Swift Orientation, Memphis, TN

Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge, LA - what's wrong with that? THE WAREHOUSE WAS CLOSED/NOT RECEIVING BECAUSE IT'S MARDI GRAS!! That's right. We pulled in to the warehouse parking, went to the office door, and it was locked. No one else around to ask. We called the phone number on our paperwork, a lady did answer. "Today is Mardi Gras and the office is closed."

We had arrived at the appointment time (we had double checked the papers), and now we had a full trailer but nowhere to leave it. Called our dispatcher. At first he couldn't believe it himself. Then he gave us an address for a drop yard. We would leave the trailer there, go pick up another empty then continue our route.

Fine and dandy. We drive 42 miles to the address. The drop yard was actually a small terminal operation for another trucking company. (They were open on Mardi Gras.) "No we do not accept trailers to be dropped anymore."

(You can imagine we are getting behind our schedule that finally ends in Little Rock Wednesday morning.) Another dispatcher call. "Oh. I had an old address. Here's the correct one". Three miles away, a fenced area with a locked gate. We saw several trailers inside, some were Swift trailers. Another phone call. Got a combination for the padlock on the gate. Unhooked, then bobtailed to a trailer repair shop where Swift had some trailers. We took the only one available.

On to our next assignment, running 4 hours late. This is a paper company just north of B. Rouge. Paper companies like to check incoming trailers for leaks. (What can you do with a truckload of wet paper maché?) The back door on our trailer would not seal. (Closes/locks but from the inside you can see out along the top where rain can come in.)

Talk about behind schedule! Our first appointment (the Mardi Gras warehouse) was 9am. But driving 42 miles out and back, plus filling around in drop yards made it 3:30 pm. This is the load going from Zachary, LA to Little Rock, AR.

A quick review: Mardi Gras meant no delivery in the morning. Take the trailer to a drop yard 42 miles away, get another trailer. Drive back to next stop. Next stop rejects this trailer - leaky. We are about 5 hours behind schedule.

(I'm going to post this then continue)

So for our second stop of the day we were frustrated again, not to speak of being 5 hours late. We took the rejected trailer back to the repair shop, who should have repaired the rear seal, and asked them to repair the rear seal.

Turns out this wasn't so simple as replacing a rubber gasket. The door needed to be re-aligned. (Aren't we late already?) A grinder and a welding torch got involved - 10 feet up a ladder at the top of the truck door. 1-1/2 hours later, the shipper accepted the repaired door. By now it's late evening, so late it ain't even funny.

Drop the empty, hook our assigned loaded trailer, finally headed for Little Rock. I drove almost three hours then ran out of time about midnight. Carlos took over.

In the morning we rolled into a town almost locked up because of about 1-1/2" of show & icy roads. We made our delivery. Slippery roads everywhere. (Little Rock has many hills.) Police have closed some roads because of ice or steepness.

I have about 9 hours of driving to do then I'll be done with this training. I hope I can get it in today.

Appreciate your time. Wow one more day 9 hours. One more tiny hurdle.

Appreciate your time. Wow one more day 9 hours. One more tiny hurdle.

How did you fair with eating well? Food storage,laundry,showers? Anything you didn't have that you wished you did? I have a Rand 720 and a kindle I would like to bring. Basic phone and phone plan right now. I think my next major purchase should be a much better phone and plan for wi fi and such. I also have a large Atlas, i won't bring that til i am solo. Are you using google earth and maps quite often? What are you using for keeping up with the weather? Just a few questions lol. I am sure I will have a much better idea shortly. Be safe.

How did you fair with eating well? Food storage,laundry,showers? Anything you didn't have that you wished you did? I have a Rand 720 and a kindle I would like to bring. Basic phone and phone plan right now. I think my next major purchase should be a much better phone and plan for wi fi and such. I also have a large Atlas, i won't bring that til i am solo. Are you using google earth and maps quite often? What are you using for keeping up with the weather? Just a few questions lol. I am sure I will have a much better idea shortly. Be safe.

Mikki, I'm going to copy/paste these questions on the main Diaries category since these aren't exactly my diary stuff.

Days and nights get blended when it's Team Style. The truck isn't going to stop for the 10 hour break, One of us gets the sleeper while the other drives. Then we switch.

