The start of my first year with Swift.

I've actually had a very good experience when it comes to extra pay. All of my layovers have been paid. The last one I didn't have to ask for, my DL put in of it automatically. Now that I know how detention pay works I get that as well. The other day I sent in my loaded call and I got back the acknowledgement along with a request as to why I was over 2 hours. I sent in the reply and the money showed up on my pay stub the next day.

I've had no issues with pay with Swift. They pay me what they owe, on time, and it's never been wrong. When I cross the Mississippi the pay me the bump without me saying a thing.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. Perhaps it was just the wrong time and wrong company.

 

I got up this morning and did laundry. While waiting for the clothes to dry I got a preplan. I accepted it and as soon as I got my clothes out, I hooked up and left. I was able to make the delivery and use up all of my driving time. Now I'm shut down for a 34 at the terminal in IL. Nice terminal and it was right across the street from my delivery. There is a large bakery near by and it smells like apple pie out here. I'm putting on the pounds just smelling it. I'll be a real truck driver soon!! lol

 

Manteno, IL. I'm guessing about 50 south east of Chicago. The town is a bump in the road and the nearest truck stop is 12 miles away.

 

So I was sitting here at the terminal minding my own business when I get a preplan. The pickup was for 1500 and the delivery for 0500 the next day. I went in and talked to the gal at the window and told her I was concerned because there was a 14 hr time frame between pickup and delivery plus I had to drive an hour to get the load and do a pretrip. She told me not to worry as I could pick up the load early, drive for awhile, take my reset and make the delivery. I said great and accepted the load.

This morning, I'm up early ready to go. I go in to ask for the B/L paperwork since we have to make our own for this trip. While there I asked again about the pick up time. The guy sitting there now tells me it is a hard 1500. I told him about my concerns and the time constraint. He looked at me like I was an idiot and asked, "then why did you accept it?" "Because the woman sitting in your chair said I could pick up this morning." I now know why they have the security glass with the talking hole. It's to keep this guy from catching a beating. He feels pretty safe sitting there with his crutches. He can be an jerk and not have to worry.

I go back to my truck and read the comments to the load again. I called the phone number given and low and behold the cripple at the window answers the phone. I don't even bother and told him I had the wrong number. I wonder if he figured out I had to punch in an extension to get him.

Anyway, I call my home terminal and get Kathi, my savior. She's helped me out of a lot of bad spots. I explain what happened. She picked right up on the fact that I was up now and ready to go and that I would be up all day and have to drive all night to try and make the delivery. She told me to hang tight. About two minutes go by and the load is voided and I have another preplan with an earlier pick up. It's from the same place but going to ND.

I understand folks having a bad day. I saw this guy working the day before and it seemed like if he knew you he was nice and if not he was a jerk. I asked him on Sunday if they had a van to loan to go to Walmart. He told me no, not on the weekend. A short time later he asked a female driver to go and pick up a guy and take him to the bus terminal. I lucked out and she took me to walmart. The van sat for the rest of the day.

It's a lot about who you network with in this business. I'm slowly learning that.

 

I got my load picked up and headed toward Fargo. They said it was going to weigh 45k but it's more like 30k. It was a nice easy day of driving. I stopped for the night at a Kwik Trip TS. Really nice place with lots of parking and hot showers. I can't deliver until 1600 so tomorrow I'll have to sleep in. Oh darn!!

If you read this, take the time to say a prayer for the victims in Boston, and those who ran towards the blast to save the lives of people they didn't know.