Swift Transportation can kiss my gluteous maximus!!!

All due respect, you've stated there are two sides to the story and I'm one who would like to hear the other side. Nice letter and all but where is the personal responsibility at? Sure I can blame this or that person all day but it would not change the outcome if I were to continue to blame other people. What did you learn from this? Where could you have improved? How could you have made the situation better? By the way, I wasn't just typing all those pretty words above in my last two post asking you questions: would you mind answering the questions? You've stated you took out advances and then inform the company that you only made 100.00 a week on average? Also how can a truck company control the weather, or gridlock at a truckstop? Did you watch or listen or look over the weather conditions before you got to Texas?

Ive never been told to run illegal, I've received a paper form of the driver manual AND I printed out a copy on the kiosk. Everything, and I mean everything we need as drivers is on that kiosk. Your mentor should have told you this, it's not swifts fault someone didn't inform you of this. Even though in orientation you're given a paper pamphlet that basically states all this. If you didn't, apparently you did "everything" except switch terminals.

Its sad, you say you didnt know about the reimbursements because on the trip pak scan sheet for weekly pay, in the box it states "scan reimbursable receipts, one receipt per page." did you read the box? Also my DM gave me a copy of the swift driver manual in front of the fleet manager, I mean I don't know who told you it was against policy but they were mistaken. Just seems like most of your problems is a lack of homework, not bashing just an observation. By the way, are you trying to tell me you spent weeks with a mentor, and you, he, NEVER, had a receipt to scan with your trip sheet? Are you telling us that you've never heard of stories of people at docks and shippers for 2-3-4-5 hours? Are you telling me there was no waiting game ever before for you and your mentor? Are you stating that you had better things to do besides get loaded or unloaded so that you can do your job and drive to a final? Trucking game is this, hurry up and wait. No matter, I'll say it again, no matter where you go in the trucking industry you will hurry to get there safely and wait for them to take their time to unload or load you. Plain, simple, easy to understand. When you receive that message saying you've been at this place this or that amount of time did you reply to it? Were you in the sleeper berth which is a no-no? That's the only way you would not be paid for wait time.

It's not only swift that does the miles thing, almost every company does, so if you do find another company this won't change. Also, the navigation system clearly shows you the miles don't match up from loaded miles and mt miles per trip. This isnt a surprise to anyone. It's a zip code to zip code system, not all miles driven, this is supposed to be understood coming in. Did you see the difference the first time you accepted a pre plan?


Seems to me that the majority of your problems stemmed from one you not studying what was given you by your DM, if you weren't given anything when you met your DM like paperwork to read over in your free time something's wrong with your DM. Now, I say that but the blame isn't off you. The kiosk, as you should have been told has all the information you'll ever need. And you could print it all. I find it hard to believe that no one anywhere gave you ANY paperwork describing your job description and or where to find it. It looks like this is a classic blame game and without both sides of the story I don't buy it.


Personal responsibility is huge with trucking and especially with swift as they spoke about extensively in orientation. Things happen out of our control, sure it does. But in this letter, I don't see any of it. I see how you were supposedly "wronged" and yet only see one side of the story, and you even admitted it was another side to it. Jump on the bandwagon of basing swift if you're inclined to do so but remember the same site you're bashing swift on had good and bad stories where one could better prepare him or herself for not swift but the trucking industry as a whole. Yeah I see your letter, but you spent 7 months with a company and I question how that is possible if it was so bad for you. That doesn't compute.


Sad you had 5 months to go to make a year and do what you wanted afterwards, I would have toughed it out and got my year at least. I don't know what to tell you because even the DOT, when a driver says I'm new, I didn't know, still writes that ticket or citation. They would tell you, you should have read up on everything before you jumped behind a wheel of an 18 wheeler. Pay the fine. Something like this happened to me a few months back. There was no fine to pay but I did need to update my tractor paperwork. Had it not been for a guy in Arizona at the terminal on that Saturday morning who faxed me the documentation I would have received a citation. Was it swifts fault I didn't keep my paperwork up to date? No, it was my laziness. I had just left a terminal a few days before and didn't even check my book to make sure everything was up to date. My fault. No one gets anywhere blaming a company.

