Active Duty Looking Into Trucking Career

Hey, It just dawned on me. Old School is MY Allie Knight!........Take that Chickie!

Where OS's videos? Does he have an octopus tattoo or something?

@Tractor-man: Well said, sir!

Chris, if you notice, several people answer your comment/ question. Not just some Swifties. We are proud of what we're doing and we're all proud of our companies.

If you can get ahold of this attitude, you'll literally go far!

Welcome to the club.

What he said!

I am currently in training with Prime, the #2 most hated company out there. I have found that none of the negative crap I read about the company is true. And I'm sure the same is true of all of the other training companies. If you read the forums here you will find people from a lot of companies that are happy where they are. And what they all seem to have in common is that they bring a positive attitude with them when they get there.

I've said for a very long time: No matter where you go, there you are.

Good luck to you and I hope you can find a company to be happy with as well!

Where OS's videos? Does he have an octopus tattoo or something?

Videos? Hey......His name is Old School! The Man is a word smith. He paints a picture with the pen. As far as tattoos go, if he has any, I don't think an octopus would be on the list. I think a Harley Davidson tattoo would be much more likely!

Thanks for the info. I heard from a Covenant driver to avoid Swift like the plague. Is Swift really that bad? I've looked into Werner a lot so they are one that I'm interested in. I was also wondering about Roehl, Schneider, Wil-Trans , and TMC if anybody has any feedback. Also, some of the different types of pay are not taxable income correct?

Swift...the plague? Which one? Biblical or more recent, like Bubonic? Or maybe an epidemic, those should also be avoided. Such nonsense. Truck drivers are like a rabid Sports Fan, every team but theirs sucks.

I am into my fourth year with Swift. Many experiences, and most of it very good. By choice I stay and if at some point an amazing trucking opportunity comes along, I will have Swift to thank for enabling me to consider something like that.

This past Good Friday I managed to get a flat while making my last Walmart delivery. It was 3PM and most repair shops were closing for the holiday. I had family dinner plans that night. Long story short, one of the Swift DMs drove 1.5 hours south picked me up and drove me back to the DC where my car was parked. I was able to attend the event, most enjoyable. Next afternoon I retrieved the truck and drove it back to the DC. There is more to it, but I think you get the gist of my point. No one posts or talks about this sort of incredibly positive thing.

Like most things in life; you get out of it what you put into it.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.

We live in a VERY negative and harsh society today. Twitter, Facebook,etc. and Social Media in general, in my opinion, have contributed greatly to this. Also, the last couple of gererations of Parents, and Public Schools, I might add, have done a HORRIBLE job of teaching basic manners and respect to the younger generation. Not ALL, but many. We live in a very harsh society today, unfortunately. I refuse to participate. I seek out positive people and many seem to gravitate towards me as well. A positive attitude and respect for others will get you a long way in this world, particularly in this Business. Be safe out there!

We live in a VERY negative and harsh society today. Twitter, Facebook,etc. and Social Media in general, in my opinion, have contributed greatly to this. Also, the last couple of gererations of Parents, and Public Schools, I might add, have done a HORRIBLE job of teaching basic manners and respect to the younger generation. Not ALL, but many. We live in a very harsh society today, unfortunately. I refuse to participate. I seek out positive people and many seem to gravitate towards me as well. A positive attitude and respect for others will get you a long way in this world, particularly in this Business. Be safe out there!

...and my personal favorite? Political campaign ads. The bench mark for all things negative, both written and spoken. Is there any wonder? Nuff said.

Nuff said!

I want to add a bit more to this thread:

This morning I stopped at a rest area. Another Swift driver came up to me to ask a question. (Maybe I do have that professorial look.)

In more conversation, I find out he drive for Schneider for 12 years, so he knows the business. But last Wednesday (3 days ago) he had finished Swift orientation on the Carolinas somewhere.

He said, "Swift must really need drivers! Most of my class got their trucks that day, and we all hit the road! From the terminal Wednesday i was sent to Charlotte NC to get a load going to Tulsa, OK. And I have a preplan to take my next load through Michigan to Canada!

"I haven't even had a chance to get settled into my truck yet!"

So even a 12 year veteran driver is surprised by what Swift has to offer.

Wow, thanks for all the comments. My biggest concern so far was picking the wrong company. But looks like nothing to worry about so that definitely puts my mind at ease. I talked to a school this morning in OKC and will start working on getting set up for a class here soon. Hopefully I'll see you guys and gals on the road in a few months.

Good Luck Chris. If you aren't allergic to hard work and long hours, you'll do just fine!