Terminated for accidents - What can I do to fix this?

then file a law suit against Swift for negligence.

 

Well you admitted to the accidents, but yet you blame the mentors, to me, a poor example of owning up to your mistakes. you also admitted that you DID NO GOAL, and yet you still blamed the mentors. I think you HAD THE CHANCE to speak up when you should have to have Swift give you yet another mentor, but you failed here.

You ask what to do? I say go back to YOUR driving school (if it was a private one) and be re-trained. NOT refreshed, but RE-TRAINED, as you simply do not know what you are doing, you are going by "assumptions" that all is A.O.K when you back up, which obviously it isn't now, is it?

Now, if swift was the training academy you went to? The I'd say you're screwed in getting any more training from them. Even though these are accidents not involving the police, although that telephone pole worries me, was there a police report for that?

From what I have read thus far from you, seriously, either go to a school a real school and pay again, or see if the private school you went to(?) can RE-TRAIN YOU. If not, then you tried, you failed, get out now, before you kill someone.

Trucking is not for everyone, especially those that do not G.O.A.L. when he/she should, and that are careless and negligent in thier duties. No self respecting trucking company that is self insured or has to pay copious amounts of insurance are going to touch you, as you say, you are too much of a risk.

I'd wish you well, but frankly, it is not in me to do so, with someone that has had so many accidents in short time. Get out now before you kill someone, really.

PS, I just re-read your posting, (and I will not go back and edit out where you went to school, so), and see where you went to the "Swifty School of Truck Driving", so you are screwed to go back there for re-training.

 

most new drivers have trouble backnig, the difference is most people go slow and just have to make multiple attempts, oh man have I been there, it takes practice to back up a big rig. But if you go slow, GOAL, take your time and think things through, you can do it without hitting things.

The differnce is most new drivers take extra caution and go extra slow, you are probably doing things too fast, not taking the time to check things, and are in to big of a hurry. I'm not sure if ur accidents are from a lack of training or a lack of thinking and common sense on your part.


extra attention on your part could have prevented all of you incidents, dont blame your trainer because you didnt pay attention.

 

I'm a little confused about the OP as well. In order to finish training and test out at Swift you MUST log at LEAST 40 backs, including day and night, blindside, straight, and angle. Logging backs is the responsibility of the trainee, not the mentor. If you didn't finish 40 backs then you don't qualify to test out and be solo after 200 hours of behind the wheel training. The question I have for the OP is did you or did you not perform 40 backs during your training? If not, then how in the world did you qualify for testing out of training?

Another red flag I see in the OP is that you noted that you went through two mentors. Why did your training with the first mentor stop? Did you request to get off the truck or did the mentor request that you get off the truck?

While we see quite a number of threads and comments in this forum about horrible trainers (mentors) from my perspective as a trainer (mentor) there's definitely two sides to most of these stories. If you are taking over half an hour to back into a dock, blocking a dozen other drivers from getting into their docks to the point the customer is telling your mentor that you either get it in the dock or get the #### off the property (risking a service failure for the mentor) then in that situation I'll certainly get the trainee out of the seat and finish the job. If you are slow as molasses to get started in the morning and failing to log on duty pre trip to get underway on time or driving so slow you are a hazard on the road and putting constant pressure on the real world schedule to get a load delivered on time, then it sure is hard to be able to find opportunities where we have a few extra hours available for spending time in a half full truck stop practicing backing maneuvers out of the way of other drivers or practicing chaining or sliding the 5th wheel.

A trainee HAS to get on a trainer's truck knowing that it is on the JOB training. It isn't school anymore. There are deadlines to meet and you have to be able to perform. It is your responsibility to make sure you are receiving the training you need and if you aren't then you need to talk to your Driver Development Manager and request another trainer. Take ownership of your career from the moment you step into that truck.

 

To me, in my ill informed newbie ways, it sounds like she can get into a dock, but then assumes everything is A-Ok and there is no need to pay attention on the way out. If you got in without hitting stuff you should be able to get out the same way, but the key is you have to play it just as safe as you did during your back.

And dont hit poles

 

It's hard to read about a driver's bad experiences, knowing the fault lies with the industry as a whole.

Most of the new drivers I've read about on TTR want to get through the training part of driving as fast as they can so they can get out there alone; heck, I was probably like that, too, even with my own background in training and testing pilots and evaluating and approving FAA training programs. Unfortunately, too, most training programs in the trucking industry are deficient in basic skill training and testing. The companies have an almost unlimited supply of new employees and there really is no downside to insufficient training - just remove the problem and fire the employee. No worries about fixing the core issue.

But back to drivers. What new drivers don't understand is how tough life is alone. The types of situations a new driver just out on her own can be very different from those when she was with a trainer. The skills one learns - or doesn't learn - early can make or break ones driving career; once broken, as appears to be the case here, the career is not easily resurrected. The fault isn't with driver or trainer. There is responsibility on those who occupy both seats of the truck and the industry.

My guess is her chances of finding another carrier are limited. I hope she learns to drive better.

 

You had to say that twice, yet her incidents are at the dock or parking lot. Thats a bit harsh. Noone is getting frikin killed unless they jump under her tractor or trailer.

I am sure she is fine OTR. She just needs do more thorough GOALs and use her mirrors better in close quarter situations.

 

Swift training at its best! Holy Cow!
Sorry this happened to you but common sense should tell you GOAL includes looking behind the trailer.
Can't blame all of this on your trainer.....sorry.

Get a copy of your Hire Right....it is free once per year for drivers.
See exactly what that bottom feeder company put on your record.

It sounds like you did not get any tickets for any of those so I bet your MVR is clean unless a cop was called and ticket issued.
Your only chance is find a small company that does not use Hire Right.