Comments By Big T

Not sure. Freightliner is closed today so I won't hear anything until tomorrow.

That sounds MISERABLE! Any idea how long it's going to be down?

I woke up this morning sweating because my truck derated due to a DEF issue and a fuel pressure problem.

The temp was already in the 80s and quickly climbed. The temp inside the truck seemed to climb even quicker.

It ended up being 11 hours from the time I called break down until I ended up getting a tow.

Unless you were on the veteran program, which I have no knowledge on, it's 13 months.

They take out the cost of the school every week while also reimbursing half every week for the first 13 months. At the end of the 13 months you can walk away and owe nothing. You end up actually paying half the school in the first 13 months because of the reimbursement.

In my case they took $75 a week out, but reimbursed me $37.50 every week as well.

For months 14 to 26 they then pay you back the other half every week so that at the end of 26 months your school ends up being free.

My case again, they reimbursed me $37.50 a week until the end of month 26.

If you quit before the end of 13 months you're on the hook for the entire amount including what was reimbursed to you.

Best thing to do is look at your paperwork and to talk to Swift directly. If you have the ability I would try and go back to Swift and hit that 13 month mark.

Reality is any reputable company is a good company to go to regardless of adjective.

As OS mentioned you have to lobby for miles and prove yourself. Most companies give newer drivers these types of runs in order to keep from overwhelming them as they work on mastering their skills. Prove you don't need the time.

If I get a 300 miles run I'm going to get it done in five to six hours. I'm going to tell my DM, and then execute. If we can drop it or move the appointment up we will do so. I also have no problem contacting the customer directly and seeing if they will take it early. Worse thing they are going to say is no.

Keep doing that and if you don't see an improvement then you may have to go up in the chain of command. It is in no one's interest for a truck to sit. You're not making money, the company isn't making money, and the company may be losing money.

Great news. Best of luck to you.

I'm not exactly sure what "advice" you need Mike. You want to be a safe professional driver and you don't feel this outfit will give you the results. This company isn't for you then. Move on and quit wasting your time or theirs.

People are surprised to hear about outfits like this because in a heavy regulated industry and one that has seen rising insurance costs their path doesn't make sense.

The liability or personal injury lawyers will have a field day in court if you were to get into an accident and they found out you really didn't get any training.

Katie I am not sure this site will be of much use to you. The vast majority of users are company drivers so unless you are providing a truck to use it will be difficult to participate.

If this a major insurance company why not use actual customers? You could reach out to a few carriers and they could provide you with drivers and equipment. Just a thought.

Have you pulled a copy of your mvr?

No matter what kind of drug test a company does, if you have a medicine that requires a prescription you should bring the prescription with you.

I don't know anything about Titan, but it sounds like your question should be limited to will they take you and will they pay for living.

Teaming can be great, but it can also be a nightmare. Especially in a scenario where it is mandatory.

Keep your eyes and ears open for someone that runs, works, and lives like you do. A lot of times you will have one driver that busts butt and the other one barely gets by. Or you end up mismatched skill wise. Throw in a living area smaller than most people's bathrooms and it can get old quick.

I first started training drivers when I worked at CRST because I kept getting codrivers that couldn't read a map or back and I figured if I was going to essentially be training people anyways I might as well get some of the perks.

As a mentor with Swift I have been in a team setting for the last two years and it's burning me out. I'm almost done with number 22 and I think I will be taking a break from mentoring.

CRST is a decent company just make sure you understand what you are going to be dealing with before/ if you sign any contact.

As you have seen, they don't play around with there non compete clause.

Bubbles making it home in one piece is mainly on the driver. You are the one that is responsible for inspecting the vehicle and operating it safely. Swift's big thing is "Safe by Choice".

Sunday marked three years with Swift and in that time I have had one disagreement about safety. I "won" the argument and safety backed me up.

As far as May goes I have not met any unhappy May drivers.