Swift Training Academy

[Kevin0915]

So do you think that is used for adjusting the kingpin lock jaws?

no, its used to attach the king pin when not in use. I just store mine back in the original box.

And as far as trailer doors, i carry a spare set of door ties. They are just 4-5 links of chain, with a couple rock climbing clips on each end. have had to use them a couple times, but havent seen a trailer bad enough yet to need both of em.

[boneebone]

Why do most Swift trailers you come up behind say "SW" or "IFT" on the back??

Do they teach how to not rip off the doors in their school??

The trailer doors do not get ripped off per se, what happens is some drivers when backing into a dock where the dock door opening is about as wide as the trailer or a little narrower, winds up hitting the trailer door hinges on the dock door wall. The hinges are made out of aluminum. which then crack and break sending the door to the ground. Sometimes the original door is recovered and re-hung sometimes it's not and a new one is hung.

The driver of the company is not always the one responsible, sometimes when the trailer is at a shipper or consignee, the yard dog driver shuttling trailers around winds up being the culprit.

[Ford390pwr]

no, its used to attach the king pin when not in use. I just store mine back in the original box.

And as far as trailer doors, i carry a spare set of door ties. They are just 4-5 links of chain, with a couple rock climbing clips on each end. have had to use them a couple times, but havent seen a trailer bad enough yet to need both of em.

That makes sense! So the Kingpin lock would be stored on this thingy when the lock is not in use.

Thanks Kevin!

[SirCronus]

Likewise rapatorr and I to am still trying to as we speak today. Im in Sacramento, CA. I already did all those things they are teaching him and passed with flying colors like: pre-trip, alley dock, straight line, up-shifting, down-shifting, hooking & un hooking, etc. Seems like a repeat of what Ive already passed. I think I logged like over 1000 miles in class.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rapatorr
I too just graduated a couple months ago from AREA truck driving school in Santa Clara,CA, unfortunately I can get a job even though I have all my endorsements and a clean record, best of luck to you, I hope you get hired as soon as you graduate.

Good luck on your job search. That really sucks to spend all that time and money on school and not be able to get on with a carrier. Just hang in there! I know Swift is still accepting newbie drivers, they just aren't looking for any experienced drivers right now.

I have talked to a few other recent CDL school grads that are waiting about 4-6 weeks to get into a Swift orientation class. Most of these guys are on the East coast though. They may need more drivers over there than they do in California.

[Scottt]

The trailer doors do not get ripped off per se, what happens is some drivers when backing into a dock where the dock door opening is about as wide as the trailer or a little narrower, winds up hitting the trailer door hinges on the dock door wall. The hinges are made out of aluminum. which then crack and break sending the door to the ground. Sometimes the original door is recovered and re-hung sometimes it's not and a new one is hung.

The driver of the company is not always the one responsible, sometimes when the trailer is at a shipper or consignee, the yard dog driver shuttling trailers around winds up being the culprit.

I know I was being a SA.

I was a Shipping Mgr for over 20 years and we had Barr Nunn as a dedicated carrier for a few years. We use to have 60 drop Barr Nunn drop trailers on our lot.

Barr Nunn use to make sure we always had a full case of new hinges at all times. Our yard truck drivers would take a door off almost daily and our Maint. Dept. would put them back on.

[SickRick]

That makes sense! So the Kingpin lock would be stored on this thingy when the lock is not in use.

Thanks Kevin!

Uh, no. The KINGPIN LOCK is placed OVER THE KINGPIN when you drop the trailer, to prevent SOMEONE ELSE from trying to hook the trailer (ie: steal or tow it). Works REALLY WELL with the "GLADHAND LOCK", which also prevents someone from putting air into the brake system to release the SPRING BRAKES. Between the two - the trailer is both un-hookable and un-movable (wheels locked).

This doesn't PREVENT trailer theft (as nothing stops a DETERMINED THIEF) - just makes the trailer "reasonably safe" against someone just casually rolling up to it and taking off with it. Someone cutting off a kingpin lock and gladhand lock usually takes enough time to draw someone's (negative) attention.

The thing Kevin was talking about (they're called CARABINERS there college-boy) are the D-Ring devices frequently used for key rings, that can substitute (with a couple of links of chain) for a bad door clip (the device that holds the trailer door OPEN and against the trailer body). You "should" be glancing at these during your PTI (and WRITING THEM UP if they're bad, maybe one day they'll actually FIX THEM). You can use the "alternate device" old Kev described to "rig" them open so you don't tear them off (the doors) or swing them into someone else's nice paint job when yer docking...

Kingpin locks usually get stored in a ziplock baggie or their original box, as they tend to get greasy/nasty. Watch yer head when putting it on too - the apron is really greasy too.

