[dobry4u]

Originally Posted by Syncrosonix

yup, and come 1/31/09, my 2 years with this company will arrive, and i shall get my $3900 back. kickass incentive for staying with the company that was willing to take an at the time 23 1/2 year-16-year-old looking lanky dude who NOTHING about semi trucks, and had never even been inside of one. i still look as if i'm 16, though.

my mentor was an o/o and did a kickass job. before getting on his truck, he told me that i was his main focus. also that all the other trucker bullshit tales and company rumors were of no concern to him. he had me using the qualcomm from the minute i got on to his truck, all of the backing unless it was some super tight, crazy place, and we traded on the fueling process. if i was driving, he'd have me do it all while watching over me. there were quirks about him that annoyed me after 4 weeks. however, they weren't severe enough for me to mention them. i knew i was fortunate to have him, and i stuck it out. to this day, whenever somebody comes up to me with, "have you heard what swift is doing now?!" i say, "no, not a clue, and don't give a damn unless there's undeniable evidence of it."

i checked his record in training after i got off his truck, and released solo. 8 out of 10 of his trainees make it through their first year. 6 out of those 8 make it to their second year. when i got off his truck, i felt as if i was light years ahead of my classmates. many of them were struggling with the written multiple choice test before doing the solo release drive test. out of my class, i am the only one still with swift. the rest have either been fired, quit/washed out, or went to some other company.

I have had a decent mentor/trainer too, Syncrosonix. I think a lot of it has to do with your willingness to learn and listen.

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by dobry4u

I have had a decent mentor/trainer too, Syncrosonix. I think a lot of it has to do with your willingness to learn and listen.

i've seen a fair share of people with the willingness. the things they were lacking were common sense and some form of intelligent life upstairs.

[dobry4u]

This is my last week of training with a mentor/trainer. I have had many opportunities to back up in various situations and times of the day, driven mostly at night and have experienced rain and rather windy conditions. I have driven in high traffic areas as well as had experience with many border crossings.

I have pretty much been on the same routes throughout the training period so I don't believe to be well "versed" in day to day destination changes. Hopefully I'll catch on with that.


Yet to face:

Solo runs.... and, oh I hate to say it..... snow! :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:


I am a bit concerned with all of the drivers sitting around at the terminals with no loads. Maybe because I am "cheap" at this point, I'll be kept moving.

I would like to thank all of you that have encouraged, advised, and suggested to which I will most likely continue to seek...

Much obliged :bow:

~Kelly

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by dobry4u

This is my last week of training with a mentor/trainer. I have had many opportunities to back up in various situations and times of the day, driven mostly at night and have experienced rain and rather windy conditions. I have driven in high traffic areas as well as had experience with many border crossings.

I have pretty much been on the same routes throughout the training period so I don't believe to be well "versed" in day to day destination changes. Hopefully I'll catch on with that.


Yet to face:

Solo runs.... and, oh I hate to say it..... snow! :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:


I am a bit concerned with all of the drivers sitting around at the terminals with no loads. Maybe because I am "cheap" at this point, I'll be kept moving.

I would like to thank all of you that have encouraged, advised, and suggested to which I will most likely continue to seek...

Much obliged :bow:

~Kelly

a LOT of those people are sitting for a reason: they're declining loads. others are sitting because their pta is set way out or they're trying to get a load going home, or near it, or their truck is in the shop. when you get to the wonderful fontana terminal, check out the concrete table there. no need to talk to the people sitting there. only a minute of eavesdropping will be enough time to figure out why they're sitting and for how long. by the way, it's suggested that you don't bother going by that terminal unless you really have to. mira loma is much better. the showers there also put some of the terminals' showers to shame, too.

if you're ever in phoenix and want to park across the street in the dirt field. i highly suggest you don't because it'll cost you big time. the paring ticket is $2,000.00. swift will not cover it either. saw a couple of o/o's for swift being written one, a may driver, and one cfi.

as for snow, you'll get a shitload of people telling you to speed up. don't listen to those jackasses. go at your pace. if a cop is telling you to speed up....then you may wanna do as he or she says. though that's never happened to me, and i have never heard of any instances where one has told a driver to speed up. if it becomes to scary to continue, find a safe place to get off the road, tell your dm, and go from there. if the load will end up being late, send a macro 22 with the reason. it's better that you and the freight get there in one piece rather than you becoming unemployed and the crap all over the place.

[boneebone]

Bottom line is it's your CDL, your driving record, your lively hood, drive to protect it.

[Ridge Runner]

As far as the number of drivers at the terminal...... I had a term for them " terminal rats". It was always the same ones. Always there bitching. I heard one complaining about them ( company ) wanting him to take a 90 mile load to Atlanta. The thing is, once in Atlanta there are MANY loads going all over. Many of these guys strike me as being the same as the "Truck Stop Cowboys". You know the type, would rather hang out in the TS and BS than get out there and earn a living.