Rude northerners

I was very worried that Swift would be like PTL and I would only get 1500 miles a week because I’m in the developmental fleet. It hasn’t been like that at all. I get my next load before I’m finished with the one I’m on. That never happened at PTL, it was wait, wait, run, wait, and wait some more. My first week out by myself I got 2500 miles and that included half a day to stop by the house and get my truck ready.

My worst delivery so far was to somewhere near Detroit. My appt time was at 9am. I didn’t get dispatched on the load until 4pm the day before. I decided to get started right away and arrive about 2:30am. I thought I would be able to sleep when I got there and then get unloaded at my appt time and by 10 or 11am I’d be ready for the next day. That is not how it worked out. I got there at 2:30am and the rudest northern receiving guy told me he would take me right then, he checked the seal and said, “good luck with that.” This seal was made of super wire. He was at least nice enough to give me a set of bolt cutters to try and get it off.

I tried and tried to cut it to no avail. It was raining and cold out. I had to ask another trucker for help. He started working on it, then another guy came to help me out with his wire cutters. Neither really made much progress. Guy #3 came over to help with his cutters. Finally, it came off after 45 minutes of cutting on it. The rude guy made me move the truck to the other side of the place because I was ‘in the way.’ So when I was ready to back in, I was so far from where I needed to be that I needed to back up almost a whole football field length. All these trucks were in my way then. It took a while for them to leave and when I got ready to set it up the dock guys asked if the guy helping me was my trainer. Those rude northerners. I hadn’t even started backing up to the dock and they are giving me grief. I actually got it in there without too much trouble after I was ready, but it took an hour to get it ready.

I left by 4:30am and decided to drive just down the road to the Detroit terminal to sleep. I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes because I hadn’t intended to go all night. I woke up after 5 hours of sleep and took a shower and did my laundry. I told my truck driving uncle about my horrible delivery the night before and he told me that it was actually a very good delivery. I was there early. I got unloaded even before my appt time. And I didn’t hit anything. In the trucking world, that is considered a perfect delivery. That did make me feel a little bit better. I am going to invest in some super cutters. I kept what was left of the seal so when I go into the home depot I will make sure whatever I buy will slice right through that wire and I don’t have to struggle with a seal ever again.

Week 1 over

Now I’ve made it through the first week out on my own. Those first 2 runs I was just super nervous about everything. The 3rd run I picked up was going from Kansas to St. Louis. I felt much more comfortable with driving, planning and even backing it in. I made it to St.Louis on Saturday night and called up my old boss. He now lives in a suburb in Illinois working at a local YMCA. He came and picked me up and we went out to breakfast together. It was so nice to see him again, I hadn’t seen him since his farewell party in July. We talked about how things just went downhill after he left, so much so that now the ymca branch is closed. He put 10 years of work into creating partnerships and programs and now there really is nothing to show for it. It was a little bit depressing talk, but to turn it around, he took me to his ymca branch and outdoor center. It was refreshing to see the ymca in a positive way, my positive opinion of the ymca dissipated when he left, so much so that I vowed to never send any of my kids to anything ymca ever. But I am at least open mined enough to see that not all YMCA’s have bad upper management and they really do good things for the community.

We had a great visit and he dropped me back off at my truck around 1 or 2. I just relaxed and laid around because I was tired and it was Sunday. I got my next preplan at around 4pm picking up a trailer across the street at the drop yard and taking to Michigan. The only problem with this one was that I needed to get a move on it right then because it delivered the next morning at 9am. I thought that I would arrive at 2am and sleep there, get unloaded at 9 and then I’d be ready to go again from there. That is not how it worked out.

I arrived at 2:45am to the rudest receiving guy I have met yet. The good thing is that he told me to go ahead and back up to a door and that he could get me unloaded now. Then I discovered a major problem. They put a seal on this door so strong that it didn’t even need a lock on it. The rude receiver gave me some bolt cutters but they were like children’s scissors on that metal. I took a deep breath and asked another truck driver for help. He twisted it around and it broke a few of the strands. The next guy was a super nice Iraqi guy living in Chicago, he tried cutting it too, made just a little progress. The next guy came over with his own wire cutters. It took him a good 5-10 minutes and he had it free. All this trouble for a seal, now I know I need to get my own metal cutter. I saved the seal so I could go to home depot and find something that would cut it and hopefully next time I’ll be able to do it on my own.

