Comments By MyNameGoesHere

Just a quick update. I'll go into more detail when I have more time. It's been a hectic go go go....sleep....go go go schedule. My driver number came in on Friday and my mentor was there in 2 hours. From there we left and have been on the move.

All is good and as soon as I have time I'll go into more detail.

Welcome to Swift! Congratulations. Safe travels.

Thanks

Just a quick update. I'll go into more detail when I have more time. It's been a hectic go go go....sleep....go go go schedule. My driver number came in on Friday and my mentor was there in 2 hours. From there we left and have been on the move.

All is good and as soon as I have time I'll go into more detail.

Just a quick update. Wasn't sure if I was going to post anything but, here I am. Still waiting on my driver number. Hopefully I will get it tomorrow.

We didn't have to go in quite so early today. Left the hotel around 8:30 and spent the whole day up at the terminal just waiting. Most of everyone left sometime today. Only around seven of us came back to the hotel. Some of the peeps either leave this evening or early in the morning. Of the seven, two of us don't have driver numbers. The other I believe will depart sometime tomorrow.

Fore now, just hanging out back at the hotel.

Until tomorrow.......

That's the go getter attitude to have. Don't think of it as testing, think of it as practicing. As for stalling, it happens. With practice it'll happen less and less. Keep up the good work.

Glad your ok down there and congrats on making it this far.

As for backing, this is just my opinion and what worked for me. You've got enough of the off-set down you can put that behind you and focus solely on parallel. Off-set is just parallel on easy mode. If following your reference points, it's as simple as paint by numbers. Just make sure you take your time and stop at each change in direction of your steer tires. Just make sure you take your time and listen to your instructors. Use your get out and looks. Get at as many times as you need to while in class. Lastly, relax, have fun and don't OVER think it. Laugh at each cone hit like it's a comedy of the new person who just got something with his (or her) car. Helps bring humor to relax while keeping a constant reminder that could have been an actual car.

Best Wishes and I'm sure you'll do fine.

They really cram a ton of information in a short period of time. Orientation could be a week, and there still would be information over load.

Just wait until tomorrow. It's like when you put stuff off until last minute and you rush to finish it right on time. That's what it's like.

As far as feeling like you made the right choice. I agree completely. Could be brain washed to think that (haha) but I definitely agree.

Orientation Day 3

Started the day short one guy. He had personal stuff come up (from what I hear) and had to go. We lost one more later in the day, an experienced driver. Not sure the reason, not my business.

We started the day on safe driving. Took a good chunk of the morning. Then more e-paperwork. We then were visited by our development coordinator (I think that was her title). She went over the details of the mentorship. After she finished then it was mote policy and apps and other miscellaneous things. A visit from the fleet manager and then a shop guy. Then trip planning then charity donations. It was pretty much back to back information and a lot of it. End of the day we were given our comdata cards and our medical stuff back.

Four of us are still waiting on our driver codes. Yes, I am one of them. One guy leaves tonight and another was supposed to leave first thing tomorrow but his driver code isn't in so he won't be leaving. Two of the guys had their locations moved to Illinois since they will be reefer and apparently Edwardsville doesn't have reefer, apparently.

End of the day, those of us who were still waiting went back to the hotel. We will return tomorrow @ 9, leaving here @ 8:30. Those who won't leave until Friday will just hang out at the hotel. Currently, I'm just mentally exhausted and just ready to get rolling and get my 200 hours done.

Until tomorrow....

Orientation Day 2

Let's see, today I went and ordered a made to order omelet. It was delicious.

Class started off with some Swift history. Which, I must say was pretty cool. Mostly about the founder and the beginning of the company. I won't go into detail, mostly because the information is swirling in my head and needs more time to process. Also, either Swifties will either have seen it or know it or future Swifties will see it and know it. Anyone else can Google it.

After that, more paperwork (all computer based).

Then on to more HOS. More log books. Pretty much a repeat of everything gone over in the swift academy only drawn out as much as possible. There are C1 students in orientation so I'm not sure how much they were taught. There was information gone over about elogs on the Qualcomm, so there's that.

