Hey Folks, It's Been A While!
Topic 22345 | Page 1
Awesome update T-Rex. You have leveraged the heart of what makes Swift such a an excellent option for drivers. Almost an infinite number of opportunities for someone willing to put forth effort and conduct their business Professionally.
Anyone considering Swift or just kick in' tires should take the time to read this post.
Patience, proactive communication and an ability to roll with the punches. All part of what it takes to be successful.
I enjoy reading posts like this. Great job!
Good to see you're making it happen there with Swift and good to see you're return to posting. Good luck to you for further success!
Hey, glad to hear from you and really glad to hear things are going well. I had a local job once hauling auto parts out of Ontario back to Buffalo, two loads each night. I was home every night. The job was super easy, but super boring and I didn't like running nights all the time. The days were also super long. It was like 14 - 15 hours from the time I left my house until I got home after my shift. So all I could do is eat, shower, do a few chores, and go to bed anyhow. What was the point in that?
So I'm not a fan of local work like that but it's great that you're getting home to your family on weekends. I didn't have anyone to get back home to so I enjoyed life on the road a lot more.
When you went to upgrade after the 200. What were you tested on? Pre trip?
Just checking in, I haven't been around in a while. About 6 months in here at Swift and things are going well. I want to thank you all here at trucking truth. This site and this collection of awesome people played a huge part in me getting this career off of the ground. Trucking truth rocks!
So like I said, I'm about 6 months in and things are good. I bounced around a bit trying to find an account that worked for me and it's awesome that there is that opportunity at Swift. Started OTR obviously. Did Target for like a week around Christmas helping out with "surge", but decided once the snow started to fall that I'd rather not have to fight the clock to make multiple stops a day AND the weather lol. So I briefly went back to OTR and then asked about the automotive account out of my home terminal. Ran that for a couple months.
As fate would have it my DM ended up getting fired and I happened to end up with the one that runs the Canadian fleet out of New Boston, MI. I asked her about it one day and it turned out she was desperate for capable drivers so I told her I'd give it a shot. It all worked out because I really like this account. Michigan to Ontario everyday, mostly short haul, about 250 miles each way give or take. (Sliding pay scale here so I get more per mile) I get a bonus for border crossing everyday and I get to get home to the wife and kids every weekend for a reset.
Hope all is well around here and again I just wanted to stop by and say thanks!
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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.
That's awesome!
Glad to hear you're doing so well at Swift, T-Rex! Enjoy that Canadian account :-)
Thanks for the update. I love hearing about people's success stories. Keep up the great work.
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Just checking in, I haven't been around in a while. About 6 months in here at Swift and things are going well. I want to thank you all here at trucking truth. This site and this collection of awesome people played a huge part in me getting this career off of the ground. Trucking truth rocks!
So like I said, I'm about 6 months in and things are good. I bounced around a bit trying to find an account that worked for me and it's awesome that there is that opportunity at Swift. Started OTR obviously. Did Target for like a week around Christmas helping out with "surge", but decided once the snow started to fall that I'd rather not have to fight the clock to make multiple stops a day AND the weather lol. So I briefly went back to OTR and then asked about the automotive account out of my home terminal. Ran that for a couple months.
As fate would have it my DM ended up getting fired and I happened to end up with the one that runs the Canadian fleet out of New Boston, MI. I asked her about it one day and it turned out she was desperate for capable drivers so I told her I'd give it a shot. It all worked out because I really like this account. Michigan to Ontario everyday, mostly short haul, about 250 miles each way give or take. (Sliding pay scale here so I get more per mile) I get a bonus for border crossing everyday and I get to get home to the wife and kids every weekend for a reset.
Hope all is well around here and again I just wanted to stop by and say thanks!
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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.