Yet another Swift recruit

Sounds like its working out the way you want it to. Good luck with it.

anytime you see a red 587 Pete with Total Transportation on the door, please be careful and don't hurt the headlights when you back up.

 

This post looks familiar. I thought I was the only "need 7 more posts" guy.

Good luck with it all.

Hoping I run into this guy too. That Mexican Shepherd's pie sounds delicious. Can't wait to get a slow cooker.

 

Looks like it. I think the only this cat has ever hauled is a load of manure. It's a crappey job but someone has to do it.

 

It's so automated nowadays that companies know the last time you wiped boogers on the seat. If you are going to work in this business you better be committed to being honest and doing it right or it will eat you up and spit you out. There are still some folks out there that are old school and figure out ways to cheat the system, and are successful in doing it. It's just not worth it to me.

Ive been driving trucks since I was in high school. Started out pulling cotton wagons back and forth to the cotton gin. Drove beer trucks, log trucks, pulled farm equipment, more farm equipment, and even more farm equipment. Been OTR now for about 2 and 1/2 years. One thing that has been a common theme for me is that driving a truck is something you can do at your own pace. I like makin money just as much as everyone else. I'm just not going to kill myself doing it. I've given my company the impression that I will do whatever is asked of me. In return, I ask that they do what they tell me they're going to do, they don't lie to me, and it has to be legal. If they can do those three things I will continue doing the best I can. Just as simple as that. As a result, I usually get to pick loads before anybody else, I can swap out for new trucks when they get them in, I can get back to my home terminal whenever I want to, and I make a good enough salary to keep doing it. I have found that if you hear a driver complaining, there's usually more to the story that he's telling you. Blame the government, your company, your fleet manager, your dispatcher, or whoever. Just remember there's two sides to every story.

I heard a metaphor once that explains it perfectly. A daddy bull and baby bull are sitting on a hill looking over a pasture full of cows. Baby bull says "daddy, lets run down this hill and have our way with one of those cows". Daddy bull says "son, lets WALK down this hill and have our way with ALL of those cows". THAT, my driver-in-training friend, is truck driving.

 

How do you prevent your DM from walking all over you, respectfully quote law and policy?

 

Knock on wood, I've never really had an issue that required debate on the law and company policies. There was one time when I had to "cheerfully remind" someone that I didn't have the available hours for a load, which turned out to be an oversight on his part. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never really had an issue.

Im a big fan of preventative maintenance for lack of a better term. I try to nip any potential trouble in the bud. The two best things to have when dealing with any company person from the CEO down to the janitor is communication and patience. I've had 4 different DM's in my time at my company. I have sat down with each one, in person, to ask what their expectations of me are. With each one, I have said the same three things I said above-1. Don't lie to me 2. Do what you tell me you are going to do and 3. I'm not going to do anything illegal or outside of company policy. I end that by stating a willingness to do anything that is asked of me with those three things in mind. Got a load going into Canada? No problem. New York City? Sure, I'll go inside the city. A load is a load to me, no matter where it's going. I'm paid to drive the truck. I hate driving in traffic as much as the next guy, but I'll take it in there because I know I'll come out ahead in the end.

You are going to hear from folks that will call me a brown-noser, but I'm not. I'm just a firm believer that everything all works out in the end. Show your DM you are willing to work with him and you will ALWAYS come out ahead in the end.

Think of it like getting a bad meal at a restaurant. If the service has been good, why are you going to take it out on the waitress? If you take it out on her and stiff her on a tip? A good example is this past Christmas Eve. I pull into a terminal and go on for shower and do some laundry. The lady was in there cleaning just like she does every other time I've seen her. I had a Wal Mart gift card burning a hole in my pocket so I gave it to her and said merry Christmas. Now think about it: how many times do you think I've come into that terminal and found a clean shower waiting for me? I didn't give her the card to bribe her. I gave it to her because it was Christmas and she remembered that Everytime I'm there. Again, refer to above. Be the daddy bull and walk down the hill for all the cows.

 

Good deal. I've done service work for awhile and our dispatch is in New York and we're Va. They have no clue what's going on down here and get attitudes when I try to tell them that what they want done is not possible. Sure the distance on the map is an inch but in miles and time its a whole other story, lol.

Being in Kitty Hawk, NC on a job and want me to get to Emporia, Va next with in an hour. Just not happening.

At least there sounds like we have some actual one on one interaction with our DMs