Question:
Any newbies interested, follow me every day on my training with Swift. I'm at the beginning right now and have set up a blog on the truck.net blogs (on this board) under id: EastTXisGr8. I detail each day with them and my experiences. Hope it helps any newbies out there about to go through the same thing, or any future newbies thinking of driving a truck. If you have any problems finding my blog on here, email me and I'll send you the link.
Thanks for sharing this with me!
Jon
Jon@usermail.com
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"I have the capacity to learn from my mistakes. I will learn alot today."

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RecruiterJ returns.

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I'm not a recruiter. Read my blog and it should be exceedingly apparent that I'm NOT a recruiter. I definitely tell the good, bad, and ugly about my training experience so far with Swift...and it's mostly ugly! But again, I'm sure it's not much different from any other large trucking company.
Thanks,
Jon
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"You may be Southern...but you're no Comfort!"

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Not in this case. Interesting Blog.
Never read the Blogs until today.
I hope the wannabies do.
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Hmmmm...............
Off to a flying start!
This should get better with age!
I feel for you...I think!?

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You will not be given a driver code until you get a negative drug test result, period!
Swift does allow cash advances for company expenses, i.e. tolls. The advance is given to the driver out of his "money." Which is polite for: if you don't turn in your receipt, the advance will be deducted from your check.
I never had problems getting advances for tolls. I ran the East Coast frequently and required advances for tolls. I never had to call my DM for an advance, I just sent in a qualcomm company advance request for tolls and got an express check number back. Now if you are running I-90 from Seattle to Rapid City Iowa, you're probably not going to get a cash advance for tolls.
I would propose that tolls are the drivers responsibility in that you need to have enough money on hand to pay the tolls. One way to accomplish that is to request a cash advance. You are not expected to have $300 on hand for company business... but you need to let us know when you do need an advance to cover company expenses and in turn you need to provide the company with a receipt showing the expenses. If you don't provide a receipt then yes, the advance will come out of your check. ...and of course all this is within reason. You are not going to get a $1000 cash advance just because you are dispatched to NYC.
I am not sure why someone would bring a dog to orientation, nor why someone would bring a dog along while they are in training. While in training one needs to focus on what they are being taught. Personally, I would find the dog a distraction. Besides, I didn't think animals were allowed on a training truck to start with.
Contrary to what is posted here, Swift does have standards for one to become a trainer. If the nephew met the requirements to be a trainer when he initially talked to his uncle and this was all setup, and then the nephew fell below the requirements, then he would no longer be able to train his uncle. The only person that will know why he can no longer train is going to be the nephew.
-JHappy Dwellers Society
Company Driver Division

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Driver J
Not sure why you put a reply here to a blog in a different area. You can put a comment on my blog if you haven't already done so.
However, in my blog I'm just stating the facts as to what happens everyday. I ASKED about the tolls because I wanted to know. I wasn't complaining. I said I asked so I knew ahead of time. Just thought I'd pass it along to anyone else. I'm not sure why you are ranting about my asking about the tolls. I've never been through a toll with Swift, so I don't know how soon after I give them my receipt they reimburse. I did tell the facts about our gas receipt in orientation. I have no problem turning in receipts as needed. I have a laptop and a scanner and I make sure I scan EVERYTHING, so if corp. looses a receipt I provide, I can email it to them as many times as needed so I can get reimbursed.
However, I have been reading a book about one man's experience with 6 weeks of training, and he notes that they had to pay $255 in tolls driving in the NE U.S. in a one week period (for a large company NOT Swift). So if in one week you can only get a $100 advance, which is what Swift said was the max., then you better have the other $155 already in your pocket because it won't be coming from an advance. I'm not knocking Swift, I'm just saying you'd better PREPARE for this ahead of time. So yes, I guess making anyone (as well as myself) who is interested aware of that makes me ignorant.
However, in orientation yesterday they did say they were trying to go to Prepass on all the trucks, both for scales and tolls, but it would be a while before all trucks could be done that way. I will be putting that in my blog about yesterday.
I got a negative on my drug test and was NOT given a driver #. I was sent home yesterday and told the process had not been completed and to call my processor. I called the Swift processor this morning, who was very nice, and was told that my process was complete and she has already requested both yesterday and again today that I be assigned a driver #. So hopefully I will get a driver # today.
Also, someone brought a dog to orientation because orientation is only 3 days long, they were allowed to bring a dog, and they got permission from Swift ahead of time to bring one since the nephew was going to train him. So I guess, yes, that makes him stupid. Again, I'm just writing a blog of what happened in my day. You don't have to like it. You are welcome to write you own glowing blog about Swift or whatever company you work for. I won't tell you that you are ignorant for doing so.
I'm also not knocking the Swift training. I absolutely love the fact that I can train my wife. That's the main reason we went with Swift. If anyone else has a problem with it, well then I guess they don't have to go with Swift.
Basically, no need to knock my blog. Write your own.
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"When you make your mark in the world, watch out for guys with erasers."

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A company that size that isn't issueing toll cards to the driver?
They are prob making a mint off drivers that do not turn in all the rec.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

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Me thinks that you are onto something there, Trader
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Daytrader,
Shame on you. If you want to say something so bad about truck drivers you should just say it in english, and preferably on a different board. I had my mother-in-law who is full German and lived there until she was an adult, translate your little german saying at the end of your post.
The saying you posted is, "Fernfahrer sind stummer ungebildeter lowlife Abschaum."
Which is translated "Truckers are stupid, uneducated, lowlife scum."
I'm dissappointed that you would eat the food truckers bring to your town, wear the clothes they deliver, drive a car that was delivered on a truck, and then say something so nasty in a foreign language so most of the truckers here couldn't translate and know what it meant. Shame on you if that's what you meant to say.
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"I fight evil wherever it may be! Except in dark, scary places..."

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Pretty well sums it up today. Take a look around the local Truckstop.

They get paid for doing a job,drop the heroic Driver BS.
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Gotta agree with RABELAM on this one, 95% of drivers are slobs there are a few exceptions, I would like to think I am one, the old knights of the road thing, (such the mentality as "If you got it a truck brought it") is dead old, Joe Truckdriver doesn't give a $hit what he is hauling or where it is going as long as he is getting paid, and doesn't have to do any physical activity whatsoever. As with most newbies they have an idea of the trucking industry via:1973, "Convoy" is dead admit it
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This thread is alot like the Daytona 500!
Just sitting back, waiting for the "Big One!"
....and 'boys, it ain't gonna be pretty!
But so hard to turn away!!

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IF some of you are so unhappy about trucking why don't you do yourselves a favor and get out instead of labeling 95% of drivers as lowlife slobs? There are lowlife slobs that shouldn't even be driving trucks but to label 95% of drivers as slobs is ignorant. All I see and hear is complaining and ridiculing the industry but no action. I shower and shave on a regular basis and keep everything in good order,and yes, I own and drive a truck. So if some of you are unhappy about your jobs then try another line of work instead of whining and ridiculing others.Disclaimer:Pick too ugly to post at this time,LOL.

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Well jack5 maybe you could break it down for us. Exactly what percentage is "low life scums" and what percentage is just low life's or just scums?
It's really odd to work in an industry where people want to call themselves professionals but your able to pick out the one or two professionals in a crowd. usually you see one or two nasty people in a crowd but it's the exact opposite at most truck stops.
I quit doing my BLOG, can't remember why though.