I thought the delivery went horrible, it took me 45 minutes to get the seal off. Then I tried to get back to the beginning so I could set up to back in the dock. I couldn’t get back to the beginning of the place because there were trucks just coming in and out and stopping. So I couldn’t get the proper set up even started. After many minutes it was clear, and then the dock people open the door and ask if the guy who was helping me was my trainer. But I still hadn’t even gotten to the point of setting up. It was difficult to get there because I was on the other side of the place out of the way working on that seal. It didn’t really take that long to back it in after I was in the right position. I got my paperwork and left just feeling horrible.

By this time it was 5am, I hadn’t planning on staying up ALL night. I drove to the terminal 30 minutes away and passed out. I talked to my uncle about my horrible delivery, he told me that he thought it was very successful. I was on time. Unloaded 4 hours before my appt time. And I didn’t hit anything. That’s all the criteria of a successful delivery. While at the terminal I took a shower and washed my clothes

My first week out as a solo driver I will have 2510 miles. I remember the previous company I worked for just had you deliver one load and then you sit for a day or so waiting on the next. It is not like that at swift. They have kept me moving so much I am exhausted. Which is a good thing because that means I’m making money.

Solo Driver

I woke up in an abandoned store parking lot in my hometown. Woke up and got ready to go, well as ready as you can with no bathroom in sight. I had to stop at the first truck stop 15 minutes down the road to scan my paperwork, brush my teeth and get a biscuit for breakfast. I made it to Nashville with no problems and even found my first delivery easily. I was very lucky that there was lots of room and I set the trailer up to just back it straight in. And it went in. I got unloaded very quickly and made my first successful delivery by myself.

My next load needed to be picked up at a drop yard just 7 miles away. It’s going to Clinton, MO, due the next day. A drop yard is just that, there is no one to check you in or tell you what to do. I found the swift trailers and again set it up and backed it straight in there. My loaded trailer with the paperwork was very close. I tried to back under that trailer and it just wasn’t going, after a few attempts I called my dad to ask what I could do. He told me that the kingpin latch probably closed between dropping and hooking and sure enough it was closed. Opened it up and then I connected.

The next issue was that I could not get the landing gear to move. I was putting all my body weight into pushing that handle and it just wasn’t moving. I again called my dad and he starts talking about how the thing has 2 gears and yada yada yada. But that wasn’t the problem, it wouldn’t move in the first place. I kept pushing and pulling and finally it moved a little. Then it really started moving and I got the landing gear up.

My fuel stop was just down the road so I fueled up and scaled the load. Everything was fine. I have a good friend who lives in Nashville and she met me at the truck stop and we ate lunch together. I realized that I was doing that trucker talk thing that I find so annoying so I made an effort to have a normal conversation with her, because she really doesn’t care about the trucking lifestyle. I had a great visit with my friend and got back on the road.

My plan was to drive a couple hours, find a place to park and finish out the drive tomorrow because it doesn’t deliver until 7pm. I wanted to stop at the pilot in padukah, ky, but there were no easy places to park. But I saw an abandoned truck stop with a few trucks on the other side of the interstate and thought that would be easier for me to park. Pulled the truck right in. The walk to the gas station across the street is very close so I’ve got services and food. It was such a beautiful spring evening that decided to get some exercise and walk around for 30 minutes.

I got back in the truck, finished up my paperwork for the day and talked on the phone. It didn’t take long for this abandoned truck stop to be full of trucks. I planned my trip for tomorrow and done all the little things I think I’m supposed to and went to sleep. It’s been a successful day, I delivered my first load and I’m on the way to my second. I just wish I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night. Hopefully these nerves will stop soon and I’ll be able to get more than 5 hours sleep.

I got a truck

On Tuesday morning, I said goodbye to my wonderful trainer and new friend.  Then I went to see the training department about the next step.  It consists of them reviewing the paperwork and checking that you do in fact have all the training hours.  Then you get to take a road and backing test.  After passing all these, then you are ready to upgrade from trainee to solo driver.  I had to take a 2 hour log class as a review.  Then I met my driver manager for the developmental fleet.  She will be my boss for 4-6 weeks then I move out of the development fleet and into a real fleet J 

I told the training department that I didn’t need to go home because there were 5 paydays in March and I needed ALL of them.  But that I would like to go by the house to pick up some things.  I was assigned a truck and admit the first disappointment was that there was only 1 bed.  I wanted my mom to come out on the road with me, but I don’t think that we are THAT close to share a twin size bed.  Next, it had a brand new computer system in it. It’s a big upgrade from the one I was trained on.  It has a GPS on it, so now I don’t have to buy one. I had to ask the shop guys how to sign in and then I didn’t know how to send messages (It’s important to send these messages, otherwise you don’t go anywhere).  I was told that I would have to wait until the computer guy came in at 8 the next morning. 

