[gbtrucker]

Originally Posted by southernpride

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while since i posted.

To pick up where i left off;

On Wed. we drove around downtown Memphis, and surrounding areas, our instuctor took us on some pretty narrow streets and tight turns but nothing impossible and is verry good at not only telling you when to do something but explaining why. He also makes me think about what i'm doing so that really helps a lot! I did have a bit of a brain fart at one point today and almost took out a light pole as i was making a right turn because i swerved to miss an oncoming car. Even though my instructor had to yel for me to stop, he was not upset and 2 minutes later told me to pull it over and smoke a cig and get over it. My nerves were shot!

On Thursday, we drove arouns the Suberbs of memphis, the focus on thurs was putting everything we have learned thus far, turning, shifting, stopping, merging, turning and identifying hazards to work all at once. It was a much better day for me, i think i'm just starting to actually put it all together. I did a lot better today, shifting was smooth, no coasting searching for gears, and my turns were decent.

Friday (HELL DAY)... We took a road trip and ended up on some narrow country roads, with some steep uphill and down hill driving. Also a lot of sharp curves going downhill. This really got us thinking, but it was really cool..... until........

5 minutes after i got in the drivers seat, i'm driving on a road where the speed limit was 45, as i pass some road crews i see a sign that says "end 30 MPH speed limit" I turned to my instructgor and said "dont you hate it when you see an end speed zone sign and dont see the begining" he informed me that there was a smaller sign underneath another sign about a 1/4 mile back. He thought i was doing the limit. Just then i look in my mirror and see a trooper coming flying up in the left lane..... OF course... we get pulled over. GREAT!!!!!!! He ended up giving me a ticket for doing 41 in a 30mph construction zone, but he said if i go to court he would ask the judge to throw it out as i was a student. He also said he would;ve given me a warning but had already called it in before he came to find out i was a student driver. Then he gave the entire group an inspection lesson on the side of the road. He was actually a really nice guy, itg just really pissed me off! I am really glad he didnt do an inspection though, as we had found out just 15 minutes earlier that our hub oil seal was leaking and the level was low, that and we picked up a nasty vibration on our way back.

So, now i have to go to court on 10/26 to get it taken care of. Which is going to cut into my time with a mentor, and make it take even longer to get onto my own truck. The good news is, i am not getting sent home or anything. WHEW!

We have the weekend off, then back to driving on monday and we all test on tuesday! Oh we are getting about 2 hours (or more) of driving each day... just FYI!

Thanks for all the updates, I feel like I am living this with you and it sure will help all of us Newbies who have not even started a school yet.

Reminds me when I took my drivers test at the ripe old age of 16 I was going down a tree lined street per the DMV tester and after I crossed this one street he said
"You know you just ran a stop sign"
I said "What I didn't see any stop sign"

He Said " It was hidden by the tree branches"

I bet he took all the boys down that street. I failed and had to wait 30 days to do it again.

30 days is 2 lifetimes when your 16 yrs old.

What if you fail your skills test, Do you get to come back and take it again till you pass?

[southernpride]

So after a lazy weekend we got back in the groove today. The story of my ticket was EVERYWHERE!!! Oh well!

I did ok today and honestly just cant wait to get it all taken care of tomorrow.

As far as the skills go, if you fail it, you get one retest the next day. If you fail that then you get put on academic probation (AP). And you retake the whole week.

As far as the road test, its about the same thing. There some things that automatically fail you: shifting, changing lanes, stopping or passing while on train tracks, running over curbs, and costging for more than 100ft.

I am sooooooo excited about getting the hell out of here tomorrow, i miss my family, my bed, and my house. Hell i miss my life.

Any more questions?

[southernpride]

I PASSED!!!!!!! On tuesday i took my road test and passed. I got a total of 5 points. 30 points is the max. 31 and you fail.

The worst part of yesterday was the fact that we had to check out by 5am which really sucks! But after we got done testing we got on the LONG journey home. We left at 1:40 on tuesday afternoon, and got in this morning at about 10:00am.

Now i have a few days home, and leave to go back to memphis for orientation on
Monday night. We do get to stay in a nicer hotel for orientation (from what i've heard.) Orientation is Wed-Fri. and if you go flatbed div. (Which i am) then you go Monday and tuesday as well. After that you get on a truck with a mentor, or get sent to meet one.

