Swift Training

E.M. thanks so much for sharing your day to day "adventure". Posts such as this is so very helpful for those of "us" on the outside looking in.

I am one that is seriously considering applying to Swift, so it is so encouraging and refreshing to read of your experiences, (there is so much negative things to be found, not just with Swift but most companies on the net it gets frustrating and discouraging!) I really appreciate you taking the time to share "what it's really like".

My sincere CONGRATS on your swift (pun intended! ) learning the new "life style". Rooting for you!

God bless and be safe!

Week 3

Every morning we were on the range at 6am. In the dark. Started the truck and did in cab check. In reality we were trying to get warm. Once it was light we could move the trucks and would start our skills practice. Lots of practice on skills. Every morning we third weekers would go out on the road for driving practice. Our instructor tried to find more difficult routes each day. This was very good practice and here at school is the place to mess up as long as you learn from your mistakes. Pay attention and learn from others’ mistakes, too. Monday nobody could shift, we were all grinding gears. Each day we got better. By Thursday my classmate, Andy was so smooth I thought I was riding in an automatic. Really. Wednesday we both passed our driving test at school and Thursday we each drove for two hours. That afternoon we did one go round on the skills and we were done. They let us leave early on Thursday. I stayed one more night and left Friday morning. Feeling real good about my test. I’m scheduled for Monday at 9am near Harrisburg PA.

Week 4

I drive up to Lancaster PA Sunday night and check into motel. They are calling for snow in the morning. Hope it’s not much.

Monday morning Andy and I report to third party test site over 30 minutes early. Not anxious much, are we? Snow was falling but only a little sticking to the grass. As time went on it got worse. Andy is scheduled for 7am. By 7:30 the roads are covered and the testing has been canceled. Yuck! This is the view out the back window of my pickup.

So we head back to the motel to hang out until Tuesday. The tester rearranged their schedule so we could test the next day. Thank you, thank you. I took a nap since I hadn’t slept much the night before, nerves were getting to me. Later on I walked across the street and got a manicure.

Looks like a claw hand, doesn't it? I got a french manicure in gel. We'll see how long it lasts. It was still snowing.

Tuesday morning, fully rested we show up 30 minutes early again. Andy goes first. He passes. Hooray! Then it’s my turn. We walk around and point at (not touch) what I am checking. Do not raise the hood just list off what I would be looking at. Once I “check” one brake system on one wheel I don’t need to repeat it. So pre-trip went quickly. In-cab next. By the way when you’re going to check the air brakes be sure you have air supplied to the system. I got part way through the check and said to myself “something’s not right here”. I told the tester I was doing it wrong and she let me start over, said I caught it in time. Whew! Anyway after that was the driving part of the test. I hit every gear. I never forgot which gear I was in (kept repeating it in my head). Didn’t run over any curbs or cars or people. Was even able to hold a conversation with the tester while on the highway. Best of all I did not stall when reentering the test lot and that was upslope from a stop. Afterwards I called my instructor at Swift and said “I don’t know how to break this to you…” and he went oh no. Then I said I passed! He was very excited for me. I thanked him for taking me on those challenging drives. I was more than prepared for the tests.

So long story short, I PASSED!! I now have my CDL with all the endorsements. Wednesday I went to the port and picked up my TWIC card. I am ready to roll. Now I’m headed for 3 day orientation on Monday in Harrisburg PA. After that I will go out with my female mentor/trainer and learn about trucking in the real world. Right now I’m repacking my stuff to go on my mentor’s truck. Trying to keep it as light as possible and take up as little space as possible.

I have been having a blast this past month. I got up in the truck for my test and thought “This feels comfortable, sitting in this driver’s seat”. Thank you Brett for all the fore knowledge this site gave me. It really made all the difference.

FYI I’ll be 56 next month and I don’t feel old at all. I’m excited to be starting on another new adventure. Let’s roll!

Congrats!!!!! Good to hear from you, I was wondering how training was going for you! Good Luck on the road and be sure and keep us posted (so I will know what to expect) So very happy for you! Kathy

Congratulations E.M.! There's nothing like a french manicure in gel to calm those nerves down! Yes I know about such things with three daughters and a wife. But seriously, I am so proud of you! Way to go! I know you've learned so much lately, that you're not going to believe me when I tell you that the learning curve is about to really kick in.

Keep up the great job, and keep us posted, we love hearing from you!

...So long story short, I PASSED!! I now have my CDL....

CONGRATS EM!!!! Way to go!

Now the real learning starts! But, hey you've proven yourself capable... so you'll do just fine!

Keep us posted! And thanks for doing so!

Hey that is absolutely fantastic news! You have a CDL now and beautiful nails - it's every trucker's dream!

It's very exciting to hear things are going so well for you. It's so difficult getting that career underway and everyone faces a mountain of challenges along the way. You're handling things wonderfully and I look forward to hearing a lot of fun stories about your time with your mentor and your first solo runs!

Congrats!!!

I am actually in Phoenix, and I see a few SWIFT training trucks around. I should be getting my truck. My trainer says probably tomorrow.

Dave

Hey There Mom..(think that sounds better.. Sounds like you are doing really great. SOOO Happy you are doing well..it looks like it's gonna be Swift for me, too at this point...they're really the only company that is giving me anything like positive vibes..so, it looks like I'm gonna start around the beginning of August and go to their Texas campus. They test out in La., so that works out brilliantly for me, not having to transfer my license or anything..well, keep it up and keep on trucking..can't wait to hear more from you..

So, orientation was a three day overview of what was covered in the three week academy plus Qualcomm basics, HR, what the mechanic needs in any help message and another pee test. Experienced drivers applying had to do a road test to see if they could actually shift and drive. Since I had just come out of Swift's academy I was not required to do that. At the Jonestown terminal just north of Harrisburg PA you stay at a hotel just a couple blocks down the road that provides a decent breakfast and Swift fed us lunch each day. There's a Love's truck stop one block up from the hotel if you simply cannot wait to hang out at such places.

There were 26 of us in the class and Mr. Frank, the trainer said in six months there might be six of us still with Swift. We lost two the first day, one because of medical issues. The next day a few more were gone. Seems they really couldn't drive after all. Third day we lost more, mostly medical issues. BTW don't go celebrate too hardy when you pass your CDL test. We all had to do the pee test and alcohol in your system will fail you.

Below is just a few of the models Mr. Frank had around his desk in the corner of the orientation class room.

I was the first to get a mentor. Partly because I agreed to a male (seems there are very few female mentors) and because I had a Hazmat endorsement. I started that Wednesday night, right after orientaion was over. Russ drove from York PA to Lakewood NJ and I drove back. At night. In the rain. Through construction in the Jersey Turnpike. Talk about in at the deep end. After two hours of that I was exhausted. But after that nothing much fazes me. Russ has drives regional for a dedicated account, Church & Dwight, who make Arm & Hammer products. The Hazmat we have done is vats of liquid fragrance. The stuff that goes in dryer sheets and laundry detergent. It's alcohol based so it's flammable and if spilled could harm ground water.

I'm currently at 170 hours of the required 240 of BTW (behind the wheel) training. I'm still having a great time. It's harder than I thought but I'm so glad I took the leap. I'll be back to tell more about the driving. Til then keep 'em rolling and drive safe.

That was an AWESOME update, EM...and BTW, you're looking REALLY GOOD in the cab of that big Swifty..