Rick

[Windwalker]

There are two types of king-pin-locks. If someone is using a cast aluminum one, it is actually very easy to defeat. Back under the trailer as though you're going to hook it, and when you "hit it", you crack it. Rotate it 180 degrees, and back into it again. Comes off in two pieces. ( I put one on a trailer I was dropping to go into the shop, and some smart-zz put SUPER-GLUE into the keyhole. That's how I got it off.)

[rapatorr]

I know SirCronus, at this point if feels like a bunch of us just got screwed by the schools. They knew that we wouldn't be able to get jobs, it's hard enough when the economy is good, now imagine nowadays!
Does your school have job placement by any chance? You might get lucky, who knows?
So yeah, don't give up, keep your head up and your eyes open for a chance

[Windwalker]

I know SirCronus, at this point if feels like a bunch of us just got screwed by the schools. They knew that we wouldn't be able to get jobs, it's hard enough when the economy is good, now imagine nowadays!
Does your school have job placement by any chance? You might get lucky, who knows?
So yeah, don't give up, keep your head up and your eyes open for a chance

Have you tried Roehl out of Marshfield, WI?
They have a number of terminals around the country.
And, as of about 3 weeks ago, I was told that they are still training.
I would expect they would also take school graduates.
Try them.
Millis, out of Black River Falls, WI was also a training company.
See what they tell you.
About all I can suggest.

[Ford390pwr]

Today was an awesome day in Lewiston ID. I started out driving the "bridge" route. Basically I drove from the terminal, over the bridge to Clarkston WA, then over the next bridge back to Lewiston, and again into Clarkston. The morning driving was pretty easy because there was not any traffic.

Next I headed out of Lewiston on Highway 12 and got to go through the weigh station for the first time. The Lewiston Highway 12 station is a left exit, and I knew it was coming up so I was prepared to exit. As I approached the scales the DOT officer was standing at the railing smoking a cigarette. Bob, the instructor, said " Well he can't give you a red light because he's outside". Well as my steers hit the scale, the DOT gives me a hand signal from the other side of the railing to stop. I roll down the window and here is our conversation:

DOT: Good morning.
ME: Good morning sir.
DOT: Do you have your logbook this morning.
ME: Yes sir I do.
DOT: Is it current.
ME: Yes it is.
DOT: May I see it please.
ME: Certainly... As I reach into the shelf above me and retrieve my book.
DOT: He walks around the railing and grabs my book. Next he looks at EVERY page in the logbook, dating all the way back to June 29th. There are a couple of pages that I had to void because I messed up. He looked at those really close, and then looked at the next page. After looking through my entire logbook, right up until my last duty change, he says good job and have a nice day!

Bob said that I did a really good job. He said that the DOT will usually find something in a students log to give them a hassle about. I just told him that I am logging everything as I do it, and it is really not that difficult.

So my first experience with DOT could not have gone any better in my opinion. I felt pretty good after this and ended up driving 2.5 hours and 80 miles this morning. Dave started driving in Troy ID, and took us back through Pullman WA and into Clarkston where he continued to drive through the city. Dave drove for 3 hours and 78 miles.

After lunch we headed back out to get more city driving in Clarkston and Lewiston. Nothing too much happened while I drove. I was able to find a couple of more curbs that the trailer could have gotten by if I judged them a little bit better, but all in all I did really good. i drove for 1.5 hours and 26 miles after lunch.

Dave drove for 2 hours and 28 miles this afternoon. Bob decided to try a couple of new turns that he had not done before. The first was pretty tight, but Dave was able to get by without hitting the curb, or any 4 wheelers. The second was on the next block and was a left hand turn. This turn was very tight and required the trailer to go into the turn lane where a 4 wheeler needed to back out of the way. On the other side was a tree where the branches came into Bob's window. Dave did really good and was able to complete the turn without incident, until he got about 200 feet down the road where a Clarkston Police Officer was stopped in his car just shaking his head at us. Apparently they would rather Swift not use that corner any more. Bob knew the officer, so he let it go with the shaking of his head and no other action.

Dave and I both feel that we need more time driving in the city to pass the WA State test, but Bob believes we could pass know. I figure he sees new students every 2 weeks, so he has a good idea of our skills. Over the next couple of days we will get a lot more city driving and build our confidence level for the test.

Below is a link to the GPS tracker for today if anyone is interested. If you click on the Google Earth link at the top, you can actually zoom in and see everything.
13 | Author Ford390pwr | free Mobile GPS Tracking Service

[mike3fan]

- he WILL have a job with SWIFT...

Rick

That's his punishment.

[mike3fan]

I know Swift is still accepting newbie drivers, they just aren't looking for any experienced drivers right now.