I'll check back in after the first day of orientation.

Later guyz!

[dieselgrl]

Congrats on passing 8)

I was a graduate over there in Millington as well - class of 208 students. It was INSANE. I don't know if Swifty changed it again, but the last time I went through their oreintation it was at the Holiday Inn - very nice hotel, but DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT go to the bar in the hotel. They are paid to look for Swift orientation attendees.

Be forewarned though, after orientation if they don't have a trainer for you right away, they will put you up in the crack whore inn (aka the Brooks Inn). No more nice hotel....

Best of luck

[AlexJ81]

Congrats on passing and joining our little elite Class A CDL club ;-) I can't wait to hear what orientation is like at Swift

[gordoUSA]

Southernpride

Congradulations on passing. I am starting Swift school here in SA tomorrow, hoping all goes well.
Please keep us informed about the flatbed division. I am considering that division also as I hear it is a "better run operation" than their vans division.
Thanks for the info and best of luck!

[eoplocust]

congratulations i remember how excited i was about 7 weels ago when i got mine.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Ian Williams

He was in a construction zone. They are very trigger happy on those.

As they should be!!! Folks, you need to scan with your eyes... all the time, looking for signs and other indicators....especially for construction zones. Double fines and double points. If you can't slow down for a construction zone....you're screwed up, and should be working in a fast food joint.... If you screw up and hit a construction worker....and kill him or her, you're going to jail and facing rather large fines....and kiss your CDL goodbye!!

There is absolutely no justifiable reason for speeding in a construction zone!! Its bad enough that idiots in cars can't obey a speed limit.....but if you are a Professional Driver, you do it right, all the time, every time, period.[/u][/i]

[rjallen]

Congrats Southernpride

Enjoyed your story and I hope you continue

Rick

[southernpride]

Thanks for all the congrats!

As far as the speeding ticket thing goes, i totally agree that there speedng is an even bigger deal and can be deadly in a construction zone. I admit i was speeding, however the circumstabces surrounding the ticket aren't as cut and dry as they may seem. The sign wah posted on a portable tri-stand, it was half the size of a regular sign, and there was no major construction presence to may me think whoa, i should really slow it down. Am i making excuses? NO. But it's not like i saw the sign and chose to speed. The circumstances surrounding the ticket were just.....unfortunate. But the good thing is the cop was really cool about it, and said that if i go to court he will ask the Judge to throw it out.

Ok..... enough of that. I arrived back in Memphis yesterday, and i started orientation today. (10/10) Today was drug testing and basic paperwork. We also got our fuel cards and benefit info. This brings me to a major issue i have. My recriter told me swift had a 90/10 insurance plan, and to be honest it was one of the main reasons i chose swift over central reefer. Well as it turns out, you only qualify for 70/30 untill 1 year of service, then you can switch at open enrollment to the 90/10 or 80/20. The deductibles are also higher than id like but are not horrible. 500 single and 1500 family (on the 70/30 ppo plan)

Another thing i notced today is that the company 401(k) matching is not fully vested untill 5 years of service. That may be industry standard due to high turnover rates... but 5 years is a long time to wait in my experience. Our orientation "instuctor" has a bit of an attitude problem, he thinks he is god, OH and he doesnt answer questions. If he lets you ask it, he'll either look at you like your a dumb@$$ if he knows the answer, or give you an answer that really doesnt answer your question cause he doesnt really know. Through my prior corporate experience, get your info from the department who's ONLY job it is to know the answer to your particular question. I will let you guys know how tomorrow goes...

If you graduated from swift you're here for 3 days. If you're coming from somewhere else it's 2 days. We did get lunch today too. The Holliday Inn is a nice hotel, but you cant use the pool or the gym.(yeah i know, dont even go there)

I am hearing a lot of rumors about shortages of mentors though. I will tell you guys this the same way i will tell my processor.

I can't afford to sit around and wait, or be bussed back home to sit around and wait on a mentor for weeks. I will wait 7 days, but after that, i have to consider other options as i have a family to provide for.

Our orientation class is 103 people. ...... YEAH we'll see about that.