Question:
Ever been to one of those "day labor" places? Ever been hired by "Manpower"? Then you might have an inkling, my starry-eyed wannabes, about what is in store for you when you sign on the dotted line for Uncle Jerry's Temp OTR driver pool......
'Cause that's all you will be, a faceless temp, working 15 hours a day seven/seven until the mental abuse, fatigue, accidents (minor ones if you're lucky, you get to be fired while still in alive and in one piece...) and general Bulls**t become just too much...
Oh, they keep the frosting on the cake sweet and yummy, feed you a big mouthful to keep you quiet and productive, but the truth of the matter is, it's the inner part, the spongy stuff that is the substance of the company, is rotten to the core.
You will be nothing but a nuisance to those office pukes, mechanics, terminal managers and others deeply engrossed in their own agendas...
Exhalted Swiftie Newbie: You are expendable! If at any time "they" are forced to choose between you and and keeping good relations with Wally World, Target, Rite-aid, or whomever, you better believe you will be on the street so fast it will make your head spin!
You have absolutely no value to this organization other than being a mule. Computer literate, educated...forget it, Grasshopper! You entered by the Wrong door. Service entrance-Hired help only!
Swift is not going to invest anything other than the legal minimum in you because they know you will not be there long. In legalese, it's called Constructive termination, and it starts the day you're hired...You haven't yet driven a mile for them and they're already planning your departure.
My advice is: Trucking is an honorable profession for those who risk it keeping it upright and between the lines, delivering the load safely and legally, and getting home to their families alive. Do not dishonor them by associating yourselves with Swift or any other company that does not respect drivers or the sacrifices made by them.
'nuff said.
PP

Answer:
Why tack this diatribe to a tree on Fantasy Island? The Good Time Natives will be chanting soon "Trucking is what you make it".
Mike
Let's all Chant...
"It's a Lifestyle and is what you make it"
Feel better?
Answer:
It's not just Swift...
One could take what you have said and use any of the Big trucking company names...CRE, Covenant, etc...
Sad but true..
-----------------------------
Learning experience in progress


Answer:
Even after you get those first few years experience. The better companies are actually no better.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
Jeez, you people are the biggest bunch of cry babies I've ever seen! What, did you think you were going to get a job driving and be treated like royalty? Haven't you ever had a job before? Of course you are expendable, and of course you'll be out on yer arse if you screw with your company's customers. They (the customers) give your company $$$. That is why the truck is on the road. You rent yourself out to the company in exchange for $$$. Try turning the tables: would you ever do business with a company again if their sales person(or clerk or whatever)mouthed off to you and the company took the salesperson's side? Of course not, you'd probably be furious. You better wake up and realize that any and every thing a company does is about money. You ARE just a faceless drone. That is what you are no matter what job you have. Sure, you may get coddled some places, but try jacking around with the profit margin and see how quickly you end up looking for a new master! The only way to not have to participate in the circus would be to own your own business or be a street person. If you do the first one and succeed YOU will be the one people are bi***ing about. Do the latter, and you'd be wishing someone would treat you like you are being treated now.

Answer:
Jeez, you people are the biggest bunch of cry babies I've ever seen!
Looked in the mirror latley?? Remember, about 4 or 5 days ago or so? Oh yea, thats when you where cryin about not being able to get a job. Got one yet?
Although the person you are speaking of may be, in you opinion a cry baby, at least they are a crybaby with a trucking job.
I do belive its wrong to throw stones (especially on fantasy island) but this case is an exception.
So what gives?
TJ
Hey Dude, MY sunglasses are WAY cooler than yours.

Answer:
If he gets on with Stevens transport he'll have is share of whinning to do soon enough.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
I don't think it was necessary to attack wishicould's inability to find work simply because he said something you don't agree with.
The core of what he said is true. Whether you flip burgers at McDonald's, make cakes in a factory, or work as an order-taker for the phone company, or...
haul freight for a major trucking company, you ARE just another contributer to the company's and the executive's wealth. Easily replaced, with no reason to make any great strives to retain your services as they are so easy to come by anyways.
The Manager at a "Wallyworld" bakery doesn't give a damn about the bakers underneath him/her. The Assistant store manager doesn't give a damn about the bakery manager. The General manager over the whole store doesnt give a damn about any of the other managers or workers. The District manager doesnt give a damn about the store managers or workers. The executives doesn't give a damn about the district managers.
The point is, its not just trucking. Nobody GIVES A DAMN!!!!!!!!! You are a worker. You aren't royalty. You aren't doing anything that is unique to all human history. You ARE expendable.
Make your living as best you can and quit your whinning. If you feel that a company is so bad that it is no longer worth it...quit.
But if you think you are truly valued at any company... think again.
Get over it.

