Swift is trying to get me a mentor. I told my terminal driver services manager that I'll travel anywhere they send me to get working again. It don't have to be out of my home terminal.

PS Yoopr - how'd you get so wise in yer old age? You hit the nail on the head when you said I was (temporarily) overwhelmed.

 

I wouldn't tell them that,or they will send ya everywhere. :P

 

Started back in '78 and I'm not a Young Pup anymore and I've been there and done that. Everybody gets fed up at times.
PS-Quit watching trucking movies :P

 

In the 2 1/2 weeks I was out I went to:

CA, NV,AZ,UT,CO,WA,OR,ID,MT,WY,ND,NE, MN,WI,IL,MO,OK and TX. So, I realize that it won't matter where my mentor picks me up as I won't be staying in any one place too long.

I used to get in a friendly "argument" with my mentor. He said that a lot of the wuss trainees can't drive over 350 miles, so the next day I drove for 11 hrs and 575 miles and did that back to back with a 10 hour rest in between whenever we were doing a long haul which was often. In 2 1/2 weeks I think I put in at least 10k miles (according to my log which was logged as I did it. Staying off line 4 - except for the requisite "pre-trip" - thank you very much). The one thing my mentor did mention was that as a team my pushing that hard was ok,(although he suggested more than once that I shouldn't push myself so hard... imagine a Swift mentor telling a trainee to slow the pace a little :lol: ) but that when I go solo I'll run out of hours at the pace I like to run. I also learned how to float gears and my mentor told me he was happily surprised at how well I backed up for a trainee. We also had some pretty good laughs at other Swift drivers (among others) at truck stops when they were trying to back in. It seems like the smart thing to do would be to NOT back into a parking space. Nose first is how my mentor liked to park at truck stops. 1 shot every time. When you get back to the truck it only takes 1 back up to get out of the hole (and I can jack it left or right and every angle in between). ...Instead of doing 5 - 10 pull ups...takes away from your coffee time. 8)

By the way, Sprint has a great mobile to mobile plan. I called my wife and daughter about 6 times a day (no exaggeration)its free mobile to mobile, no used minutes unless your roaming. And even that you can get around cause they also have a Mobile to home plan with unlimited minutes. Getting to the shipper or receiver was a snap (most of the time) because my GPS on my phone gave us the CORRECT directions turn by turn. (The only time I got turned around was at the Purina plant in AZ. I got confused a bit due to the construction on the on/off ramp) My mentor didn't say a word but just sat there smiling the whole time - the A**hole :lol: - but I got there on the 3rd attempt.

So, over all, I had a great time being on the road. I guess I used the "accident" as an excuse to get home for Thanksgiving. Like I told my mentor - I HATE SITTING STILL (read: not working - I rest at the shippers / receivers). He wanted to go to a friends house for Thanksgiving (WED & THURS) and to rest up because I was pushing too hard a pace for him :lol: .

So all in all - as stated earlier - I had a great time. The only nagging, underlying, complaint I had was I missed my family. But as long as I kept rolling I was fine. Besides, any time I passed a place I wish my wife and daughter where with me I generally took a picture with my phone and emailed it to them later. I would also call my wife , tell her where I was and tell her I wished she was with me.

So - I hope that gives you all a better picture of how things went in my first 2 1/2 weeks.

By the way, my Mentor was patient, calm, clean and had a great coaching style. He never once got angry or explosive although I made him laugh on more than one occasion. So, I guess what made me get off the truck was when the loneliness hit me like a hammer the afternoon of the day after he left for his friends house for Thanksgiving.


So now we all know the truth of the matter - I used the "accident" as an excuse to go home, but otherwise had a great time. I honestly love this job. (DAMNIT !!! - Why can't any one feel sorry for me and help me justify what I did?) - oh well - I guess truckers don't give sympathy when none is really due.

Oh - one more thing before I forget. My trainer treated me to lunch 2 times. ( I had money and didnt need it or expect it, but he knew some really great places.) The first was a great little buffet in Idaho and the second was a chinese resturaunt in Utah. He also offered to loan me $20 the end of the first week without me even asking. He found out I ran out of cash on the last day of the week and offered me the short term loan which I gratefully accepted.

 

Admirable post.

 

One can always overcome poverty???

 

I call it a J O B.

 

With all due respect, I call BS.

10,000 miles divided by 18 days (2 1/2 weeks) is 555 miles per day. To do 555 miles per day, you will need 9.25 hours driving, plus .5 hours per day for pre trip and post trip inspections, plus fueling every other day.

That comes to a grand total of 9.75 hours MINIMUM per day logged, and every other day 10 hours per day MINIMUM logged. That is assuming that you NEVER loaded, unloaded, broke down, got stuck in traffic, slowed down, etc.

9.75 hours X 7 days = 68.25 hours MINIMUM, with 1.75 hours for the 8th day before you run out of hours. I find it hard to believe that Swift pays their drivers to tool around the country without ever having to stop to load and unload.

Either you didn't run those 10,000 miles in 2.5 weeks all yourself, or you are lying, or you didn't log it as you did it. Which is it?

Not trying to start anything, just trying to cut through the BS. :wink:

 

Thats what your good at REV. But there is something inside me that still thinks you like to start stuff. :lol: :lol:

 

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But people who brag about putting on ridiculous amounts of miles in a short period of time while claiming to be running legal just rubs me the wrong way.