My husband just started with swift about 2 weeks ago. Being new to the industry we didn't know what to expect. I think I read all the threads and feel good that my husband went with swift. More important though he is glad he went with swift. Thank you especially Injun, Nana, Goldminer, Bluebon, and Hamshoe for all of your useful information.
BLUEBONN!!!! Man he is going to love this! He already thinks he is a supertrucker and best mentor out there, now his head is really going to get big!
Good Luck. The Mentor process has been the most painful. At orientation you will be treated with no respect (at least they treat you that way here in Dallas). I enjoyed Swift Academy in San Antonio. It was stressful, but at least they treat you with respect and professionalism. Everyone here in Dallas has an attitude that they are doing you a favor to allow you to talk to them. Heck, they even have a gatekeeper to keep you from talking to managers. What happened to open door policy. Anyway, the mentor process is not for training. It is so swift can use your driving time to get team miles for them and the mentor. That is all it is. Everything my mentor has shown me, I could have learned in a 30 minute video. It is not up to 6 weeks like they say either. It is 240 hours. After 11 days, I only have 34 hours btw. We have had truck problems, mentor don't trust new driver only to drive on freeway with no traffic and slow frieght. With that being said, I am still determined to finish. With my current mentor may take me two months to get the hell off of his truck. Good Luck...
Hang in there Gold Miner. From what I have read you have come too far to be discouraged now. My husband seems to have a real good mentor. He hasn't had any complaints and he has drove quite a bit. You were one of the stories that encouraged us. Now I hope I can do the same for you.
You know gold you can request a new mentor..!? When I was on my mentors truck for 6 weeks, all I learned was how to run his dedicated route, once I went solo otr I was clueless, no lie. I mean I had the basics of things, yet had to learn 95% this business on my own, and my mistakes. Took a lil doing but I think im doing just fine now, and now I love my job. Swift as a whole has treated me pretty decent, yea some terminal(s) staff need a dose of customer service training and a heaping of kindness, but I just take it for what its worth. I try not to hit certain terminals for that reason. We get a lot of flack out otr, but that's just the name, not you personally, so act like a professional treat people how you want to be treated and yer day will go a lot smoother. I seriously don't agree that the mentoring is just to have you n mentor run teams and miles. Yea seems that way when frustrated at the system, but in all due respect, yer being evaluated on yer driving skills, learning yer weak points and hopefully being taught how to fix um. shown how to adapt to swifts system, be it as screwed up as it may be, but absorb what ya can. I mean they are handing you the keys to an 80,000 truck and want assurance yer somewhat capable of doing the job. Good luck on yer new careers and hope things work out well in the end.
Husband just called. He is heading to Chicago then Orlando. To any wives out there who has a man getting ready to start the process, five minute phone conversations are priceless! I am not complaining because I know he is busy learning and driving. So happy he seems happy and having a good time.
I know, just frustrated now. The driving part is easy. I have always been a safe driver and that is the most important thing to me. Maybe things will get better once I get out of here. I am tired of sitting in a terminal for days on end and sleeping in the same parking lot and not moving anywhere. At this point, I am not getting any closer to the 240 horus so I am very frustrated... I just want to get it done and over with.
at this point you bet your sweet ### id be in someones ### about getting me a mentor that wants to move..your out there to get hours not sit in a #### terminal for days on end..I dont know who you have to call but do something before you end up out there for 12 weeks instead of 6..theres no excuse for a mentor to be sitting on his ### in a terminal unless the truck broke down, hearing this story is pissing me off..I feel for you Gold..and Im praying I dont get a Dbag..I start orientation on tuesday.
