Well Swift did screw me over in the end! I know that a lot of people out there want to say "I told you so!". I should have listened, but it's too late now!

Like most of the big companies Swift has a stability tracking system in the tractors, to help warn of an impending roll over. Well after driving a 2006 Volvo for about 8 months it went into the shop for transmission work and I was put into an International Pro-star. I didn't like the lack of space, but the Pro-star did have some good features.

After a few weeks of driving the Pro-star I received 2 Critical Events. A critical event can be caused by many scenarios, but both of mine came when I was entering the freeway via an on ramp with a hard turn. The first one triggered at 14mph and the second was was at 17mph. When you receive a critical event with Swift you get a QC message to pull off to a safe spot and call the safety department. Both times I called the safety rep said that it was a very slow speed and did not seem to be to fast for conditions.

I mentioned to my DM that I never had 1 critical event in the Volvo, and I suspected a problem with the stability warning system. He said it's probably just that I am not accustomed to the suspension of the Pro-star and to slow down on the curves.

2 weeks later I was routed through the Appalachian Mountains on Highway 68 in Tennessee. Not the best route for a truck with a lot of tight corners and turns. The posted speed limit averaged 45mph and I was only getting up to about 30mph with all the maneuvers. When the tracking system went off on this road, I slowed down even more. After I finally got off 68 and hit I-75 my Qualcom started going crazy! I stopped just to see what the deal was and had received 4 critical events on that road. This happened on Saturday afternoon.

Monday morning I received messages from my DM asking what happened, as well as a phone call from the corporate safety manager. He discussed the critical events with me and simply said I needed to slow down. When I told him that I thought the tracking system needed calibrated he said he would look into it. He simply said to slow down so as to not receive any more critical events.

Three days later I was south on I-26 and stopped to get fuel at a truck stop. On the off ramp I was doing 20mph, and slowed to 10mph to round the corner when the critical event triggered yet again. In the time that it took me to fuel up, I had received messages about the event as well as a message to call my DM and a message that my PTA had been set to 12-31-2010. I was still under a load that was delivering to Midway GA. So I called the DM and he said to take the load to it's final and deadhead to the terminal in Decatur GA where they would look at the trucks stability tracking system. I mentioned that I was about 50 miles closer to the Ocala FL terminal, and would rather go that way if I was going to be getting terminated. He said I was not getting fired yet, and they wanted the truck in Decatur because it is a larger shop. In hind sight I should have gone to Ocala, and turned in the keys before they terminated me!

I arrived in Decatur that night and had to put the truck in line for the shop in the morning. At 0600 the truck was taken into the shop for a B service, then sat in the yard until 1500 when I was called in to the office and presented with a termination letter. They never looked at the truck to see if the stability tracking was faulty. My termination letter did mention the group of critical events, but the reason for termination was:
"Violation of company policy. Speeding in excess of 64mph for 3 minutes and 45 seconds over a period of 5 days."

Now I was stranded in Decatur GA with the offer of a bus ticket back to Seattle WA. Instead I called a friend who drove up from Florida and took me back to stay with family for a few weeks to find another job. Needless to say none of the big carriers will touch me after being involuntarily terminated from Swift. Plus they reported it on my DAC as Terminated for Safety Violations, with no explanation!

I got terminated on May 7th, and after a week of talking to every carrier and filling out hundreds of applications, I had to take a local delivery job just to have some money. I have not given up on OTR and need to get back on the road again. Does anyone have any recommendations for me to get on with a small carrier so I can start running again? Any help would be great as I have not had much luck with the typical job boards, or Craig's List.

 

damn driver they got you good. GL

 

I had a 2005 volvo, then put into a new 2009. I had one critical event, which was a right hand turn that was about 45*...it went off. Didn't think it was unsafe. Then a month later i was turning left onto an on-ramp, and had the hammer down, looking out the window for traffic, then noticed the on-ramp had a good sharp curve to it right at the end....not 'normal' like most. And thought i was going to roll the damn truck. Sure enough, i got a critical event. That one i totally agreed with.


as far as the 'speeding', i'm sure you know that the overspeed is triggered at 64, and if you EVER go 71+ its excessive overspeed and you can be automaticly terminalted. I was in eastern TN/western VA last week, and had a good size load as i headed back into KY on 64. Sure, i let it run up to the hi 60s, but NEVER would let it get past 68.

Guess the question is how many loads did you turn down? What was your idle %? MPGs? Service failures and accidents? You almost need to be PERFECT thru your first year, and better have a good reason to turn down a load. Sounds like they let you go cause you rocked the boat somehow? I'm 3 mo. from being with swift 2 yrs. Actually, last Aug 13th...it was 2 yrs since going into their school. i finally made it to "Platinum" 2-3 weeks ago.

