Question:
Well 4 weeks of training are complete at swift 2 left. Some good some bad not as bad as some people complain about around here. But thats ok gets you ready for the worst.Trainer isnt the cleanest of people though lots of nasty habits.He has a regional run so we get home atleast one day a week. Been running in MN.WI,IL,MI,OH,KS,IN,MO. Ive done three weeks on nights and this week on days,guess they both have good and bad points.2 more friggin weeks with nasty Ithink Ill make it.

Answer:


so you haven't got a taste of OTR 3 weeks out yet
when you get on the national 48 state irregular route board as a single seat driver,your opinion of the deal might just change
trucking ain't bad if one has a dedicated run that does consist of miles and home time but not all jobs are like that or will everyone be able to get a job like that depending on where they live
swift pays .46cpm out at the staples account in PA,it's irrelavant to somebody in south dakota
somebody working that account could claim they do great working for swift,don't mean everyone will do great working for swift.
Answer:
Good luck with Swift. I heard they're bumping their payscale pretty aggresively. What are you supposed to make when you get out on your own?
I think the biggest shock for newbies when they leave a team is that they don't have a senior driver in the truck with 'em anymore. Less desirable loads, more wait time.
I'm glad you recognize your trainer has some shortcomings. As an old hand once told me " Bad habits are had to break, good habits are hard to make." Try to learn from his mistakes.
Oh by the way, just curious, how long has your trainer been in the business?
Best of luck to you

Answer:
when i left my trainer back in july of 04 my miles stayed the same. i got the same coast to coast runs. i don think they treat teams or trainers any different. they even say that teams dont get priority. i just kept telling my dm that i wanted miles and he got me miles. not every time but at leat 75%. oh and yes they did bump their payscale. its .27 start, .30 6mon, .32 year.

Answer:
Dedicated, regional, which dispatcher you get.....there are lots of variables, and you only have so much control over how you'll fit into them as time goes on. If you can endure the dweller lifestyle and get yourself into a good little niche, you may stick around a while. Otherwise, keep your eyes and ears open and plan your escape about a year from now, when you've got some minimum experience to switch jobs.
Most of us who've been with a large carrier a while have found our little spot within the organization -- a dispatcher that treats us exceptionally good or a dedicated/regional situation we like, etc.... We're an extremely lucky minority, not the typical driver.
Keep checking-out your other driving options, keep your record clean and be patient. Don't jump at the first thing. Wait till a significently better opportunity comes along and you've paid some dues at Swift. Then make your move. At least....plan for this as if it's it's enivitable. If you're one of the lucky ones that lands in the right spot with the right freight and the right people (dispatch), nothing lost keeping track of the competition.
I constantly check-out other jobs, but I'm still with my original carrier because they keep upping the ante -- and all things considered, nothing's struck my fancy enough to make me jump. But again -- this is rare. Focus your long-term objectives on getting out of Swift (Werner/Schneider/Gordon/Knight/etc) so you'll be ready and able when the opportunity presents itself. Protect your CDL.

Answer:
Oh, I had another thought for you...you might see if you can switch trainers at some point to get OTR experience with a trainer.
I think the more big cities, turnpikes, grades, signage, freeway layout you can see with a trainer the better off you are. You won't see 'em all but I think the more of 'em you see the better off you'll be when you get on your own.
Good luck

Answer:
Well the pay scale goes up to 32 after 6mos at least on the handout we recieved.the trainer has eleven years in the last 7 with swift.from what Ive been told is I have a very good chance on reginal since theres 2 crossdocks1gm and 1mopar and 2 warehouses home depot and costco within 20min of my door so well see.Ive met lots of drivers with over 5 years, Ido plan on keeping my cdl clean so I can get a job anywhere.