[lilchemmaster]

I do have a company that is willing to hire me and an experienced trainer that's willing to properly train me. However, I can't get hired by the company, because the "Unsatisfactory Safety Record" is on my DAC Report. Therefore, I can't get the proper training. The company told me, that, if I could get the "Unsatisfactory Safety Record" taken off of my DAC Report, they would hire me.

I want to get this job, but the blackballing, by Swift, is keeping me from actually being able to advance my career.

[repete]

Originally Posted by lilchemmaster

I filed a complaint with the FTC. Now, we'll see if there's anything done.

But, I'm still saying, "Companies should be held responsible for the incomepance and inadequate trainers. And, the fault shouldn't be put on just the student, by blackballing them through their DAC Report."

But where does the students responsibilty lie? To be brutaly honest with you it sounds like your whineing cause you feel swift was unfair to you even tho you admit to " three accidents/incidents" That is NOT GOOD !
Swift may and I'm sure does have bad trainers you must accept some of the fault after all you chose them and you were the one in the drivers seat right?

[repete]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

And, you were being "trained" in a "team truck", weren't you? I've said many, many times, that "team-training" is not training. There is absolutely no training going on when the trainer is in the bunk, sawing logs. I've been a trainer. There is no training going on when the trainer is sleeping.

More company's and trainers need to feel this way! I experinced both types and learned nothing good from the team type. I almost gave up on driving cause of it but after a second try with a REAL trainer I have about 3/4s have a million safe miles behind me.

[repete]

Originally Posted by lilchemmaster

I do have a company that is willing to hire me and an experienced trainer that's willing to properly train me. However, I can't get hired by the company, because the "Unsatisfactory Safety Record" is on my DAC Report. Therefore, I can't get the proper training. The company told me, that, if I could get the "Unsatisfactory Safety Record" taken off of my DAC Report, they would hire me.

I want to get this job, but the blackballing, by Swift, is keeping me from actually being able to advance my career.

Have you tried calling swifts safety dpt and telling NICELY the problems your haveing and asking them to change the DAC report? I admit it sounds like you got the short end of the stick as far as training goes but you have to play with the cards you've been delt

[lilchemmaster]

Originally Posted by repete

But where does the students responsibilty lie? To be brutaly honest with you it sounds like your whineing cause you feel swift was unfair to you even tho you admit to " three accidents/incidents" That is NOT GOOD !
Swift may and I'm sure does have bad trainers you must accept some of the fault after all you chose them and you were the one in the drivers seat right?

No, I'm not whining. I'm doing what every other person that has been denied the training that the Company, or any other company, should be doing, holding them accountable for the promises, guarantee, or whatever you want to call it.

Swift has, it its own writing and words, that the employee WILL be adequately trained. Therefore its responsibility to live up to that guarantee is paramount to ensure quality drivers are out there. However, when they don't live up to their own guarantees, they should be held accountable, just as any other Company must be.

Swift's "Code of Business Conduct" so states - "The Company's employees, officers, and board members WILL: 7) Obtain adequate training and share knowledge applicable to one's duties and responsibilities to Swift and its stakeholders." Swift Transportation - Dry Van Services

It's in their own words.

[chris1]

All i read is justification of your actions. Trainer was on the phone,not watching you. You got out and looked once,why not again if he wasn't helping you? Axles slid all the way back? Illegal parked truck? Sounds like excuses to me.

Even if they put blame on the trainer also would that justify anything you did? Not saying that swift isn't doing a good enough job but you had three accidents/incidents. Dollar value has no bearing on it.

Over the years i've had many that applied for a job and tried to justify their mistakes,you pass on those. When you ask the potential driver what happened and they say "i screwed up"(along those lines)you may want to work with them.

[lilchemmaster]

Originally Posted by chris1

All i read is justification of your actions. Trainer was on the phone,not watching you. You got out and looked once,why not again if he wasn't helping you? Axles slid all the way back? Illegal parked truck? Sounds like excuses to me.

Even if they put blame on the trainer also would that justify anything you did? Not saying that swift isn't doing a good enough job but you had three accidents/incidents. Dollar value has no bearing on it.

Over the years i've had many that applied for a job and tried to justify their mistakes,you pass on those. When you ask the potential driver what happened and they say "i screwed up"(along those lines)you may want to work with them.

Apparently, you haven't been reading too well, these days. I've already said that I HAVE taken responsibility for my part in what happened. I have told ALL of the companies that I've applied for that I DID make mistakes. I apparently forgot to mention, in the 6/14 section of the timeline, that I got out and looked 4 times. And, I DID send in my GOALs (Get Out And Look) each one of those times. So, yes, I DID follow Company proceedures.

Levels of Responsibility -

1) The Company has the first, and foremost, level of responsibility to provide and keep the promises or guarantees they make.

2) The Trainers have the second level of responsibility, because they are the ones that are required to make sure the "adequate" training is provided to the student driver.

3) The third level of responsibility lies with the student or company driver. However, the first two levels of responsibility must be fulfilled before the student or company driver can fulfill their level. Since, proper and adequate driving must be provided before a person can do the job effectively.

