Weeks Away From Swift Training

Hey everyone just thought I'd come show my face and let you know my progress I am literally weeks away from going to Richmond,Va for Swift Training and I am super excited. Ever since I figured out that trucking was going to be my career of choice I haven't gotten much support in my immediate family because I'm a girl. I don't take time anymore to explain how much I am going to take care of myself and that I'm learning how to be a safe driver above all. On the plus side my significant other and my father both support my dream of becoming a truck driver. So at this moment I'm waiting for my birth certificate to come thru the mail and then set up my start for sure this time and then off to training I go. Anyone want to fill me in on some of the trainers in Richmond?

Hey everyone just thought I'd come show my face and let you know my progress I am literally weeks away from going to Richmond,Va for Swift Training and I am super excited. Ever since I figured out that trucking was going to be my career of choice I haven't gotten much support in my immediate family because I'm a girl. I don't take time anymore to explain how much I am going to take care of myself and that I'm learning how to be a safe driver above all. On the plus side my significant other and my father both support my dream of becoming a truck driver. So at this moment I'm waiting for my birth certificate to come thru the mail and then set up my start for sure this time and then off to training I go. Anyone want to fill me in on some of the trainers in Richmond?

Congratulations! I'm hoping to get into Swift myself, and I wanted to ask you how long it took for them to accept you to the academy. Is there a waiting period, or are they able to accommodate new students immediately?

It was pretty easy and quick. I did the online studying and quizzes got my permit and now I just gotta call my recruiter to set the date once I get my birth certificate. But they are very fast at responding to any inquiries.

Good to hear, thank you. :)

Never did the Richmond academy, did the Phoenix one. I believe all the schools run the same way, and it's fast paced. Day 1-3 is paperwork, and class room and then you start training in the truck with straight line backup, pre trip. You have to pass the back up to move forward.. They will remove you from program. They give you a day and half to practise. Just remember to do small movements with the steering wheel. After that you'll move onto shifting and skills. (Parallel parking, offset, more straight line ) 3rd week you start driving.

This was 2yrs ago when I went through them, it may have changed.

David

Ever since I figured out that trucking was going to be my career of choice I haven't gotten much support in my immediate family because I'm a girl.

Hey Eden, one of the things that really helps a truck driver is having a thick skin. Don't let this kind of stuff bother you. We've all experienced this no matter what our gender, but I realize you gals kind of get a double dose of it. I have some "white collar" type friends who thought I had lost my marbles when I decided to do this.

I'll go ahead and tell you, because you are gonna find out soon enough, that some of this treatment is understandable because we as truck drivers have not done a very good job of showing forth a good image to the general public. The media does us no favor either by running T.V. documentaries with outrageous titles like "Killer Trucks Gone Wild".

You seem like an intelligent, clean, respectable girl. We need more truck drivers just like you. If you can help us improve our image then I say more power to ya! Welcome to the fold, and I hope you do really well at this.