Profile For Daniel Johnson

How much training time did you have to put in? Are you slip seating? That's a great looking truck, will look great going down the highway!

Since I had 4 yrs prior flatbed experience and over a year with swift it was a 5 day class. New hires do a 2 day class, then 240 hrs with a flatbed specific mentor then 2 days training/testout. I'm solo and this is my truck, noone elses

Oh man I remember starting out with swift. Phoenix academy graduate. Company solo at .25 CPM. Yes it was rough at first, really rough. Guys there is light at the end though. I'm almost two years in now and I was just given the keys to a brand new 2014 Casciadia in flatbed division making .38 CPM now. Stick it out, work hard and learn learn learn. Good luck gentlemen and be safe out there

Done with my flatbed training thru Swift and I have been given a brand new truck! 2014 Cascadia with the plastic still on the seats. Can't wait to do some real truck driving now!

Here's a pic of my new baby...

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/DjJohnson6981/20130821_151413.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/DjJohnson6981/20130821_151335.jpg[/IMG]

I was in a similar situation, and I'll make my decision I made brief. I dropped electrical engineering career for truck driving. best move I ever made. But that was my life's decision, you'll have to make your own.

Swift does indeed have a flatbed division and they will train you. I'm in contact with my DM trying to gather information from the company side as well and what I need to do to get into the division. Still, the best info found is always from you guys here that have already been there done that. Thanks for the responses so far.

Anyone that might have an insight to swift flatbed division would greatly be appreciated too.

Thanks for your insights too old school. I never felt better about myself when I hauled for Leslies driving their flatbed ford. I like the hard work. I did my duties for them in the summer time too, I know what sweat and hard work is. Kinda getting excited just talking about it. Also, down the road in my career I'd like to think I might be able to get into doing heavy haul pulling a lowboy with some huge piece of equipment. I know having flatbed experience will be crucial to have under my belt. Besides, I think I've seen every town sized DC there is to see, I want something different. What are the shippers and receiver places you flatbed guys end up at? I'm sure they can probably be pretty unique sometimes.

I'm the skinny type already. This isn't some ploy to loose weight. I want to do something different and something more challenging. I do like a bit harder and physically demanding job than the sit all day and do nothing else, but nonetheless, I want to try it because I've done a little flatbedding before in a straight truck and liked it and now I think it's time to gain that experience in the big truck world. Thank you though, I'm sure someone else reading thinking flatbeds will make em skinny might have to rethink their strategy. Still before I change how I'm trucking, I am trying to acquire as much data as I can so I can at least say it was an educated decision when I pull the trigger and move up to my next chapter in my career.

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like fun! I'm young and active and honestly I'm getting tired of the close the doors and go mentality. I miss the exercise I used to get when I drove a wannabe truck. I'm looking for more action and physically demanding work. Waking up and driving for 11 hours and going back to sleep is just wearing away at me. Team lifestyle is not for me. I rarely make it out of the truck when we're on a cross country run.