Every company, outside of the trucking business, that I have ever worked for has followed that line of responsibility. I've worked at a meat packing plant, security service, and several other forms of service oriented work. Therefore, the trucking business should be NO different. So, a person has a reasonable expectation that the company they go to work for WILL follow their own guidelines they set. That's why, places of businesses get held accountable.

[Malaki86]

3 accidents in under 3 months and you think you don't deserve a "Unsatisfactory Safety Record"? Seriously?

06/14 - Had backing incident, in Home Depot Drop Yard, in West Columbia, SC. Scrapes were put on our trailer and another trailer. Trainer was standing outside of the truck. I DID get out and check to see how I was doing, while he stood there talking on the phone. I thought I was doing fine, but ended up catching the corner of the trailer next to us, on the passenger side, with the side of our trailer. He contacted my Student Driver Manager. Then, proceeded to help a driver, from another company, help him get into his spot. Yet, he was just so busy talking on the phone, while I was backing up, to even help me out in any way, shape, or form. That was my first acc/inc.

I understand he's there to train you, but after 2 months you should have a better idea of how to back a trailer into a space.

06/30 - Got lost out near Hopewell, PA (east of I-99 and north of I-70/76, in western PA), on my way to Swedesboro, NJ. As you can imagine, I wasn't supposed to be near that area. I had missed my turn east near State College, PA, that would have taken me on 322 east. However, I was a sign that said 22 east. And, I didn't realize they were both the same road. So, when I got down to Highway 30, I turned east and followed the road. I couldn't find anywhere to turn around. So, I followed it until I came to Highway 915 north. I followed the road. And, boy, is that one steep-a** road!!! Anyhow, I got to the intersection of 915 N and 26 W, where there's an old-time steel bridge. My tandems had been all of the way to the back of the trailer. Which, I NEVER was told that they shouldn't or couldn't be to haul a load. So, when I got to the bridge, with the tandems all of the way back, I didn't make it around the corner. I was going so SLOW that I only put some black scuff marks on the driver's side of the trailer. YES, the Safety Department at Swift's Jonestown, PA Terminal did look at the trailer and verified that there were only scuff marks on the side. NO other damage was done. That was my 2nd acc/inc.

So why were they? Is that the trainers fault as well?

08/08 - Accident in Flying J Truck Stop parking lot, in Winchester, WV. I was having a hard time backing into a spot. So, another truck driver asked me to go around the parking lot and head over to an area where there were two open spots, next to each other. I proceeded to do so. However, a truck was parked at the end of the driving lane, next to the scales. He wouldn't move. I mis-judged the amount of space between a legally parked truck and his illegally parked truck. I caught the legally parked truck's front end, with my trailer, and did some fender and light area damage. The Flying J Personnel and other truck drivers were all in agreement that "had that illegally parked truck not been there, the accident would have NEVER happened". The Flying J Personnel signed a note stating that the illegally parked truck's owner had continued rufusing to move his truck well before the accident had happened. It wasn't until the accident that he finally moved his truck.

The problem with this one is that you should've known by now that you couldn't get into this space safely and moved on to another. Instead, you blame another driver for being parked where he was. It doesn't matter - if you can't safely park in a certain spot, you move to one that you can. Period.

[lilchemmaster]

I acknowledged that I got lost. I also acknowledged that I misjudged the size of the area between the truck that wasn't supposed to be there and the one that was. So, don't talk about just putting things onto other people. However, I did have the facts to back me up, to prove that the accident wasn't my fault, the other truck drivers and Flying J Personnel. So, you can say what you want on that, but the written statement outweighs your opinion.

And, yes, the tandems were the fault of a inadequate training. How can you do something, like move the tandems where they're supposed to be, if no one talls about them? Hmm? Hmm?

You CANNOT do a job effectively if you are NOT given the information that is needed to do that job. And, a trainer is supposed to be there answering questions and making sure you understand everything about knowing how to do that job. It's just fact.

For the person that asked about calling Swift and talking to them, I did call, but the lady I spoke with talked to Safety. But, then she come back on the line and said that there was no one there that would discuss it with me. So, they were a dead-end, as well.

[lilchemmaster]

Can you show me were it has EVER been said that any of those acc/inc should NOT be on my DAC Report? NOT once, have I ever stated anything like that. I have ONLY stated that those three words, "Unsatisfactory Safety Record" should NOT be there. Those words are what's keeping from getting the job. I even told the lady at Swift that the acc/inc could stay on the DAC Report, but just remove those three freakin' words. But, they won't do it.

Every Company that I have applied, and talked, to, has even acknowledged that those words are what's keeping me from getting hired. And, I've applied with local, small, medium, and large companies. And, it's the same reply, "If the 'Unsatisfactory Safety Record' wasn't on your DAC Report, we could hire you. If you can get that changed or taken off, we can work something out." That's a fact. So, that is the way Swift is blackballing me. They know that that is the one phrase that can keep a person from getting hired by another company. So, they exploit that phrase.