Swift School Diary (Memphis) Starting 11/2

DAYS 4, 5, AND 6

So it's been a few days since I last updated the journal. The main reason being that we started to study on the pre-trip inspection materials. So pretty much every night, the a couple other students and myself will have a study session in out conference room at the hotel. It becomes a lot easier to get a rhythm down once you know how to correct parts in a logical order (i.e. Air lines, brake chamber, slack adjuster/push rod, brake pad, brake drum).

So if I'm honest, I don't really 'feel' the intensity yet. I know I heard it from just about everyone. I know there are plenty of people in my class that are losing their minds because they either can't get down the pre-trip inspection, or they barely passed their second assessment of straight-line backing, or maybe they nearly destroyed a kingpin trying to learn how to drop-and-hook the other day.

Anyway, class is about to start, so this is a short journal entry today. People are starting to get annoyed with each other, everybody is sick with the same thing. I think we're just ready for this to be over. 2 more weeks to go though!

The range can be a beast, but with Kevin and Doug out there anyone can learn the basics.

DAY 7

So another day in the classroom, which I couldn't be happier about since it's the last chance to rest my legs before spending the rest of the week on the backing range. We learned about map reading and trip planning which we spent all day on, so it was pretty chill. I take back what I said about the Swift cafeteria actually, they know how to make a mean hot dog :)

Anyway, Day 8 is upon us. Probably learning some new backing skills today, so I'll be looking forward to going to bed early for sure.

So today was was all about that fun paperwork, oh joy. Apparently our class is a bit larger than usual. We had 45 or so students. I say "had" because 5 or 6 have already been sent home. It seems they all had the same problem, so be aware, if you get your physical done before coming, make sure on your card: 1. The section that says "Intrastate Only" is marked "no"; and 2. The section that says "CDL" is marked "yes"

I just looked at my card I recently got and the first "intrastate box is checked No but 2nd box CDL is checked no, can you confirm for me that for sure the cdl box should be checkedyes. Thanks anybody for your help.

Great information. I will be following this journal closely, since Swift is my first choice for cdl training, at this time.

You'll lose a few more over the next few days. In my class after the first day we still at two people that decided to leave on their own.

In your contract signing time, the instructor (is it still Tony? If so, compliment him on his flat-top if he had one.) will explain how the tuition builds over the course. First three days are $0, then it steps up over the next few weeks until you owe the entire tuition.

I just looked at my card I recently got and the first "intrastate box is checked No but 2nd box CDL is checked no, can you confirm for me that for sure the cdl box should be checkedyes. Thanks anybody for your help.

Yes, your CDL box does need to be marked "yes". However, for some people, they were able to allow those folks to take another physical at the academy here so they could get that changed. I'm not sure what would qualify someone for that though, so it would be best to ask your recruiter before going.

In your contract signing time, the instructor (is it still Tony? If so, compliment him on his flat-top if he had one.)

Yes, it is still Tony, haha. However, he is going on vacation next week, so it'll be Alvin for a little bit.

DAY 8

Ok, only got 15 minutes to write this one, so it's going to be quick.

So I'm starting to notice that morale is going down among our group. People are getting more irritable every day. Yesterday, we had our pre-trip inspection evaluation, and close to 50% of our class failed, including myself. I'm quite irritated by this because I looked at my academy catalog later on and it says you need to get 80% or better to pass the evaluation. I missed one point on a 32-point section of the inspection.

So beside that, quite a lot of our class is starting to feel hopeless about evaluating for our backing skills tomorrow. We have all day today to practice, but that doesn't really amount to much considering there are so many students that we still need 4 students to share every truck. I guess when it comes down to it, I suppose a lot of people just haven't learned to 'drive' the trailer. I feel pretty good about it, but I see a lot of my class going on academic probation next week.

Ah well, only a few more days til road training I guess.

Here's two things to remember:

Your Swift evaluations are way harder than the DOT ones. The Swift target boxes are smaller and no Get Out And Looks, the DOT test gives you (at least) one pull-up with a GOAL. When I took my DOT test, I felt like I was backing into a basketball court, not the tiny box.

The Art of Backing will be the most frustrating thing you do in the next four weeks. Do the best you can each time, don't get flustered.

Good luck.