That should tell you all you need to know about that company.

[ct77]

Vallejo - I was on the Mare Island Naval Station (back when it WAS a naval station) back in the late 70's. My Tattoo Artist (being that I only have one) is in Vallejo also. I come out every 8-10 years to have my ink restored...

Rick

small world just delivered there Thursday

[Kevin0915]

That should tell you all you need to know about that company.

yeah, tells me that is the law of economics. Its called trying to save as much money as possible.

What gets me are drivers who whine, moan and groan about their miles week after week, complain how they get passed up for load after load, when in reality it is their own damn fault. Why? cause they turn down loads. Yeah, i dont want to get stuck with sub-100 mile runs all week. But you know what i've found out?? I take that 25 mi run to get out of the terminal, and waiting for me at the other end is usually a 500+ mile run somewhere.

I've turned down exactly 3 loads in my 8 months. one because it was (at the time) out of my comfort zone, and the other two were because of HOS. I run my tail off when i get the miles, and deliver early if i can. So you know what happens when that juicy 1000 mile run comes across my DMs desk?? guess whos gonna get it.

Now....you say swift is the only company looking for cheaper drivers, that is no different than a contract going to the lowest bidder REGARDLESS what the business is......building contractor, etc.

Swift, for most, is just a stepping stone. another 5 mo, and i'm gone.....

[Scottt]

Swift, for most, is just a stepping stone. another 5 mo, and i'm gone.....

So
What
It's
Freakin
Temporary

[mike3fan]

yeah, tells me that is the law of economics. Its called trying to save as much money as possible.

Yeah and it's seems to be working out so well. They are obviously a financialy sound buisness model.....

[Ford390pwr]

Today we focused on driving in the city. No long trips where we would be going 62mph and setting the cruise control! The morning went very well and we started out with Dave driving and me riding in the back seat. I must say, we have seen a lot of the Lewiston and Clarkston PD. It almost seems like they are following us around town.

Dave had a great morning where he felt much better about the way he was down shifting and making turns. He drove for the first 2.5 hours and logged 42 miles in the city. We switched and I started driving at 8am. I too was able to drive 45 miles and 2.5 hours before lunch. Again I drove strictly in the city making a left, then a right, then a left, then another left etc. etc. etc........ We both had a great morning and took lunch at 10:30.

During lunch Bob learned that Swift will be changing the way that they run the driving academy. Starting with the July 27th class in Lewiston, the students will not be reimbursed for the $3900 tuition cost. In addition the students will also be responsible for the costs of lodging. He did not have all the details, but this is the way they are told it will be for all of the schools. So needless to say the instructors believe that enrollment will drop drastically with this change. I will provide more information on this as I learn it!

Now for the afternoon. Again Dave started driving strictly in the city and he logged another 36 miles and 1.5 hours. There is a lot more traffic in the afternoon, and he had to make a few tight turns were he had to wait for cars to turn so he could use the lane they were in. Bob is taking us into a lot of situations just to show us that it's not a perfect world.

I started driving at 1:30 and logged another 35 miles and 2 hours on line 3. It started out pretty much like the morning with a bunch of turns and a lot of shifting in traffic. Again we took a lot of small residential streets where the turns are a lot tighter than we will see on the state test. So Bob directed me to turn right off of Snake River Avenue onto 11th Avenue, in Lewiston. He said, take a good look and notice that pole. I also saw a cement truck turning on the same road, and he was taking the turn very slow. So I got down to 3rd gear and saw a car coming off the hill on 11th. I waited for the car to turn and started up this VERY steep incline in 1st gear. By the way, the trailer is loaded with 15,000 pounds of concrete barriers. So I start up this hill which is about 600 feet long. As I approach the top of the hill I see an intersection with a 4 way stop. There are no other vehicles in the intersection. I also notice a long line of cars coming up the hill behind me, including a car that is about 4' from my trailer. I assessed the situation and I decided to proceed through the stop sign in first gear. I made sure the intersection was clear, and was prepared to stop, but I thought it would be safer to not stop on the incline and try to get going from a complete stop.
After I cleared the intersection Bob was laughing and said, that's one way to go about it! He said he had never considered rolling through the intersection and everyone else he has taken through there stalled the tractor when they tried to start out in 1st gear. I would have needed to start in LOW, which I did not consider. When I explained that I felt the car behind me was so close that if I rolled back any, I would hit that car. I felt that it was safer to do what i did. He said that he understands my thinking, but what I did was very risky.

So I learned by my mistake. I should have stopped completely for the stop sign and started out in LOW gear on the hill. I feel that I could have started out just fine without rolling, but I would have tried to do it in 1st gear, the truck would have stalled and I would have then started in LOW gear. I am sure that Bob will probably take me back to that hill again, and I will stop at the sign.