You sound like you had a feeling you were going to be fired. Why? If it was something as simple as a 'critical event' with a calibration fault, you shouldn't have. Either that, or your DM sucks and don't care about doing his job. Maybe your DM was one of these DMs who does just what is needed to squeak by and earn a paycheck..maybe your DM was hired from Wendy's?? Either way....they didn't go to bat for ya....and they let you down....not swift.

 

wow!!

 

I did know this and I was shown how to bypass the Overspeed, 64mph +, in my first week with my mentor. He said as long as you have the cruise on, your foot is not into the accelerator, and you don't hit 70mph, you will not get hit with an overspeed. I was also aware that Excessive speed, +70mph, could result in termination.
I was always very careful to watch the speed. Apparently when they pulled up the GPS after the Critical Events is when they saw the speed even though it was never triggered as on overspeed by the computer. The termination letter said "Speeds in excess of 64mph...."
Never turned down any loads, and I would stay out forever. When they terminated me on May 7th, I hadn't taken home time since March 4th and that was only for 2 days. I never had a service failure, and my DM was not very consistent with the DCI stats. I was never in the worst idle stats for my DM, and was in the lower DCI group many times.

I did have 1 accident in November 2009. It was not DOT reportable and I was not cited for anything. I was in Jersey City NJ heading to a Sears store for my final. Long story short, I followed the QC directions and missed a turn. Saw a yard with several trailers parked in it and tried to get turned around when I clipped a stop sign with the rear of the trailer. A cop was sitting somewhere nearby and wrote up a report. I called it in to the claims department and never had another issue with it.

I did feel in my gut like they may fire me from this last critical simply because the Safety Manager said to not get another one. I was given advice from a couple of other drivers that there was more than likely an issue with the Stability tracking system, and I should be ok once they got the system serviced. In my gut I thought I should quit before they fired me, but with 10 months experience I didn't feel that I would be able to find another carrier.

As for my DM, I was told by a few other drivers that he was a POS, and not standing up for his drivers. I thought I was doing good for him since he called me on May 1st and offered me a local job in Sumner WA. He told me that he thought of me for the position because I was a good driver with a perfect record of on time deliveries and he could depend on me.

I have always said that Swift was not as bad as everyone says. I gave them a fair chance because they gave me the opportunity to get into trucking when other companies would not. In the end I know that my DM did not have my back, or he would have fought harder for me. I was never given any warnings other than the telephone consultation with the Phoenix Safety Manager, which really scared the s**t out of me.

 

I have one service failure because my (6th) DM auto-dispatched me on a verbal dispatch load. It was him or me and he had access to more screens than I did. Swift is huge but it's not the be all/end all of a career.

Google the "ZIP and trucking" for the area you'd like to be based out of and go knock on some doors with your CDL and medical card in hand.

 

if i knew the critical event sensor was that touchy, i'd have found the nearest terminal and had it looked at. Granted, it all would depend on where you were at, etc. If i knew the DM had a rep for being a POS, i'd have got on another board LONG before it got to that. even if that ment switching terminals. I got lucky, and my DM and i clicked right off. He works for me...and i work for him. But the first time i felt he stabbed me in the back, i'd be done with him.

But you know...if we had a union...you'd still be driving for Swift. =)

Had you just drove down to Ocala and 'quit', that would have gone on your record as load/truck abandonment, insubordination, and you'd NEVER drive a commercial truck anywhere ever again. Dunno how much damage was done to your DAC, but you might still have a shot somewhere....though i wouldnt have a clue where.

 

X2!!! :thumbsup::lol2:

I remember you Ford390. I'm sorry you had to start this way. I MAY have some ideas... or at least some words of encouragement... this weekend, but I am short on time tonight.

FIRST thing, though.... is to read the thread on fighting DAC reports! You have a RIGHT to include YOUR explanation... which of course, will be the faulty sensors, and SWIFT's refusal to check them properly.

Most OTHER companies ALSO know Swift's reputation, and MAY be willing to at least TALK to you... IF.... they have a DAC report that includes YOUR side of the story AND the fact that you have disputed it.

If you DON'T try to have it corrected.... well... you know what your future in trucking will be.

For the record.... my FIRST OTR/Team company, hired a driver who had rolled a truck at Swift! He DISPUTED the report, and even "I" almost believed him!

Unfortunately for him... "I" was his "trainer/evaluation officer." :lol2:

As it stands right now.... I believe YOUR story, too! I had a faulty ABS/Trac Control sensor in my Grand Prix. A sharp turn, quick jerk of the wheel, or even a bump... AT LOW SPEED.... would cause my lights to come on! This would register as an "event" in this stupid system Swift has.

IF you want to continue being a Trucker... you need to FIGHT this with all it takes! "Accepting" it and TRYING to move on will not work!