Not So Clean Record

So, I drive for swift. I have 1 ticket for following to closely a few years ago in a car, I also have a ticket for an improper turn which resulted in an accident in a parking lot. I was doing waart dedicated, went to pull into a walmart, girl was texting and drove into my reefer tank. Walmart denied any camera footage even though a camera was aimed right at me. Needless to say I lost the court battle. She was crying at the scene and playing victim. I'm trying to find a company that with hire me with that record, and 6 months experience. I can't stand swift anymore, I can't even hit my brake pedal without them calling it a critical event and threatening to terminate me over it, or overspeed violations for letting my truck coast to 70 in a 75 zone. Its a joke.

Oh boy. I don't think your going to like what people say about this post.

Umm, sure.

Z is P.O.'d:

I can't even hit my brake pedal without them calling it a critical event and threatening to terminate me over it, or overspeed violations for letting my truck coast to 70 in a 75 zone. Its a joke.

I can't speak about your W/M incident, but I have experienced the tattle tale of the driver cam - the one they don't talk about to much. The issue is there in the paperwork you get, including being distracted by your cell phone.

I've been written up for 55 in a 45 zone. The camera records you "speeding", and pinpoints the location. For me the location was a 2 lane country road, miles of curvy & straight through the Alabama forests. Some of it was actually marked as 55.

True, my DM did find a 45 mph sign I should have seen - a few miles back, half covered in bushes, but still it was there.

My solution: any time I'm in doubt of the speed limit on those back roads, it's 45. Regardless of the log trucks lined up behind me. I'd rather take the time than be booted out with a " speeder" mark on my record.

Z, I was just looking through your comment history a little bit and I think it's safe to say you're quite a bit less than pleased with a lot of things in life and in trucking these days, wouldn't you agree?

Not only that, but the incidents you mentioned just now are not even the entire list it seems.

Friend, I'm gonna be perfectly honest. You are your own worst enemy right now. You're just miserable. You're driving recklessly, you're impatient with everyone and everything - you're just in a bad place right now and by that I mean in your mind, not at Swift.

So yeah, you need a change, that's for sure. But changing companies isn't going to solve your real problems and I think you know that. I don't know you so I don't know what those problems may be and I don't need to know. What I do know is that you're not going to change companies and find happiness. The company you work for has nothing to do with it. Every company has its good and bad.

Z, I was just looking through your comment history a little bit and I think it's safe to say you're quite a bit less than pleased with a lot of things in life and in trucking these days, wouldn't you agree?

Not only that, but the incidents you mentioned just now are not even the entire list it seems.

Friend, I'm gonna be perfectly honest. You are your own worst enemy right now. You're just miserable. You're driving recklessly, you're impatient with everyone and everything - you're just in a bad place right now and by that I mean in your mind, not at Swift.

So yeah, you need a change, that's for sure. But changing companies isn't going to solve your real problems and I think you know that. I don't know you so I don't know what those problems may be and I don't need to know. What I do know is that you're not going to change companies and find happiness. The company you work for has nothing to do with it. Every company has its good and bad.

one thing I have learned and it's not a bad thing is if you complain a lot on here someone is going to call you out on it. I guess that's why it's called trucking truth.

I can't stand swift anymore, I can't even hit my brake pedal without them calling it a critical event and threatening to terminate me over it, or overspeed violations for letting my truck coast to 70 in a 75 zone. Its a joke.

Z looks like you're having some problems. I drive for swift sense they got central refrigerated 2 years ago. So I know something about there policy on critical events and speeding. I will address those to things.

As for Wal-Mart I was not there so I can't comment on that. Critical event will braking. Happens when you hit the brake petal so hard that your deceleration is at least 9 mph, per second. That's pretty fast stop if you ask me, i have done a few of them in my time. Some of it my fault some of it not.

Secondly over speed, company trucks last time I checked could not go above 68 mph, so buy you letting the truck cost up to 70, regardless of the posted speed limit you violated to company policy. There is a reason this existed insurance companies says that what they want trucks to drive at.

The second reason you should not go that fast is The tires on swift trucks are not rated to go 70 to 75 mph. Last time I looked they were rated at 65 mph. Might have changed, I just don't go there anymore. All problems can be checked by the maintenance at swift if you think something is wrong.

I would suggest changing your driving habits, and things might improve for you. One last thing is I have never been threatens by swift They tell you what you did wrong and what the consequences are. I don't think that's a threat I look at it this way I am playing in there sand box I have to play by there rules.

I can't stand swift anymore, I can't even hit my brake pedal without them calling it a critical event and threatening to terminate me over it, or overspeed violations for letting my truck coast to 70 in a 75 zone. Its a joke.

Z looks like you're having some problems. I drive for swift sense they got central refrigerated 2 years ago. So I know something about there policy on critical events and speeding. I will address those to things.

As for Wal-Mart I was not there so I can't comment on that. Critical event will braking. Happens when you hit the brake petal so hard that your deceleration is at least 9 mph, per second. That's pretty fast stop if you ask me, i have done a few of them in my time. Some of it my fault some of it not.

Secondly over speed, company trucks last time I checked could not go above 68 mph, so buy you letting the truck cost up to 70, regardless of the posted speed limit you violated to company policy. There is a reason this existed insurance companies says that what they want trucks to drive at.

The second reason you should not go that fast is The tires on swift trucks are not rated to go 70 to 75 mph. Last time I looked they were rated at 65 mph. Might have changed, I just don't go there anymore. All problems can be checked by the maintenance at swift if you think something is wrong.

I would suggest changing your driving habits, and things might improve for you. One last thing is I have never been threatens by swift They tell you what you did wrong and what the consequences are. I don't think that's a threat I look at it this way I am playing in there sand box I have to play by there rules.

Totally agree with what MPW (ok if I call you that?) and the others wrote. Z, I think you get the gist of the group's stance on your complaints. Take the name "Swift" out of your post and replace it with any number of other carriers and nothing really changes. It's on you...not Swift.

I work for Swift and the number one thing I can share is they are always fair. They make it very crystal clear what their expectations are of their drivers and they constantly reinforce it. I run Walmart and can attest that you must at all times anticipate what a 4-wheeler in the parking lot will do and pedestrians pushing shopping carts filled with little beings called children. They run stop signs, drive behind us when backing to the dock (a police car actually did this to me once), walk in front of us, and basically ignore the presence of a large mass of vehicle, assuming at all times "they have the right of way". As truck drivers in that sort of situation we must consider that we are virtually invisible to them and we drive the world's largest "idiot magnet". Simply put, we must watch out for them.

I want to believe what you say, but I think there are a few pieces of the story missing. Just maybe...

If you want to stay in trucking...start applying with this link:

Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

I would urge you to really look within yourself before doing so, cause unless something changes with your approach to this, the same scenario will be played out.

G town MPW is fine.