Answer:
However, the truth of it is this.
This person has a chip on his shoulder because of something he did, note I said "HE", 10 years or so ago.
He said nothing I didnt like, and I didnt attack him. I was just making light of certian "facts" because it seems to me that he came around here whinning because no one would hire him. I did nothing like attack him. He himself is the one that did this not long ago.
one nice thing about the forums is that you can come here to blow off some steam and just vent. I can understand that because I have done it in the past. The only "attack" that took place here was one waged by wishicould.
Although I gotta give Stuffs a thmubs up I agree and concur.
TJ---The plane boss, the plane.......
Hey Dude, MY sunglasses are WAY cooler than yours.

Answer:
I wasn't "attacking" anyone. Like Traveler 28 said, the core of what I said is true and it stands as stated. By the way, I have a desk job making 40K a year and I don't "have to" get a job in trucking, but I "wishicould".......

Answer:
When I decided to finally go OTR, I too, lurked here at TruckNet, reading the diatribes and thinking to myself, "What a bunch of whiners! Crybabies, every single one of them! What could be so hard about driving to point B from point A? Get a life!"
But after I'd been driving awhile, I realized that a lot of what's being (edited) about here I could relate to, no matter how inane or irrevelant it may sound to an "outsider"...
Drivers need to blow off steam, to sound off, in a community where everyone more or less understands. And that's what I did.
That's it, Mr. Wishicould. I'm a whiner. I'm a complainer. But I'm doing in good company.
Who else would believe half the sh*t that happens the road? An outsider? Yeah, right....
[This message was edited by choclit snda on October 17, 2003 at 1:33.]

Answer:
Well, thanks for your posts, Pro Pilot, as your experience is far more typical of the newbie experience at these carriers than the Good Time Boys ever want to admit. That's why some of us don't reccommend OTR trucking to people as a rule; too many other options, depending on where you live. The turnover numbers speak for themselves, so just ignore the whiners complaining about the truth most newbies will experience; they want to read about 'Gourmet Cooking In The Truck' and silly crap like that.
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-Stoney Jay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!

Answer:
so what is it with all these ignorant drivers who have nothing better to do than to talk about swift and thier drivers.sounds like you learned a new word and feel like it makes you appear intelligent to use it. ***news-flash*** it does not. as with ALL companies,swift has a handful of stupid people working for them. what im more concerned about is drivers like you with thier lips permanently sewn to a crack pipe behind the wheel of a childhood fantasy called;"a big truck"
since no one would by you a tonka toy when you were young. sounds alot like little man syndrome.
they do have shrinks avail.in all states who can help you with your problem. so, tell me are you a victim of "swift rejection"? and while we're on it, nobody knows sacrifice and hardship more than a swift driver, because bottom line, WE ARE THE BEST OUT THERE ,and the largest. you simply could not cut it with a giant like swift because of your attitude, your crack addiction , and your low self esteem. im not mad at you. i feel sorry for people like you who will not suceed at anything ever in life because you speak of commitment and dedication but know not the definitions.remember this the next time you see a swift truck on the road, we are the frieght kings of the industry,comments like yours will never change that.we take pride in earning a living and supporting our families,by doing whatever it takes, even if it means listening to boneheads like you. get into rehab,get an attitude adjustment ,and get on with your life,it sounds like you have alot of issues you need to cop to and work on.if you are happy being miserable,more power to you. i wish you good luck and god bless!!
see ya on the road????????????????????
don't understand

Answer:
Is'nt Schneider the freight king? They have more trucks and trailers than Swift. I am not a driver for either company now but drove for SNI and had a great experiance with them. I did help a Swift driver back into a dock in Michigan after his 10th pull up though.

Answer:
People......
Trucking is what YOU make it!