side. We sat helplessly through a couple of reds. Something that those whom don't rife motorcycles might not know is that traffic signal are sometimes triggered by magnetism. There are sensors built under the pavement near the traffic signal that pick up on the amount of metal and activate the traffic light signal accordingly. Well motorcycles and scooters don't have enough metal sometimes to let the traffic light know you are waiting there. That was the case here. So I pulled my bike go next to her scooter and we started joking about waiting for the light. In true nerd fashion and like a modern day Cliff Claven I relayed the magnetism info to her. We had a laugh as the cars backed up behind us. She was attractive and before I could take the conversation to the next level the light turned green finally. She said "see you later", pulled ahead and turned into the gas station near the corner. For a brief second I debated pulling in behind her as the ice had been broke but I internally debated whether that might be kind of weird. So I didn't. I just continued straight and we both honked goodbyes as I passed. So I don't know. This meeting people thing sucks as we get older.