Profile For Quinton

Hi all been a long time since I've been here.......so here's the skinny......I started with Swift , left them went to JB Hunt , loved driving for them, missed my family so left them and went back to turning wenches.......now hoping to get on with Cardinal logistics (great wide) home daily ........I love driving but OTR is not for me due to my love for my wife and kids. Sorry about rambling on, does anyone know anything about Cardinal? Thanks in advance.

Thanks y'all, I do plan to keep my CDL and med card for no one knows what the future holds. And one day when the kids are grown I might just buy a truck and convert it into a homemade motorhome and take the wife to see the truly Majestic sights I have seen as a OTR truck driver. But until the may God bless you all. Be safe.

Hello all, First thank you all for the help along the way, I fully understood (or thought I did) what I was getting myself into. Make no mistake I absolutely love driving big rigs BUT I love my wife and kids more, with that being said I am giving up truck driving and going back to Master Fleet Services (the mechanic shop I used to work for) they made me an offer I could not refuse. Again thank you all. GOD bless and keep the dirty side down.

Well I can't get anyone at JB Hunt to tell me what to do in this situation..........But whatever I think they are scared to give the wrong answer. I gather responses like "Let me check on that" but no one has ever gotten back to me. I will let y'all know if they do.

So I asked my FM and he said "good question" but I haven't gotten a answer yet. I will ask again tomorrow. If he won't answer I will call corporate safety and see if they will answer.

Thanks for the replies y'all, I will talk to my FM and see what he recommends, I haven't had to deal with it yet but was just curious. Thanks again

I am sure this has been asked before but how does one clear the snow off a trailer? I know a few shipper's have a set up to do it but when they don't do you just say f#@_ it and roll?

Ok so I stayed at swift for 6+ months........ recently I found out the .38cpm I was told of while in training wasn't exactly what they had in mind, I was actually on a sliding pay scale,long story short JB Hunt contacted me and said no sliding pay scale, better home time and monthly performance bonus, Please NOTE I did not leave Swift on bad terms...I explained what was going on and left on good terms with a offer to rehire. I am not in any way bashing Swift, they are just not the right fit for me or my situation. I know newbies are supposed to put in a year before switching companies, but I have a family to support and will do whatever it takes to make sure that they have a roof over their heads, I was getting miles at swift but due to the sliding pay scale the pay just wasn't there, I have talked to JB hunt drivers and well I am going to give them a shot. Please I am open to all advise, thanks for listening.

Was just wondering is a portable a/c unit worth the money? Swift doesn't like when you idle but wants you to be comfortable. But if you idle to long you get a call from your DL saying "we need to work on idle" I can't sleep good if I am hot and sweaty. So I thought maybe a portable a/c could help. Thanks y'all

But where would you plug the portable unit in? Gonna use an inverter?

I drive for Swift. Before this sumer I had a Kenworth that had sleeper windows. I was OK with fresh air overnight. Now my Cascadia has a smaller sleep area, with no windows. There is no ventilation. That's what I tell my DM when she asks why my idle is over 50%.

I was just given a different Trk that has a inverter already in it. I do like the fresh air but like you said not much ventilation in freightshakers. I would rather have my previous one..... had a lot more power to pull hills this 2015 10sp sucks it has no power and is governed at 61mph

Was just wondering is a portable a/c unit worth the money? Swift doesn't like when you idle but wants you to be comfortable. But if you idle to long you get a call from your DL saying "we need to work on idle" I can't sleep good if I am hot and sweaty. So I thought maybe a portable a/c could help. Thanks y'all

Quinton has a blast:

I was told by my DL that if I wanted detonation pay I had to stay on duty the entire time.

"Detonation" sure beats waiting for two or more hours at a warehouse dock, I'll tell you!

I just had to repeat this!

I didn't even realize that auto correct did that bahaha bahaha

At swift they require.....30min pre trip and 15min Post trip......fueling is on duty, I was told by my DL that if I wanted detonation pay I had to stay on duty the entire time..........But if I did that I would not have any drive time left. So I check in bump dock send goal message and either put myself off duty or in the SB then when given the green light I put myself back on duty and get paper work........go to a TS or rest area back in the sleeper or off duty and wait for the next load

Congratulations Quinton! Best of luck as you begin the next phase of your journey.

Safe travels!

Congratulations, Quinton! Here, let me throw you some dancing bananas:

After a while, check with your DM. Swift does shuttles: you haul a trailer to a swap point about 200 miles away, trade trailers with another Swift driver then return home. Not a bad gig - I was getting about 2400 miles a week, and slept at home every day.

Cool thanks for the head's up on that.....I might ask my DM for info on that in a few months

How did you like the Richmond school? How many were in your class?

It was great. The instructors are good. But it's getting a good mentor, I would recommend their training program to anyone

Good deal man! Best of luck

Hey guys and gals, it's been awhile, I am now proud to finally be a rookie solo driver for SWIFT! Went to school in Richmond Virginia, 200 hours with the mentor, and now have been a rookie solo driver for a week.....I love doing this.......however I also love my family, with that said I do plan on giving the OTR up in a year or so and going local. So a big THANK YOU TO ALL ON TT!!!! And just fyi if I can't get a local gig in said year I will stay with SWIFT until one comes along.......I know SWIFT gets a bad rap but in my opinion they are a good company. Thanks again! Stay safe out there.

DAY 9) sight side off set

DAY 10) more sight side

DAY 11) blind side/sight side, actual on road training and start parallel sight/blind side now off 2 days. Monday starts the last week

Quinton, you're just listing backing exercises that give many people apoplexy. How are you doing with backing?

Sorry First we meet the instructor. Then 4 at a time we rode with the instructor to see how the maneuver is done correctly and then he showed us how to be aggressive but not over/under aggressive........he would say you have to "Grab the bull by the horns" after he was done with the pep talk one at a time, you straight line back hit the horn, pull back up straight and do your sight side off set, Now I recommend you don't be overconfident.......a person in my class was saying that " I won't have any trouble with this" even went as far as saying he could do it better than the instructor....ha you should have been there this person was all over the place.......our instructor said to let him know when you're done. But after that the 8 of us got it down good and went on to blind side off set. I did good......not perfect but good. On the road part we all did good according to our instructor, just listen to them do what they ask no worries if you want to do it your way they will let you. When you realize you need help they will ask are you done? Then once your ego is in check they will get you back on track. Now comes blind side parallel.......The instructor asked "Who has been doing the previous maneuvers best?" Everybody took a step back and pointed at me And with a evil smile the instructor said "Get in the truck" and do a blind side parallel.......with his help I did it So Monday I get to watch the others do it and learn from them.

DAY 9) sight side off set

DAY 10) more sight side

DAY 11) blind side/sight side, actual on road training and start parallel sight/blind side now off 2 days. Monday starts the last week

Thanks y'all! I have done the vise-grip hammer a few times throughout my time as a mechanic. I have those tools and see no reason to get a sta-rat. Y'all have satisfied my curiosity about it. I had just never heard about before. I did watch a video on it, but don't think it's worth having at this time. Might get one if I were to see one at a yard sale for $5 bucks