Please be sure to come back in 6 months and a year and let us know how it is going.

I started with Swift and in my first few weeks there I thought much the same as you do now. After a few months things changed and not for the better.

One thing though. Before calling people lazy, accuse them of having attitude problems, etc it would be advisable to do two things. One make sure you get the full story and secondly be sure to walk a mile or two in their shoes. You may see things in a whole new light and find out that many you wish to place in one of these categories have some good reasons to be the way they seem to be.

If you last in the trucking industry one thing you should learn. What kind of success you have and your overall job satisfaction at any company is going to depend greatly on who your fleet manager is and how well they do their job.

You may find that the greatest amount of laziness in many trucking companies come not from the drivers, but from those sitting in the office.

 

Hello all i am back to what used to be my thread.....

Boneebone..... Please go start your own thread..... this is my thread, if you would like to comment on the post title, please feel free.... if not Edit
Now that thats taken care of.....

WOW! I'm so tired i think i will die in my bed for another 12 hours. Here's the scoop....

I got my mentor 11 days ago. Tuesday....
I walk to the truck and quickly realize i'm in over my head. Not only is the truck in PRISTINE condition, but there is a bike rack on the front with a bike i know to cost well over $500, my mentor is dressed in black slacks, golf shoes, pressed collard button down shirt (not company issue) he looks 30, and he looks solid. ME: chubby jeans and t0shirt guy. oh boy.

We get to into the truck and i see no CB, No TV, But instead a golf bag, and a cooler. Neat and tidy guy... so this is good. As we start talking he tells me he is 51! WHOA! dude looks 30-35! He has 21 years OTR, 20 years training, been with swift 10 yrs and with cardinal b4 that swift bought them) First night we got to know each other a bit, went over truck rules, but was expected, and then he told me be prepearde to run hard, but speak up when you've had enough..... oh boy.

We stopped for the night at a stop, and the next morning the fun started. I am a smoker... he is not. He drinks decaf, eats whole wheat bread and lean turkey.... i need a ciggarette, a mountain dew, a coffee, and something greasy to start my day. lol..... everything was cool though, come to find out, thats only when he feels like it (the food). But i've almost quit smoking. He keeps badgering me about it. The first 3 days were really nerve racking. my first day was up and down mountains (6,6 and 7% grade.... on your first day they feel like drop offs!) in the rain!! in an 8 speed and i trained on a 10 speed... Oh yeah he is a VAN driver, not flatbed. So anyway, we run to iowa city, he doesnt sleep while i'm driving for the first three days and we take it slow. The first three days we did like 2000 miles. Then he gets on the phone, and says "hey... this guys is doing great. Go ahead and put us on team runs starting now!"

And here we go....... To and from Greensboro, NC and Iowa City, Iowa. right at 1000 miles a run, and we complete a run EVERY day. about 17-20 hours. over the last 7 days, we've almost run 6500 miles.

Good things - there has been twice where i was supposed to drive, but because i'm haveing problems sleeping, i said hey i'm too tired after like 5 hours, and he is cool with that.

We run legal (Mostly- 1 situation arose where we didnt, but he corrected that quickly and it was over.)

We stop when we need to, he is very encouraging, when teaching backing, he is explaing what i need to do and what i need to look for and is teaching me principles rather than just telling me turn left turn right. all together GREAT guy, i couldnt be happier!

BAD NEWS......
Heading towards Champaign, IL.... doing about 55 I killed Bambi! It was like..... a bomb went off in front of me..... YIKES! Everyone keeps telling me how well i did not to swerve or stab the brakes (it was a little wet) but i felt like crap! Now read above again and think about what was on the front of the truck..... a $500 Bike.... Schwinn...... quick shift, disk brakes, titanium frame..... super light weight...... NOW IN PIECES! i killed it.... snapped the frame in half! WOW! The truck was also hurt a bit. Front bumper, fog light, headlight.... Oh it's a 2007 Volvo VN 670. The bigger one of the 2 models swift has. Freithliners have more space! but this volvo is quieter...

I've been told that in his 21 years of driving and teaching he has never been in a truck that hit a deer...... WHY DID I HAVE TO BREAK HIM IN?

So now i got a non-preventable and a speeding ticket (from school)

Anyway.... qualcomm is a piece of cake, i got logging map reading and trip planning down. i'm doing well going forwards and making turns, signals, aiming high in steering all that stuff..... just gotta get the backing up better and then soak in the knowledge on how to make it worth my time.

I'm on a 34 hr restart now due to out of hours. I'm driving anywhere from 8 to 12 hrs a day... i dont get the feeling that some do that he's just using me to get miles, he wakes uo often and checks on me, has been going out of his way to make sure i'm doing well, and he even requested a load to Georgia so i can get home to see my family.

i guess thing really do happen for a reason ! i'm glad i waited now....

I leave out tonight around midnight. i'll check back then, or whenever we stop somewhere for longer than 15 minutes that has internet....

Who uses a wireless braodband provider here? like sprint or verizon?

 

I cleaned the thread up a little for ya. :wink:

 

Good on ya Southernpride.!

With your attitude...you'll do well there, or anywhere else you choose. :wink:

 

thanks ridge.... i appreciate it..... now if we could only find a way to turn him off completely..... :roll:

 

Keep on posting southernpride. I enjoy reading them. I hope to be a newbie soon also.

respects,
dennis in se pa

 

We do have a way.......and we did. :P

 

Southernpride

Great to see you back and doing well. Keep up the good work. Yeah, I'm interested in finding out about cell phone plans and wi-fi for my laptop.

 

Happy to hear it is going well Southernpride! The thread is a good read for many starting out. Keep up the great work, sorry about the deer incident, but that stuff happens.

I have AT&T wireless card in the laptop out here in California. Works great, and anywhere there is cell coverage, you get about 1.4 to 1.8MPS download speed. In cities, or metro areas, about 4.0 to 6.0MBPS. Fast enough for most stuff.

Travel safe, enjoy your re-set. And should you ever get out toward Fresno California, along hiway 99, dinner is on me.

 

Boneebone..... Please go start your own thread..... this is my thread, if you would like to comment on the post title, please feel free.... if not EditNow that thats taken care of.....

WOW! I'm so tired i think i will die in my bed for another 12 hours. Here's the scoop....

I got my mentor 11 days ago. Tuesday...


Are we allowed to use vulgar language now?