Just Got Hired By Swift!

An adventure for sure!!

I do not have my CDL yet either, but the cost of their school versus going to a private school is nearly 2k more ( I assume that is because of lodging) and I am curious to know if it is worth it with them taking it out of your salary over the next year. Especially since pay is already so low the first year. Our next CDL classes locally do not start til January 2015, and it may be worth it if I want to go ahead and get started. I have also heard of horror stories with OTR trainers (and dispatchers) and am anxious to hear of your experience in the weeks and months ahead.

BTW, Swift also has a terminal in Greer, SC which is only about 30 minutes from where I live which would be nice for me. :)

Good luck buddy!

Hey, go give Swift a call and fill out the application! What've you got to lose?

There are three things really that make me wonder if I am cut out for this.

1. Backing up in extremely tight spaces like some of the youtube videos I have seen. 2. Driving in New York City 3. Driving in extreme weather and being forced to do so.

Other than that, I think I would love the job.

Still on the fence.

There are three things really that make me wonder if I am cut out for this.

1. Backing up in extremely tight spaces like some of the youtube videos I have seen. 2. Driving in New York City 3. Driving in extreme weather and being forced to do so.

Other than that, I think I would love the job.

Still on the fence.

I believe with Swift you can tell them no NYC. I would because driving a four wheeler in NYC is stressful let alone an 18 wheeler. I'm also a little concerned about space management and driving in bad weather but safety is first and foremost. If it's blizzard conditions and you can reasonably tell your DM that it isn't safe to drive, I believe they will side with you.

I hear some companies are better than others. I would guess it is mostly up to the dispatchers personality.

Have you seen these guys on YouTube? They inspire me. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrjnrsIq7vehPaVKkDWyjKg

There are three things really that make me wonder if I am cut out for this.

1. Backing up in extremely tight spaces like some of the youtube videos I have seen. 2. Driving in New York City 3. Driving in extreme weather and being forced to do so.

Other than that, I think I would love the job.

Still on the fence.

Hey, man! Congrats on moving forward, whatever direction you choose. Spending most of my adult life in retail management, and about a year longer as a programmer, I can tell you that I am no stranger to changing careers, it sucks, but it is very exciting as well.

No one likes backing up into tight spaces. Backing is one of those things you just get better at with experience. A good trainer can go a long way in that regard. The school will get you skilled enough to get your CDL , at least, more if you're lucky, but the trainer is the one that is supposed to spend the one on one time with you to work out the kinks and teach some techniques. Trust me, I feel ya, it's taken me 2 years to get where I am teaching myself to back, and I still get nervous backing into some spots in truck stops. The key is to just take your time, pull up as much as you have to, get out and look, and don't hit anything. Other drivers may stare at you, but they'd rather you take the time you need than hit their truck.

I have been to New York once, and New Jersey. No, it's not fun. But, by the time you have to go there, you'll either have a trainer with you to help you out, or you will be able to take your time and not get too frazzled. And, some companies do let you refuse loads there, and a lot of those companies will pay more to drivers that will go. Trip planning goes a long way. Call ahead and get directions before you're in a situation that leaves you stumped.

Extreme weather. Slow and easy. If you feel it is not safe to drive, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Find a safe location to shut down, and let the dispatcher know it's not safe to drive and you're shutting down until you feel it's safe to continue. Driving in it can be a challenge, but you are NEVER FORCED to drive your truck if you feel it or the conditions make it unsafe.

Hope that helps some.

Thank you for your reassurances, ButtonUp. I have to give you kudos for surviving retail management .... I think that career would drive me to drink. I think I'll just let other truckers stare at me if I have difficulty because, after all, they were new once too. I was reviewing the mountains driving section of the High Road Trucking Program and it got me a little nervous - especially about gear selection. I suppose it's just going to be one of those things that I'll have to learn. Have you ever had to use a runaway ramp?

It's also nice to hear that there are a lot of other ex-IT truck drivers out there. For a while, I struggled with giving up a devil I know (and hate) but the misery factor finally tipped the decision-making scales. That and no more girlfriend :-D

Oh and a big shoutout to Brett's training material! I love the way the tests are structured to repeatedly reinforce all of the critical concepts needed to pass the exam and more. Definitely feeling like the first time will be the charm on the written.

Oh and a big shoutout to Brett's training material! I love the way the tests are structured to repeatedly reinforce all of the critical concepts needed to pass the exam and more. Definitely feeling like the first time will be the charm on the written.

Indeed, this site has awesome resources!

Heck no, I've never used a runaway ramp! On steep grades, I slow down and get it in a lower gear early, and manage the brakes just like I was taught in school. Using them as lightly as possible slowing 5mph below the desired speed, then I repeat the process when I get to that speed, or a little above it, depending on how steep the grade is, and how heavy I am. Also, I use the engine brake a lot anyway, so I definitely have it on going down a grade. Also, staying in gear and not trying to shift while going down is good advice since you can miss the gear and then you're in a tough situation, although I will admit I have gone ahead and dropped a gear before, when I felt it was safe to do so, but that wasn't very smart.

I will share something with you I don't think I've ever told anyone. I was coming out of Seattle, WA with a heavy load of apples when I was a student with my first trainer. Going up a steep grade. I downshifted from high gear, one at a time, and when I went to downshift into 5th (on a 9 speed), I couldn't get it in gear! I had to stop, set the brakes, put it in low, and start the process again, eventually going up the hill in 4th. The lesson I learned was, I should have got it in the proper gear and left it there sooner. One other time this happened in a different truck with my second trainer, but I was on a narrow winding road in Ohio that was heavily wooded at night, and I couldn't tell the road was going to get so steep so quickly, and there were no signs. Luckily there wasn't any traffic behind me on either of these occasions. But, lesson learned, it's never happened since, and it's been over 2 years. Of course, with experience my shifting has gotten a lot better than when I was a student.

Management sucked, but it was a job when I needed one. I also learned a lot about dealing with people, which has helped me tremendously in trucking! I miss programming, my first true passion, but... what are you going to do, it doesn't pay what it used to, and the jobs are all being outsourced, or at least the ones that aren't there's a lot of competition for, and I am over 5 years behind the times, although once a programmer, always a programmer, IMHO.

But, what read blooded American male doesn't want to drive trucks!? lol

That makes three IT guys here...well sorta...my specialty is online marketing, but I have years of IT experience. No girlfriend either. :)

Thanks for the encouragement ButtonUp. You read my mind, as I can imagine pulling in late one night to find the last TIGHT spot to park, and I am out of hours to go anywhere else. Good lord! What now? It certainly challenges my mind. Also, the imagines tress of being in a tight spot backing in with traffic waiting on me to get the job done and I'm having a tough time taking it to the end. HAHA! These are the things going through my head and I get stressed just thinking about it. I know experience is the key, and I guess if I want to do this I just have to dive in. Matt has encouraged me to get started and I suppose I will at least be going to school in January. There is an orientation next month I plan to attend.

I too read the article about the runaway stuff Matt, and it is scary as hell. What is there isn't a run away ramp is what I am thinking. We have a mountain hill where I live near Asheville, NC on I-26 which is frightening to me even in a car. No ramps either.

I'm getting towards the end of the High Road Training Program and for some odd reason I'm really struggling with fuel weight management. My numbers are never coming out right and I think it might be a little bit of a comprehension problem. May I have a few more examples?