So this afternoon was pretty rough for me, but I will put it all behind me and start out fresh on Day 15, Wednesday. Day 15 will have us taking another Pre-trip test, skills test and road test for the school. This is all practice for the state test, and to pass through the schools test.

Here is a link to todays GPS Tracker.
14 | Author Ford390pwr | free Mobile GPS Tracking Service

[Kevin0915]

One of the first things Junior taught us was at the intersection of 16th ave and 21st st....the traffic light where you sit on a big incline just before you turn left to go down the hill by the car dealership. He said that you have the clutch pushed in, foot on the brakes, and you know you cant roll backwards at all because of a car on your tail. Release the clutch very slowly till you notice the truck start to 'torque' clockwise, then you can let of the brake and hit the throttle without worry about killing it. (same thing in reverse, except the truck will 'torque' counter-clockwise)

[Ford390pwr]

One of the first things Junior taught us was at the intersection of 16th ave and 21st st....the traffic light where you sit on a big incline just before you turn left to go down the hill by the car dealership. He said that you have the clutch pushed in, foot on the brakes, and you know you cant roll backwards at all because of a car on your tail. Release the clutch very slowly till you notice the truck start to 'torque' clockwise, then you can let of the brake and hit the throttle without worry about killing it. (same thing in reverse, except the truck will 'torque' counter-clockwise)

Yeah, I was just not so confident on the incline of this hill. I know the exact intersection you are talking about, we call it the Toyota turn. I have not killed it in that intersection, but the intersection I was on had a much steeper incline.

[Ford390pwr]

Today was Academy test day!

Things went very well for Dave and I. The day started with me taking my Pre-trip test, where I missed only 7 points. That is a passing score, for WA we can miss up to 12 points. Almost all of my points came from simply missing a word or two in my script. I hit every area with the exception of the damn airbags! Best part is I won't forget thise when I go to Pasco on Friday.

After the Pre-trip, I took the WA State skills test, for the academy. This was the exact same test that I will take on Friday in Pasco. Did a 100' straight back where I needed to stop when the trailer was in the "box". The box is a 2' area marked out by 4 cones, which blend right in with the rest of the cones. Anyways, if you use GOAL, you fail the test. If you pull up, you miss one point. So, I did the straight back and placed the trailer where I thought it was in the box. I missed the box by about 4 inches, short. In the end I missed 1 point for being short of the dock, and 1 point for failing to beep when I backed up.

Moved on to the 45 degree dock. This is a 20' deep dock, with the same 2' box. On this dock I used one pull up, again did not honk the horn and I overshot the box by about 8". So I missed 1 point for the horn, 1 point for the pull up and 2 points for going beyond the box. In total you can miss 8 points for both of the docking manuevers. I missed a total of 6 points on both manuevers, so I passed!

The final test was a 1 hour road test. We can miss 24 points on the road test. I missed 9 points for not using my miriors enough, 2 points for canceling my turn signal too early on 2 seperate turns. Missed 1 point for taking a left turn too wide, and finally 2 points when I grinded the gears trying to go from 5th to 3rd on a when yielding. Stupid me I forgot the damn range selector! So in the end I missed 14 points total. I was really surprised because Bob warned that we would miss between 15 and 22 points on this test, with at least 14 points for miriors.

Dave did great also. I don't have all the details, but he got 4 points on the Pre-trip, 4 points on the backing manuevers, and 22 points on the road test.

We spent the rest of the day driving around town.

We did see another student fail his road test on turn #1 when he went WAY too wide and hit a curb with the front left tire. He will need to retest on Thursday. We did not talk to most of the other students, because they were already gone when we got back to the yard.

We did play around with a little bit of docking too. I was able to bump the dock at the Lewiston Shopko. Not too tricky, there was a Swift trailer in dock 1 and a cardboard dumpster in dock 3. I was able to bump the dock with just one pull up, and I was in position to line up with the bay doors.

Dave got to bump the dock at a Fedex transfer facility. His biggest mistake was to turn the truck around and try to blindside back. There was a 53' Swift trailer on the drivers side and a 20' Fedex trailer on the passengers side. No room in from to try a straight back, so he did a 45 degree blindside back. In the end he bumped the dock with a few pull ups, we lost count, about 5 GOALS, and about 15 minutes of manuevering. Again, his biggest mistake was trying to blindside back, he would have been much better off to try and back it around the 53' trailer.

We will hear more stories about the other students tests in the morning. Thursday, day 16 will be all city driving. We will also have another student on out truck because he will be going with us to Pasco on Friday.

I did not do a GPS tracker today because we basically drove the same roads as the last few day.