Comments By Jaybird

Hey! Things are going well.

Today was the last day of the 2nd week. All week was backing on the range, practicing pretrip inspections and most of us are doing really well and applying ourselves. Couple of the guys are a little lazy, sitting on the bench laughing and smoking, not participating as much as they should be but so it goes.

Backing has been great, there is a new Trainer at the academy, very cool guy, decent guy, commends us on things we do correctly and provides constructive criticism in a great tone and manner when it's needed. He's vocalized how he feels as he watches all of us that are participating and helping each other. He seems genuinely happy when we accomplish the task at hand, work together and succeed and he's just a genuine dude. Gonna be a great trainer.

1 more week to go! The itinerary is continue pretrip, backing exercises, and road training before our testing week, excited it's getting closer and I'm confident in my backing, confident in my pretrip, and starting to feel confident on the road portion.

Overall it's been a great experience, enjoying most everything thus far and the managers have been awesome.

The recruiter I had. His name was Scott. He's called every week and sent messages through driver Pulse, he keeps asking if I have any questions, anything I need done. Making sure training is going well, and he makes sure I know how to get ahold of him if I have any questions I need answered. Surprising that a recruiter is involved as much as he is, as no other student can even get ahold of their recruiters. Happy with him. He's also I great dude.

1 thing I kind of complain about, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to complain but it's been hard to adjust to:

The on road portion, the trainer continues to demand the signals for turns, he says things like: "you are going to be making a right turn at the stop sign, put on your turn signal". Thing is, he makes us do it, before we've passed or cleared all potential right turns we can make. Meaning I have yet to get to, and clear an intersection, before I would then travel almost another block to make the turn. Several times cars, and other trucks have what I assumed seen the signal, turned either in front the same direction, or to their left thus impacting my travel pretty badly at times, and then he gets mad they do that. Often times we must signal more than 300-500 yards in advance. When I try to bring it up, he says "hold that thought" then proceeds to go on about, slow down, look for this in the turn etc. Then says sorry we can't talk and answer questions we only have a limited time on the road and he needs to teach not engage in conversation. He also was filling out paperwork, and got mad I didn't check my mirror on a right hand turn, in the yard lot, when I checked the mirror twice, left an excessive amount of room during the turn, the other student said I checked my mirror too, he then said "well you need to be watching it through the entirety of the turn. I just said ok, im sorry and submitted but it was very frustrating as we had another student ahead of us mess up a right hand turn and hit a pole so I've tried to be very aware and check that mirror as much as I can. But I just say I'm sorry and let it be. 1 more week til testing and hopefully the mentor stage will be good.

It's been fun to see everyone progress and gain confidence, a couple guys i really enjoy training with, made some friends I think I'll be in touch with after we get out on our own. Swift has been awesome, office guys have been great and friendly. Looking forward to the rest of the journey!

I'll update as this and next week goes on. Super excited to start the backing and pretrip on the range. Big couple weeks ahead!

It's a better career choice when it doesn't cost you the license. I said that in the sentence too I believe. Better for them and their career.

If you're confident then you wouldn't have to worry about being in the clear.

A positive test will appear on your FCMSA Clearinghouse page, it will prevent any and all future and current employment until you complete the return to duty process and potentially prevent it even after that. If anything, even 5 months, I would have been extra cautious, and waited even longer. No idea on when you're clear. Good luck. Use nicotine instead. Much better for you and your career.

1st week with Swift done, ELDT computer training complete. Long week behind a computer is in the past. At the Swift academy. Been a good experience so far. Many of the managers and Driver managers have been present around the building, all have been very nice and welcoming people. The facility is great from everything I've seen.

Some of the other students are a little iffy. Seem to be pretty hot-headed and I feel uncomfortable associating with a couple of them. Very loudly are vulgar and vocalizing unhappiness with the computer training repetition.

This next week is all range practice, backing and pretrial stuff. Can't wait to get it rolling!

OK. Left the Physical exam medical site. Took the exam and hair test.

Swift called me, verifying a start of Monday. I'm rolling with it, not going to juggle around what ifs or what nots. I start swift academy Monday morning, going to do my very best and am looking forward to this experience, I will keep an update rolling. Thanks for the replies everyone.

OK. Thanks for all of the help. I'm going in right when the place opens to try and do the physical. The appointment was set up for yesterday, CerteDrive says it's "order" is good until the end of the month so I'm hoping they let me do it. Major fingers crossed. Thank you for the responses.

OK. I was supposed to take the physical today and I didn't. I'm going to go first thing in the morning and hope they let me, online the order is good through the end of the month it says although it was scheduled for today. I'll take it, and hopefully just satisfy the request. I don't want a refusal at all, and then I'll just go with my gut and go with Prime. I'll let you know how this plays out these next 2 weeks.

So I originally applied with Swift Transportation. I got through all the onboarding things, passed all background got my orientation start date.

After reading and looking at alot of the forums and mainly Kearsey saying things about Prime I decided to go with Prime Inc. Really looking forward to all of this, got a start with Prime now. Want to go with them. They asked for my current long form and medical card, which I have and are valid, I currently am a CDL B holder driving Public transport.

Swift told me to go take a DOT physical and the pdf they sent shows a box unmarked that says "DOT Urine" and a Marked box that says "DOT hair". So KY understanding is it's a DOT physical, and a non DOT hair test that I have to submit too, and that's totally fine.

Current company I'm with says to not take my DOT physical, and keep my current DOT medical card that I got through them, until I leave them as my employer, I submitted a 2 weeks. Swift has not gotten back to me, im trying to tell the gal that my current employer said to wait for my physical, haven't heard anything. Not going to leave my current employer on bad terms. I didn't go to the physical and now I'm wondering if I made the right call. I don't want a refusal, either way I want to drive with Prime. Am I in a position to be stressed about a potential refusal? I'm still trying to call Swift and I had a start with Swift scheduled for after my start with prime, I wanted to make sure Prime is really a place to be. I don't know what to do and this woman at swift won't answer her phone, or email me back.