Is It True:

With Swift, that the first few weeks are developmental? Easier runs that make it slightly smoother for the rookie.. As usual, thank you.

With Swift, that the first few weeks are developmental? Easier runs that make it slightly smoother for the rookie.. As usual, thank you.

Developmental? I would not call it that. It's a test really. While slowly moving into the flow of the loads and freight areas they are seeing if you can do your job and delivery on time. If right from the start you are always late then you will never get into the good miles and freight.

Swift doesn't have any policies for giving you easier runs to start. The only way that will happen is if your DL specifically watches what loads you are getting and tries to make it easy on you or a maybe if something comes in that your mentor isn't comfortable with you taking and he/she does it him/her self. DL's rarely plan loads, the planners do. And planners don't know anything about drivers. They basically have a load they need to dispatch and see a list of trucks in the area. I didn't notice anything different between the loads I got in training and the ones I got solo.

Well, except for two things: The very first load I got when I went solo was probably the worst one I got the whole time there. 3 stops, all awful places to back into. And then about 2 months after going solo I had to deliver into those caves in Independence, MO. The instructions specifically said, "DO NOT SEND INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS HERE!!!!!!!!" I was like, "Wow, 2 months solo makes me an experienced driver now, I guess."