There may have been a couple more small things in there but it was kind of a busy full of information kind of day.

After lunch, we went over a bunch of small things. I really don't remember every little thing off the top of my head. It was mostly Swift driver website stuff. Some over the comdata card, how to set up direct deposit, Swift store, training something or another center thing. Some Swift policy things. Benefits.

Sorry, so much little stuff my brain hasn't had time to fully sort it.

Final thing of the day was over appropriate behavior. Not sure what was worse, the inappropriate behavior acted out or the terrible acting from Swift HR. It did have it's entertaining moments.

One final note, seems no more people have been sent home or went home.

Until tomorrow.....

Congratulations, Mynamegoeshere, on getting your cdl A.

Thanks

I think the woman instructor from the DMV shouldn't be there teaching. It's unfortunate that you had her. Shoot, I want instructors who have 15 to 20 years experience, and know everything, at least, most everything.

Truth be told, the only reason I said as much as I did about her was so that people would know what to expect. I could keep going. I don't, however, wish to get it in people's heads to not listen to her. She is an instructor and does have knowledge of things. She's got the years of experience but, I think it's also been years since. She's old and her husband passed away a few months prior. There also used to be two other instructors but one was let go and the other quit. So she was kind of thrown into all the extra stuff.

PS oh yeh, about the floating gears. I didn't mean to start a conversation about it or wasn't serious about it in any way. It's really just up to the company, what they want, and what you are comfortable with. Me personally, I hated floating gears, but when you're out there for hours upon end driving you tend to think, ' hmm, I wonder how difficult it is to float gears ', so you try. The company I worked for didn't really like us doing it, and I had no real complaint. Even though, after I'd learned that I could float gears, I would catch myself doing it. I really prefer double clutching to tell you the truth.

Anyway, be good....

I think there's a benefit to floating, since you are using clutch less you are prolonging the life of the clutch pads. Downside, if you don't do it correctly you eat gears. One is more costly than the other which is why I think some companies don't like it. Practice makes perfect though.

Orientation Day 1

Finally a different breakfast. Something other than biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs. They have an all american breakfast setup and a room right next to it for made to order omelets.

Now off to the shuttle. Room for 14 passengers. Enough room to feel like we are crammed in like sardines. 14 passengers in, still more waiting to pile in. Haha. They made it somehow, not sure how but, they made it.

Orientation is upstairs. 14 ish of us standing in the front area not sure where to go for a few minutes when someone ask where we go. Upstairs. Once upstairs there are signs directing you. Check in while entering the room and find your seat with your name tag (just a table display type name tag). 26 people expected. 21 show up. Most are Swift students from other areas and the rest are existing CDL holders.

Introductions start (I really hate this part). Medical card and long form are collected. Then on to some videos. During which the existing CDL holders begin slowly sent out for their road evals and others sent back in groups for the wiz quiz. The first half of the day is pretty much that. Replaying the videos for those who missed and one bit about Reefers. It was short and to the point and there were only 6 videos. I don't remember exactly what they were, but they were important, ish. Haha. Basic stuff really. Not to terrible for a single sit through. Rough to have to sit through it all multiple times. Somewhere in there you'll sign off on some forms (all paperless, you can either do it on your phone or on the computers in the back, most of us used our phones).

After lunch (lunches a free and provided by swift, you'll get a coupon to take to the food court thing for one free lunch each day of orientation), we then finished catching the last of the people up on the videos. By now we lost 4 people. Down to 17. There are some who need to get their physicals done, they were lacking long forms and just had to redo it. They were sent off for that and the rest of us went on to safety. After safety, we went over hazmat. Those took the rest of the day and those parts helped the rest of the day go by pretty quickly.

Excitedly, one of the lost was my roommate, regretfully, he'll be here until tomorrow. Oh well. Not sure why he didn't make it. Sucks he made the trip and didn't get the job. FYI, he is one of the already has a CDL peoples. Tomorrow should be a little more productive. Those few who had to redo their DOT physicals will have to take short lunches to catch up on what they missed today, over the next couple of days.

Until tomorrow....