Swift Training

Good morning everyone alright soooo here is my story, I am an LPN who actually loves being a nurse but before I became a nurse I worked for a community college inside a male population prison. I raised three boys on my own and before I got into the nursing program I checked on the truck driving but at the time I had young boys at home and no one to help soooo went with nursing. My youngest has just turned 22 and is in the Marines soooo its now moms turn. I went with my brother a few years back for two weeks and fell in love with the trucks. I now have my cdl permit, have my bag packed according to what Swift told me I needed, I packed 7 days worth of clothes and tons of socks. I have lots of scrunchies for my hair because its sort of long, and I am now anxiously awaiting Sunday so I can get on a bus and head to Tennessee and now that I have slowed down a bit with the things I need to get done I feel like I have swallowed 12 million butterflies. Im worried about backing a football field into the space meant to park a volkswagon in, my main concern is being the safest driver I can be. I worked in a prison so I honestly dont get my feelings hurt easily but I want a good trainer who can make sure I have a basic starting point to know what Im doing to be a safe driver. sooooo here we go, weeeeeeee the adventure begins lol

Good morning everyone alright soooo here is my story, I am an LPN who actually loves being a nurse but before I became a nurse I worked for a community college inside a male population prison. I raised three boys on my own and before I got into the nursing program I checked on the truck driving but at the time I had young boys at home and no one to help soooo went with nursing. My youngest has just turned 22 and is in the Marines soooo its now moms turn. I went with my brother a few years back for two weeks and fell in love with the trucks. I now have my cdl permit, have my bag packed according to what Swift told me I needed, I packed 7 days worth of clothes and tons of socks. I have lots of scrunchies for my hair because its sort of long, and I am now anxiously awaiting Sunday so I can get on a bus and head to Tennessee and now that I have slowed down a bit with the things I need to get done I feel like I have swallowed 12 million butterflies. Im worried about backing a football field into the space meant to park a volkswagon in, my main concern is being the safest driver I can be. I worked in a prison so I honestly dont get my feelings hurt easily but I want a good trainer who can make sure I have a basic starting point to know what Im doing to be a safe driver. sooooo here we go, weeeeeeee the adventure begins lol

It sounds like you have made a good choice. Swift is one of the BEST starter companies out there..Everything I have heard from other rookies who have recently gone has been positive and even older drivers rate them pretty high as a good place to work. Swift has some good training facilities and trainers, so, by the time you finish and test out, you should be driving that rig with confidence. Keep us updated as to your progress in school and one more thing............... B R E A T H E......... being nervous is completely natural...but, if you've done the High road training program, and gotten your permit already, (which you should have done, if you're going to Swift) then you're a lot farther on then most of the rookies you're going to meet on day 1. Good luck on your new career...we look forward to hearing all about your adventures with Swift..

EngineeringMother, and all the others that contributed to her thread, many thanks. It was fascinating to read. EM, you have got me very excited here. I am a veteran, and just found out today on the Swift website that they are offering full scholarships for vets. Now after reading about your experiences going through the Swift Academy, I am really stoked. I will be contacting them very soon. I have similar circumstances to you. I am in my late fifties, and as of last week, am no longer tied to any family or home, so I am free to go where the wind blows so to speak. I have been dreaming of driving the big rigs around the country for many years. I really believe it is the life for me until I retire in ten or twelve years, or whenever. I was a little alarmed at how many people were dropped out due to medical issues at your training academy and after orientation in PA. I hope I am not among those, but I did recently start a diet and exercise regimen, and hope to be in much better physical condition within a couple of months. Hard exercise is a small price to pay to reach your dreams. I hope you will be able to keep us posted about your time with your mentor. I don't know if they still say it on the CB, but keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down.

I don't know if they still say it on the CB, but keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down.

They certainly do!

Hey Tim, I see you're beginning to work your way through the High Road Training Program. Keep at it! You're going to be thrilled when you breeze through the written tests and find yourself 10 miles ahead of everyone else in class. That program is a highly effective way to prepare for your CDL permit and training.

I don't know if they still say it on the CB, but keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down.

They certainly do!

Hey Tim, I see you're beginning to work your way through the High Road Training Program. Keep at it! You're going to be thrilled when you breeze through the written tests and find yourself 10 miles ahead of everyone else in class. That program is a highly effective way to prepare for your CDL permit and training.

I intend to finish the entire High Road Program. I really like the way it is set up. As you go, you are asked some of the same important review questions repeatedly, and I am finding that method helpful with retaining the answers in my memory.

I contacted a Swift recruiter today. I have enjoyed this forum and web site so much, and found it so helpful, that I want to give something back. I will start a new thread in the Diaries Category a begin documenting my journey from this date. Hopefully it will help others, like this thread began by EngineeringMother has helped me. I really hope she will continue to document as well.

I will start a new thread in the Diaries Category a begin documenting my journey from this date. Hopefully it will help others, like this thread began by EngineeringMother has helped me.

That's great to hear. And it must definitely will be a huge help for people. It's all about knowing what to expect and being prepared. The more information people can get ahead of time the better their chances of success.

And I'm glad you're enjoying our training program! The repetition with the review questions and the fact that the system won't allow you to make a bunch of wrong guesses, those are the key factors in memorizing large amounts of information. It's all about repetition.

EngineeringMother, Thank you so much for your training experiences you have shared in detail. This means a lot to me cuz I am going to Swift - TN training June 2015. Family duties do not allow me to go untill then.

I loved being prepared and plan on having almost everything before going to training. I just earned my CDL permit, going to apply for my HazMat and tanker endorsements, update my Passport and then get my Transportation Workers Identification Card.

I am 58 and very excited about my new career in trucking. I have learned a lot from this website, especially from good people like yourself sharing your valuble imformation and experiences.

I am curious to see how you are doing in your current position and if you have any other insights to share.

Thanks to EVERYONE who contributes to this forum. I am just a beginner but feel honored to be part of this forum.