Anyway ... From snowy Little Rock, our next trip was from Crossett, AR to Waxahatchie, TX, south of Dallas. This trip runs us into the night. Carlos did the honors at Waxie starting around 11pm. Problem here is, even backed into the receiving door, and even with a phone call, we sat there for three hours, till around 2am. Two other trucks had bulled up, waiting in line for us. Waiting in a sort of stuporous daze (nothing to do or even watch!) is boring!! Without warning, though, our trailer had begun to shake! The forklift was inside! Yay! Finally back onto the road, now heading back to Crossett.

Got to the Crossett facility, Carlos dropped the empty and got the load. My turn! I still had those last nine hours, and now was the time to burn them. This load went to a Wall Mart DC in New Albany, MS (close to Memphis, very close!) I drove all afternoon, arriving at the DC around 4pm.

One thing good about Walmart - their distribution centers are all about efficiency. Guard Shack: "Drop the delivery in section N, get an empty on the other side of the building. Get your papers from the Driver's Office.." Dropped in N, got our Swift empty, got papers from the Office. Boo-Yah! on the road for Memphis!

Arrived in Memphis around 7pm. Texted my wife I'd be home by 8. It will be good to be home finally. Said thank you and good by to my new friend Carlos - "we'll be in touch!" then started my car. Loaded all my stuff in the back and headed home.

This was Thursday evening, so Friday I needed to check in at the Driver Development office to take my final (as in FINAL tests.)

Friday morning, it was cold outside. Forecast for sleet. How am I going to take a driver test in sleet? Well, I got to the Swift Driver Development office around 7:30. Sat and waited for Sheila (New Driver Coordinator) to show up. While I was sitting there, a guy came over, asked me what I was doing (as in "maybe I can help you"). Said waiting for Sheila.

"Come with me, let's do your driving test." Sounded like a plan. He picked up an eval sheet. Still cold outside, but his idea was to knock this down before the weather gets bad. Got in a training tractor, the guy drove & hooked up an empty. "OK, you drive now." (gulp! Lump in throat) OK. Drove in the Swift lot slowly. "Turn right on Brooks". I turned right, watching and praying my right tandem does not touch the curb. Whew! got by that one!

"Where that truck is coming out, turn left onto that street." Shift up, then shift all the way down to stop. Gotta do it 100% right, now. Left turn. "OK, turn right at that street." Right turn! Tandems - TANDEMS! OK "Left at the end of the block." Left turn. Shifting!! Don't shift in the middle of a turn! "OK, pull over here." SHOOT. I messed up. Game Over.

The guy finished writing on the paper. "Get up. I'll drive back." Back at the Swift yard, we went to the back area where there are cones. "See that tractor attached to the trailer? See that circle on the pavement farther along? Pull the tractor out to cover the circle, then back into the same spot. You can get out and look, and pull up however many times you need to."

"What?? Pull out then back in? Is that all? As many get outs and pull ups as I need?" I got in, started the tractor. It was cold inside. Pulled out to cover the circle. The circle is far enough along that you do change the bend, and have to use your skills to get back into the hole. I probably could still have done it direct, but I got out to look once and made a pull up just because I could. Got back into the truck with the guy.

"You passed." OK to stop sweating now! Whew! Lets go into the office.

In the office, Sheila took the papers, then handed me a 57 question multiple choice test. Mostly about safety and Swift procedures. Finished the test, handed it back to Sheila, and waited. I wasn't really worried about this test, but without knowing the results, I was, you might say, worried just by definition of not knowing the results of a test.

Sheila did not say "You passed", she smiled and just said, "Your Driver Manager will be Elaine. But they are closing the terminal because of the sleet. Come back Monday and we'll get you your truck."

So, I get to spend my 4th anniversary weekend with my wife, and I know on Monday I'll have a truck and will be hitting the road.

         T H E     E N D

First, Happy Anniversary!

Second, I am SO PROUD of you! You did great and I know that your family is so proud of you as well!

Tell us what happens next as it happens! You are one of my sources of inspiration!

Many, Many Hugs!

Pepper

Amazing Errol! Great job, great post, many many thanks. Take care,be safe. I may be out of touch for a bit but look forward to catching up when I can on your solo experience!

Congratulations! Gotta love Memphis weather!! Enjoy the weekend and the anniversary! Sure hope you get a good truck Monday. Be safe!