Another Swift trainee killed last night......
#151
11-15-2008, 11:42 AM
...the "trainer" should have been doing his job, and it's a real shame the way this ended up. One has to wonder how many such "accidents" like this happen each year. Despite this, you STILL see companies, who shall remain nameless, who insist on running new drivers like teams...
Oh, and it isnt the company that 'insists' on running new drivers like teams, it is the poor-quality, money hungry mentors who are the ones to blame.
#152
11-15-2008, 11:53 AM
after reading this thread ive started to wonder if i should take swift back out of the pile of company preapprovals im considering
Last edited by bigpapa7272; 11-15-2008 at 11:54 AM. Reason: spelling errors
#153
11-15-2008, 11:57 AM
Guess it depends on who you are going to get your 'facts' from. Drivers who HATE swift with a passion, and will sensationalize information, specially if it looks and sounds bad, to discredit another company? Or you want your information from someone who actually drives for them??
#154
11-15-2008, 12:08 PM
Kevin, why are you so hypersensitive when it comes to Swift?
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#155
11-15-2008, 12:17 PM
Call it what you will, but regardless what the situation is, i get tired of hearing BS from anybody who dont have a CLUE about the facts. They would rather speculate, and throw around 'guesses' or anything else that might make another driver or company look bad.
Am I paid by Swift to stand up for them? hahaha...no. Is everything 100% perfect with swift? lol...no. anybody drive for a company that is perfect? doubt it. Have there been things with me that Swift did that annoyed me? Naturally. Something irks me....i'm going to speak up and say something. Regardless what it is. My new DM knows that already. get the facts before opening your mouth (not YOU, you...but you in general) is that too much to ask? I'm waiting to see a thread started when a driver passes a swift truck broken down on the side of the road, cant wait to post something bad about swift, so he finds the nearest rest area, and cracks open his/her laptop to post how a Swift truck lost a wheel, and it bounced over 4 lanes of traffic, blah blah blah....when the true reason the truck was pulled over was because of an air pressuer problem. is it too much to ask NOT to speculate about something you are ignorant about?
#156
11-15-2008, 12:19 PM
I wonder if anybody even read the particulars of this accident. Or do you just LOOOOVE Swift bashing? I really could care less. But most of you, all you see is "stupid ignorant SWIFT driver crashes truck". You forget that a human life was lost. Guess what, in case you didnt know, we are all human. Have a little PROFESSIONAL respect. We were all that 'new' once in our careers.
The driver, yes he was in his 4th or 5th week of training, was at the wheel, and yes, the trainer was in the sleeper. Was it the trainer's fault for being in the sleeper that the truck wrecked? No. Could it have been prevented, had the trainer told the newbie driver, "...look, if you get sleepy, pull over..." or, "...drive at whatever speed you feel safe..". Sure. The trainer had over a year experience. The question is, how do you know how the trainer was running the truck? You all assume you 'know', you all want to make it look as bad as it possibly can, just because it was Swift. Fact is you don't know. The mentor might have been comfortable with the drivers ability to control. Had to have some level of comfort if he was in the sleeper. You think if you were in the trainer's position, and you DIDN'T feel 100% comfortable, that you'd trust your life and your truck to some 'stranger'?? come on. grow a pair. Now i will agree, that there are some mentors, and not just with swift either, who want a student on the truck just to use him as a 2nd log book, or so s/he can get the truck running team as soon as possible. AND THAT IS BAD. Those 42-days are there to TRAIN, not to squeeze as much money out of the student as you can. can anyone tell me, did the student-driver fall asleep or hydroplane? I know the option is available, that after 6 months, I can become a trainer. But after 6 months, i would not feel comfortable teaching someone the job that i'm fairly new at myself. But what nobody here will admit, is that not only after 6 months of 1st seat driving, AND no preventable accidents, AND no log violations, your record has to be almost perfect to be offered a training position. Not to mention you have to take time out of your week to take a day long class on being a mentor, and what is expected of you. Next time you see a 18 wheeler, dont first look for the name on the side of the truck, just remember you BOTH are doing the same job. You BOTH have the same basic license, you BOTH are 'contractors', and you BOTH are professional............act like it. And only a day long class on how to be a "Mentor".....:rofl: WOW!!!:thumbsup: High quality there.....:rofl::rofl:
#157
11-15-2008, 12:22 PM
there is another truckers info website like this one, i use to frequent. You had a list of "good trucking companies"...and "bad trucking companies". every company under the sun seemed to be listed. What i find rather amusing, is that as 'bad' as people went off about swift, my situation is far from horrible.
stories like how recruiters will promice everything, and then nothing is delivered. Never happened to me. Trucks so old, they are braking down every 30 miles....i'm seeing brand new company trucks. Many people saying how 'bad' a company is, but in reality, some are just upset because they were just fired, and just want to say something bad about the company who just fired them to make them look bad. (not just swift, but any company) i've seen three drivers at the school i went to wash out before they finished. I've seen 4-5 in orientation who didnt make it. So for someone to say "oh swift will hire anybody who has two feet and can hold a steering wheel with two hands and keep the truck between the lines"....is far from the truth.
#158
11-15-2008, 12:24 PM
Thought: if a bunch of trainers at all these companies just abuse newbies then why bother with the training just give a newbie an older truck and let hm prove himself that way?
#159
11-15-2008, 12:25 PM
Please, compare it to other companies 'mentor' classes....then get back to me. oh and please provide links....i'm willing to bet that most companies dont offer 7-10 day classes or something more extravagent
#160
11-15-2008, 12:29 PM
yep i am.....i'm saying it is the trainers fault for being in the sleeper if the skills of the student were that 'lacking'. i'm saying it isnt the company pushing mentors to run trucks as a team on day 3.
Please, compare it to other companies 'mentor' classes....then get back to me. oh and please provide links....i'm willing to bet that most companies dont offer 7-10 day classes or something more extravagent |