 

Right on the money Newtrucker48.. It sure seems that he just isn't cut out to be a truck driver he seems to be very lazy and lacks any personal responsibility whatsoever

For him to write a resignation letter accusing the company of stuff like that really shows his lack of intelligence and is sure to make swift mad Enough to black list his DAC report

 

I'll lighten up, not really knowing all the details. It's sad you didn't find the site until you were frustrated enough to quit. I found it and had about a 6 months period reading, studying, researching swift before I made the move. There was no place I wanted to come more because the reason I got into trucking was I worked at a target store unloading trucks for 4 years and swift had a contract with them. I initially wanted to drive dedicated for them but am happy where I am. Circumstances play a big part in things and I get that the majority of those who join a "starter" company don't know all the details coming in. And then get upset when it's not all roses. It's sad to see people coming into the trucking industry in massive debt and needing quick cash to offset their mounting bills. Well, sadly that first year is not that answer. It's a bad situation because due to prior bad choices outside of the trucking industry all their frustration is directed at the company they think did them wrong and that's not the case.

i had bills before I went to academy and those bills kept coming until I stopped being afraid to look at them and start paying them down. Money management is a key in every industry. If your managing skills aren't great you can make 100,000 a year and be deeply in debt blaming the company when it's not them it's you. I understand your frustration now. It bites that you didn't make money that you needed to make to pay your bills. Sorry to hear it didn't go so well for you here at swift. Wherever you go I hope you can take my advice. Pay off everything, every bill you have. Everything that isn't a home payment/ rent, car note, insurance, credit card debt, etc. the less overhead you have on the personal side the more happier you'll be at a company. In the last 2 1/2 months or so I've gotten rid of 3 large bills like I stated before. That is a huge weight off my shoulders. I have 3-4 more bills to go and then I'm free from all bills except my phone bill which provides me entertainment and keeps me sane. Get rid of everything if you can and aren't married and whatnot. I got rid of my car which I was paying a note on and the full coverage insurance to get rid of that debt. I wasn't driving the car at all being out on the road the majority of the time. I also don't have to go home, I'll probably go home for Christmas and thanksgiving, and maybe Easter, but other than that I like being out. That isn't the case for everyone an I understand it. I'm "blessed" to not be in a relationship or have any kids. It works wonders. Now I can build up my finances and soon to be business and in 16-20 years "retire" at 45-50 years old if God give me and this planet that long. Who know what I'll do concerning that area of my life then?

Be as mobile and as free of baggage as possible. It makes you happier and healthier moving forward when you know you can make 300 one week and be happy and not worrying about home and or make 500+ a week and not worry about a thing just saving for retirement. It's a great feeling getting rid of unnecessary bills. I have big plans for the future in the trucking industry and as soon as I get rid of these last bills, I'm starting the process. The best feeling is knowing whether I want to be lazy or whether the company has miles or not I'll be happy with them because I sat down and made a plan and started working on getting that plan up and running.

Thank you for answering my questions, wherever you land, research and study, and get rid of your overhead so that if another situation arises like this one you're better prepared. sit down and make a plan, write it out and do what you can to make it happen. No matter what anyone tells you, the how and the way you succeed is up to you and you alone and the mindset you maintain moving forward. Good luck to you.

 

If you shop right 100.00 is good to feed yourself. I gave myself a 50.00- 60.00 a week food budget,200-240.00 for the month. I buy from Walmart though and not the truck stops. I don't have a fridge yet but because my student asked me about it Im thinking about getting one if I can get to a Walmart soon. I'm 5'5 120 pounds though so food amount may differ. Sometimes I do cheat and eat at a Denny's or get a burger and fries or chicken. I reward myself for working hard occasionally. Have to have my pancakes and bacon! Or steak or fish, trying to stay healthy so I can enjoy my latter years.

 

Are you calling me short?! I think you're trying to call me short!

 

I'm strictly going off what you post...so if you don't like the truth... Well too bad... I mean I specifically mentioned that no one can make you drive illegally and your response was well since I'm new I have to do as I'm told well you know what the laws are you know what the regulations are no one can make you break them if you broke them you broke them on your own free will..

so again...accept responsibility for your actions because if you don't, you'll end up with same results at next company...

my word of advice to you is this...

you & only you are in charge of operation of that truck...if for some reason you can't drive whether it being weather/road conditions or hours of service, you have the ultimate authority to stay parked..if a company retaliates against you for it , then you have a legal case..

so just remember... You're the "captain of the ship"