My Swift Driving Academy Experience.
Topic 2452 | Page 3
Way to go Man! We're really proud of you!
I always tell people that now is when the real learning curve gets started. I think most people think I'm exaggerating, but they usually end up realizing that I was right. You've got a great chance before you now to build a rewarding career for yourself, keep up the hard work and you will soon be reaping the rewards for your efforts.
Congratulations!
Good job! Congrats, seems like the way you describe your school, you do so much more than us. I can upshift with no real problems but downshifting is hard for me. Take care and drive safe.
Yea
Now the fun begins - Best of Luck to you
Wow thank you so much Daniel. I never dreamed I could find a post like this, you did a truly amazing job on this post . I myself will be heading to Swift Academy Arizona after March of 2016 prior job commitments but still I am studying very hard on TT and plan to work just as hard as you did. As hard as one can. There were so many times during your post I laughed out loud pretty hard at times. it was very enjoyable and exactly what I needed .thank you Daniel and I hope things are going well hope one day we see each other out on the road. working for a great company like Swift.
Thanks for the info Daniel. All the instructors in Lewiston, ID are awesome. I went there & after doing 3 weeks, passed my Pre Trip, Skills, & Road test as of yesterday! Rob & Scott helped me with the driving part. Even went down "Oh Crap Hill" which is a 18% downgrade. Looking forward to starting my new career & journey on the highway :)
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Day 17. Final day Woo Hoo! After roll call Brandon and I went across the river to Clarkston, WA to the DMV and got our official CDL licences. I am now a professional truck driver and have the licence to prove it.
The rest of the day was long and time seemed to crawl along. I went over my pre-trip inspection 5 or 6 times then just sat in a truck until it was time to leave.
I came back to the hotel and packed my bags. I have my bus ticket home and leave tomorrow morning at 6:00.
If anyone who reads this is looking into getting into the truck driving industry and lives in Oregon, Idaho, or Washington, I would very much recommend coming to the Swift Driving Academy in Lewiston, ID. Yes it is fast paced, but the instructors know their jobs and are VERY good at them. 3 weeks ago I had sat in the passenger seat of an 18 wheeler twice in my life. Today I am confident that I can drive one safely. Do I have more to learn? Of course, I haven't even scratched the surface of what I will learn, but the instructors have given me a solid base to build upon, and I want to thank each and every one of them for what they have done for me.
This will be my last post on this thread. If you have any questions for me please PM me and I will answer. I will start a new thread when I start orientation.
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.