Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

^ yeah. The thing is SOMEONE should have looked at the log and said "There's now way.. 132mph? no.. that's a 4** mile day.. he's good. Disregard."

And I'm not familiar with the computer log system. No idea how I would send them in or scan them. I don't mind this trucking thing and this is a beautiful country at times. TN is a very nice state, so getting to see these places is a plus.

My DM is ok, but the terminal is Phoenix, so I think they're nit-picking because it's the HQ. I've heard that the terminal makes some difference.

And they got me on their GPS MS-DOS Spread sheet saying that I hit 63. I'm really nto too concerned about that. I'll go to another company after a while anyway.

I mean, If my freight is on time, I'm not getting harassed by DOT, no accidents and I'm not speeding (by state limits) who cares if I do a couple over the governor? You know how much time you would have to spend WATCHING the speedometer to be sure you don't go over?? It would be borderline unsafe, even if you set it to 60 or 55 or 58 even.

But anyway.. I'm not real bent out of shape about it.. Just "pffff whatever.. Morons" I'm about ready to just keep driving thru my home time anyway because of problems with the g/f and DRIVING is when I do my best thinking anyway..

 

Remember, companies make money on n00b drivers. Hence the attitude and high turnover rates. Until the subsidies end it is always going to be this way.

 

That is very true...

 

Not really.

 

still dont know how you can get a speeding 'ding' unless it is an OVERSPEED. i run 62 whenever i can...even when the speed limit is 60. Think there is something else going on here you're not telling us about.

good luck finding another job. You know swift will ding your DAC record to...and unless you're juiced in somewhere, the new co. will look at you working at swift for 6 mo. and then ask "why couldn't you hack it over there?" then your responce will be "the company sucks....and so do a few people in HQ".....which will be nothing new they've heard....so BOL.

 

I was going to respond to the general msg of your posting (speeding), untill I read the last couple lines of your posting re home problems.
There is the real problem your distracted and quite honestly don't need to be out there on the highway with us. I believe your just too new to driving to know how the quailcom system works and the idiosyncrasies of todays big rigs, and even if you did your already gonna be too distracted by home problems to be aware of them.
Every bell and whistle that a truck designer design's for a truck can be used to our advantage. If you let it become "BIG BROTHER" then you just handicaped yourself.
scanning your instrument panel, your mirrors and the road ahead becomes second nature with experience. It's not borderline unsafe. If your you learn to spot your weakness and work to correct them you can make it driving. FYI the GPS MS-DOS as you call it didn't catch you going 63mph it "caught" you not responding to the fact that you were going 63mph and not correcting yourself. when you keep your foot on the peddle and you hit 63mph because of most likely because an incline it will register that there is still pressure bieng applied to the accelerator. Thats what you got "CAUGHT" for, as you put it.
Im afraid your gonna be spending a lot of time on Safety hold unless you change a lot of bad driving habits.

 

I'm confused here, the first paragraph you state they dinged you for 63 mph. In the third paragraph of your post you state or admit going over 63 by never letting it get above 68.

They got me for overspeed when I first started too. And I never changed my driving style or habits after the PCR and have never been dinged since. I think they were just testing the waters as they say to find out what sort of personality I have when accused of questionable violations. They told me I was monitored going 60 miles per hour some place I said "my driver handbook says company driver may drive up to 65 miles per hour." She says not in California. I asked where was the overspeed? She said they did not know the location but to trust the computer when it says I was in the wrong, sign the paper already and fax it back, don't do it again may result in your termination.

Talking to other drivers about it who pass me up out there and hooking up with them at the next truck stop they say, when going downhill take your foot off the accelerator or kick it out of cruise by touching the clutch-- go as fast as you want-- computer doesn't red flag that.

Dude, as far as the preplan on your truck, you *knew* it was there lol you admit to knowing how many miles were on the trip. What is the problem? You could have turned the load down or accepted it without the phone call.

