Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

I started out with Swift back in 2007 and was with them until Jan. 28, 2009. I was fired for insubordination and was claimed not rehireable because of telling the truth and not feeling safe to drive in icy weather that day. First let me start by saying that Swift is decent for a starter company and like any careers, you have to start somewhere, but there was no reason to fire me over my safety. It all began when I had Victor Quintana as my driver manager, he is lazy and a useless employee who works for swift in Albuquerque, NM. I was driving a load from Baltimore to the Cincinatti area on Jan 27, but was caught in a winter storm along the way to Columbus, OH. I made it that day to Grantsville, MD. and stopped at the Pilot for my 10 hour break that evening, due to me only having a few hours to drive from waiting on the load. After my break it was early on Jan. 28, 2009, I started driving again, but like any time driving in winter weather you have to drive slower and more vigilant than ever, especially on I-68 through the Appalacian mountains. As I was driving, I get a message on my qualcomm from Victor asking me when I was going to get there, so I said as soon as I can, but down the road after that message my truck warning lights came on for my ABS and traction control, so I pulled into a parking area and said I was going to be delayed because of the snow and it was getting worse, so I had to go slower and it would take me longer to get to the Columbus terminal to have my truck looked at as well as get my fuel. During this time he had revoked my mentor status, which was childish, because I was just doing my job and being safe. I could have seen the need for it if I didn't advise him of the situation. There was no need for that kind of reaction. So I get to Columbus at the point where the road is actually turning to ice and it is getting pretty unsafe to drive, I make a judgement call that my truck needs service and I don't think it is safe to keep going because of the weather, so I send a message to T-Call my load so I can have my truck looked at and have the problem fixed with my ABS and traction control. He respond to that saying why didn't I tell him earlier, and my response was that it had just happened a few hours ago. I didn't think too much of it, and was told I can drop the trailer and to bring the paperwork inside to the dispatch window. I get there and the dispatcher tell me to call my driver manager, so I went to my truck and called him. As soon as he picked up, he put me on hold and then transfereed me to the terminal manager Chris Price, in which they both had me on speakerphone at that point. I told both of them what was going on and that my truck is having problems again that were supposedly fixed the week before in Pennsylvania and didn't feel safe to drive it because it was starting to get icy on the roads too. So to make himself look good to Chris, Victor said that he warned me several times about getting freight on time, which was a lie, because I had only had him for a month and relying on him to answer the phone or qualcomm messages was almost impossible, which Swift can still look back on anyways. I always was in contact with Victor, but he never replied to any voicemails or messages. He was quick to answer the phone that day though, because he didn't want to be found out that he wasn't really doing his job, and from personal experience, was never at his desk when I was at the terminal during work hours. Most of the time he was outside messing with his bike or nowhere to be seen. Anyways, after he said that he had warned me several times, I said where is your proof then, which he didn't have, and really put him in the corner in front of his boss, so instead of being an upright man and admitting to hearsay and blatently lying to him and me, he changes the subject and starts back on asking me the same questions he just asked me about why I can't take the load to the final. I said I just told you the reason and if I have to explain to him twice, then obviously he wasn't listening. Then he goes on to saying he doesn't believe me and that I'm making excuses. About this time I told him fine just give me a different driver manager, because obviously you are not listening and making up stories to cover your tail and turning this conversation into an arguement and blaming me for not doing your job. He then goes to say " It would be an embarassment to send you to a different driver manager and I would be embarassed to send you to another one". About this time I told him that I have never been written up, had a log violation, or even an infraction for this company since the day I started, but that didn't matter to him or Chris Price, because obviosly I was the problem in both of their eyes and for Chris to let him talk to call me an embarassment like that, was unexcusable too. After that went on, for the third time, they asked me the same questions, so I said "I don't need to keep justifying myself and keep telling you the same thing I already told you twice, because both of you are basically calling me a liar". Just after I said that, Chris says "you know what, pack your stuff up and go home, I don't like your attitude". My attitude? What attitude? If I have to repeat myself three times, then your not listening, and what is the point of having to keep explaining myself? Doesn't make too much sense really and the real kicker to the whole ordeal is, that two hours later, they shut down the terminal because the roads were iced up and unsafe, so every driver was stuck there for three days, including myself. All because I didn't feel safe and was uncomfortable driving on ice, and doing what the safety department tells drivers to do. So who is lying now? My name is Dana O'Kelley and Swift can check with the person who trained me (Antonio Avant) and with Vickie Stevens (driver manager before Victor Quintana) and figure out who is really lying, because Swift can't give me a straight answer for why I am not rehireable, and have called twice and have gotten two different answers. One was beacause my region was not hiring, in which they hired a friend of mine the same week. That is pretty low to fire somebody because he caught you in a lie in front of your boss, and how unfair is it to have two people badgering me at the same time over my license and my saftey. All I wanted was an apology and my job back, thats it.

 

I have never heard of that. I remained stuck in Decatur when that big ice storm hit Atlanta. I let them know "Hey these roads are in no shape to be driven on." They were cool with that and rescheduled the load. Twice if I recall. Swift is big on safety.

 

The length of my attention span, Im sure it said they were mean to me. Theres lots of empty trucks, just move on.

 

VERY big on safety! The guy in charge of safety now is cool and they want you safe out there. They have toooo much to lose, to force people to run unsafe.

 

To Everyone~

SWIFT Transportation drivers are trying to make a living these days. A lot of accidents happen because of ignorance and sometimes some of those trucks you see in a ditch or whatever, those may have students on them. So think before you say anything about the drivers. I am happily engaged to a SWIFT driver and he has been with them for two years now. He is an O/O, for anyone whom do not know that is and owner operator and he also trains new student fresh out of school. If he does not seeany type of improvement in how they drive or they continue not to follow orders and remeber what they need to do, like the mcros, they are kicked off his truck after a week or two and never back on a truck again. He is not willing to risk others lives at the expense of another drivers screw up or risk the lives of others for a load. One good way with any company is to become and O/O and be a trainer as well. The rebates are up there when it comes to getting money back from fueling up.

I have many friends in SWIFT and a bunch that are not. Every company has its flaws and the only way to weed out those flaws is to have good management and to go through and have the drivers take another road test every year. But that is my opinion and opinions are like ##########. We all have one. Thank you for your time and I am going to get back to my college work in Business Administrationa and get my Bachelors as that is what I am working on. And then get my lovely six year old daughter off the school bus this afternoon. You all have a wonderful day...


Sincerely, WomanofSWIFTdriver12

 

He owns Swift?

 

Heh heh...he's got her believing he is an O/O....when she finds out he is only a L/O.....oooooo the caca will be spraying on the walls!!!!!

Glad she is going for a business degree....I wouldn't want her teaching English to my grand children!!!!! Only took her 4 months to put those two paragraphs together!

"Follow orders"...."kicked off after a week or two and never back on a truck again".....must be one tough Mentor, not only in charge of his ship, but Human Resources to boot!

 

Definitely not true.

 

I caught that as well. I doubt this lady's fiance is the final say-so in someone's chances of driving a truck.

 

I was a trainer (before the Mentor program) and Mentor with Swift for 10+ years....unless things have drastically changed in 2012, students will go through at least 4 Mentors before being shown the door. Only exception is if they are "at fault" in an accident, or get "mouthy" with Driver Services. Generally they have to dig their own grave.