Profile For Ricky A.

I know there is an organization for Christian truckers because of all the Christian chapels at the truck stops. But haven't the truckers who are atheists gotten together to form their own organization. This is a diverse career.

Just curious. What would this said organization get together and discuss? I am not trying to be a smart ass either. I myself am not religious, but would not consider myself atheist either.

I ask for home time and getting loads is like getting a death row pardon. I looked at load boards where they have one of those nifty maps of the country with color cordinated states to show freight loads per driver. All north west is like 4 to 5 loads. Some 3 to 4 and forida is like 0 to 1.

So i am driving down I80 just outside of chicago today trying to get to a truck stop for the night. There were a couple of cars that were in accidents along the way cause roads were icy. I am empty and tooling along at about 50 following a bobtail and i see a wedge car hauler coming up a on ramp. So i move over into a crappy lane so he can get in. Once in about half way down my trailer, i put my turn signal on to get back in and he just stays there. He will not back off. Cars lined up behind him and i. No choice now. I gotta speed up in an unsafe lane to get around bobtail so i can get back in my lane. I am out here driving for a company that gets no respect and i am trying very hard to be courteous and respectfull and these old fat ****s are making hard.

Larry and Bryan. I think you both nailed it. Thank you

I went to tdi. If you pay out right you can get a free "$1000 scholarship"

I had just come into michigan on I-69. At mile marker 5 i am in the slow lane which is not that bad, you can see good wet lines from all the traffic. I had good traction. A little mazda decides to pass me and the fast lane dont look so good. All slushy and such. So i back out a little bit so they can safely move around me. As i am watching them in the mirror, i see the frontend break loose and start coming for my truck. I grabed the wheel a little tighter cause i thought they were going under the trailer. I did not break my lane because i did not want to get out of what i knew was good traction. I felt the impact, truck stayed true and they spun around, bounced off my tandoms did some 360s and landed in the ditch behind me to my right. I continue to slow down and ease off the road and come to a stop. A couple of people pulled over and were with the car. So i call the police. Told them what happend. Also state that people were with the other car and if they needed medical, they could call. I wasnt walking a 1/4 mile back and risking myself to another car that may spin out. I get back in my truck and i am watching all these people that pulled over, there all pushing this persons car out of the ditch. Once out they drove right on by me and hauled ass. I called 911 again to let them know and told them to have the officer meet me at the rest area 1.5 miles away. He did, i showed him pic and he checked me out. Wrote a report and let me go. When i got out and looked, they actually hit the farring covering the left tank. Scratched and cracked it. See if you can reconize the state of the license plate. I can make out most of the #s but dont know what state. I am sure my company will figure it out but i am just curious.

I found out today that the above mentioned mentor did boot his student at a terminal for unsafe behaviour and he got another student then 2 days later they had stop in a terminal, removed his student and grounded him pending a investigation into racism. Oh boy.

So I knew Swift needed Mentors, but today I saw just how badly. A little background.

To be a Mentor, Swift requires you be with the company for at least 9 months and a clean driving record. They want to see if you can do the job before entrusting you with training a new driver. There is, however, a loop hope where you can train to be a mentor sooner than normal. If you are planning on teaming and want to train your partner they will wave the time requirement. Instead you have to get the recommendations from your Mentor, your Driver Leader, and the Fleet Manager. I got the approvals and took the training yesterday. Again, my standing as a Mentor is limited to just training my dad. So imagine my surprise when I get a call today saying they already had a student for me. I've been solo (and dispatched) for fewer than 90 days. They must be hard-up for trainers. Thankfully I had already been on the road for 5 hours and could just say, "already dispatched". And honestly, even if I had still been at the terminal I would have turned it down, even though the money is nice...I intend to train one person and that's it.

But other people should certainly consider being a Mentor. I lucked out and got a good one, but I've heard enough horror stories to know that more qualified drivers should stand up and volunteer to train the next batch of drivers.

I have a couple of those horror stories for ya. Lol. I can tell you this. There is no way in hell i would be a trainer. I know my limitations and haveing to train some of the morons there bringing in. No way. My buddy had a great mentor and i was talking him and he said he got up one night and his new student was texting, had both ear buds in and had a foot on the dash. That boy would have had his phone thrown out the window, got his ass kicked and dropped off on the side of the interstate. Just curious, what are they paying company drivers to train?

PS what do you think of all the safety messages trucktographer. "Well team, 6 people had accidents today. I am very dissapointed" well quit hiring morons. I could have sat in orientation and kicked out about 6 people after just observing them for 30 min.

Thank you for your input oldschool. It does help to know thats the way it rolls and its not just me. Lol. Again thank you for your time and input. Its much appreciated.

It was all going good till i hit ohio. I think they hired a bunch of monkey's up here as planners.