 

Here is what you do. Got your cruise on when running in a 65mph zone. you get a down-hill grade...let your speed climb to 65, then click on the MED-jake....and it will hold your speed. Anything with a larger grade or heavier load, and you'll need to bump it up to HIGH-jake. As long as you're not touching the throttle when you get to 63-64...you'll never get an overspeed. The qualcomm wont chirp at you doing 62-63 in a 55mph. how the F is the QC going to tell what speed limit you're running. Swift don't know you're running 62 in a 55. The speed limit signs dont talk to your QC. You only get the warning if you're going 64+ AND ON THE THROTTLE !! You get a minute of overspeed or 1% during your trip, and you'll get a phone call from safety.

been driving for 2 yrs...i get overspeed warnings every now and then. i've NEVER been 'wrote up' for speeding. In my 2 yrs, i think i've had only 2 overspeeds that were 71mph. The ONLY reason i got those, was because i wasnt paying attention to my speedometer. If you're too lazy to stay in total control of your rig 100% of the time, you dont need to be driving.

 

I scan the gauges and mirrors frequently.. just out of habit as I have been running heavy equipment for six years and I know how big these things are. I am NOT new to this stuff, just freight and I KNOW people say "I don't give a #### what you did before this" but I'm telling you that my prior work experience has me well prepared and comfortable (Not over confident) when it comes to operating this truck safely. I feel comfortable, but I am still cautious as I know what can happen when you get over confident, ####y or think you know how to drive. I've had a pretty good driving record thus far in my life and I REALLY don't want my next accident to be with one of these trucks so I will do my damndest to stay safe. 65 out in the middle of empty Wyoming in good conditions is safe, to me. Granted there are things I need to work on and I am doing that. I have my 5th wheel where it needs to be now so I have more weight on my steers and the steering isn't soo darn loose now. Last owner had it pulled all the way back and I got my weight dialed in pretty good with this load and 3/4 tank of fuel. -3rd hole from the back seems to be the ticket on this truck.. 11,8 steers (3/4 tank.. WAS 11,300) 33,860 drives and 33680 trailer. Good to go..

Anyway.. As far as the 63 thing goes, I run the cruise control a LOT on this. The only time I take it off is when I'm in traffic or other obvious situations where I will have to regulate my speed frequently. I was just hit from left field that they would complain about me going 63 when I was under the impression that the "Critical event" or warnings came at 68. I didnt' get a warning out of it and I know how they work (ON the throttle "Forcing" the vehicle to go faster = malicious speeding or disregard for company policy yadda yadda yadda) I think they were just nit picking a couple logs so they looked deeper and found something else to nit pick about.. and yes, this was from the main HQ terminal.. and no I don't keep my foot floored very frequently unless I'm climbing a hill. I don't use the cruise at all if I'm taking a good sized hill.. It's just ...... not needed and I'll control the vehicle myself... If I'm taking a hill I want 100% FULL power.

They didn't "Write me up" for the 63.. Like I said, they just happened to be in there (probably) and decided to nit pick for something else. I DO let the speed climb a bit going downhill when I'm doing the rolling hills to help gain some momentum. But NOT above 68. I know they will see that and I really don't want to get in trouble over it. I'm not leaving Swift until I find another carrier that will take me. I'm not that dumb to walk out on a job before I have another one lined up and ready. I've been needing that lately in GA with this 45k load I've got now.

And as far as the pre-plan.. It was probably 15 minutes from when I saw it from when the guy called me asking why I didn't accept it. Didn't feel like walking back and fourth twice across the terminal if I didn't need to. If my PTA is set to noon and it's 10:30.... I'm gonna go take care of some maintenance items on my truck before I do anything else.

I'm not real bent out of shape about this. I guess a lot of it is getting used to the Civilian world again and getting used to how this freight thing works.. that's all. Some things just seems a bit ridiculous, is all.

 

Look at this rookie giving advice on how to dangerously overspeed going down a hill and not get caught by the computer. If you are allowing your Swift truck to cruise over the governor going down a hill, you might as well be coasting out of gear...a termination offense the first time. And here you are on a public forum advising a new driver how to not be in total control of the vehicle and then saying something like this: "If you're too lazy to stay in total control of your rig 100% of the time, you dont need to be driving."

I hope to the Grandfathers you are not a trainer showing our newest drivers these bad driving habits.

I have a 68mph o/o truck. It only sees that speed on rare occasions when people like you overspeed going down a hill while I'm trying to pass you.