I didn’t think the truck was THAT dirty, but it wasn’t THAT clean either.  And much smaller than the trucks I’ve been in before.  I really am going to have to work hard to find a place for everything.  So I just chilled for the evening and took the truck for a test drive to eat dinner.  I notice a few little things not working and knew that I would have to get them fixed in the morning also.  I went to sleep and woke up at 7:45 to get the day started.  Went to the computer guy, he came and showed me that I was just filling in too much information and that if I put in less information the send button highlights…… amazing. 

Then I went to see my DM (Driver Manager) to get a couple permits updated and turn in forms.  She tells me I just got a Preplan going to Nashville, so I could stop right by the house.  Now I got excited, I’m ready to work.  I go find the trailer on the lot and amazingly there was an obviously flat tire staring at me.  I had to take it to the shop and get it replaced before I could go.  This took so long that they changed the delivery time on the load until the next day, that was great for me because I needed more than a couple hours at home. 

This load weighed 45,000 pounds, putting me very close to the limit on 80,000 pounds gross.  I got started on my first load by myself and it’s hard to explain how I felt.  I was happy, nervous, excited and scared all at once.  It is very different to be alone and with no one within arms reach to ask for help.  I scaled this load even though the person who picked it up scaled it.  When I scale it, it was 40 pounds over on the tandem axle.  That is because the guy weighed it with a flat tire.

 I don’t like to admit “not the smartest behavior” but I didn’t want to bother with moving the tandems to correct the weight because it was ONLY 40 pounds.  Of course when I get up to the state troopers scale house they are actually working.  I get pulled in behind the building where every axle was weighed.  My pulse was accelerating and I started sweating; all for 40 pounds on a 78000 pound load, hoping that the trooper had better things to do.  And he did.  I got the green light and went on my way.  But I learned a lesson.  Laziness is not going to help me in this job, it will just get me tickets that take away my money.  I might have gotten away with it this time, but next time he might call me in and give me the

equivalent of the TSA X-ray with my paperwork.  I don’t want my paperwork to be looked at THAT closely by the best fundraiser for the state. 

I made it home and parked the truck in an abandoned grocery store near his house.  Then we got to work turning me into a “real” trucker.  He hooked up a CB (which I still haven’t gotten to work yet) helped me find a place for the Tv and all those little devices I have that need to be charged up.  I really don’t know what I would have done without him, the process of turning into a real trucker is overwhelming.  There are just so many things you need and so many things you have to do.  I still think of things I need all the time. 

I finally went back to my house to wash clothes and take a shower.  It is weird not being home for 5 weeks, then you go home only for a few hours to get things.  No relaxation going on.  Just trying to remember something else I need to take with me.  I went back to the truck with my stuff and tried to make the truck more organized.  Laid down and just passed out, you can’t cram any more things in a day.

Training is over

34 days and my 240 driving hours are finished.  My trainer dropped me off in Atlanta at the terminal and probably am testing out today, Tuesday the 15^th.  I’m so excited.  My trainer says if they have a truck available I can get it right then and they probably would let me deadhead (empty with no pickups or deliveries) home.  He thinks I will be assigned a Volvo 670 because that is the most common truck that Swift has.  Even though I can’t really afford to take any time off, I do need a day or two to take care of some errands and do very important personal business like get a haircut and color my hair. 

During my time on the road I visited 3 new states, Wyoming, Michigan and South Dakota.  The only states I haven’t been to yet are Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine Delaware and Alaska of course.  I have had a great experience with Swift and really wonder why there are so many bad reviews on the internet.  For me, they have been nothing but good.  But I do have a really good attitude and have been very flexible; I think that is what sets me apart from the others.  The reviews on the internet all say, “All trainers just want to use your for the miles.”  And yes that is true, but you are using them for your training hours.  There is no other way to get started in the trucking business.  You can’t just get your license and jump in a truck, you need to be trained about all the other aspects because it is learning a vocation.  Where else can you begin a new job with good pay in less than 3 months?  I know that I sure am ready to make some money.  Bring it on and give me a truck.

B-I-N-G-O

Well I made it to Vegas.  We have passed many casinos on the roads they are everywhere in Lousiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma but we never stopped.  I told him that I only go to “real” casinos.  That is where you sign up for a players card and they give you stuff just for walking in.  We dropped a load at noon and set our pta (projected time available) for 3am the following morning to take advantage of being in Vegas and so he could accumulate some hours. 

We parked at the TA in Vegas, the Silverton Casino is just across the street.  We walked across the street and got ready to win big J  We both signed up for the players club and we received a ticket for a free lunch buffet.  This was the best buffet I’ve been to so far in my truck travels, and let me mention again that it was free.  After lunch I attempted to use the $5 free cash that was on my players card.  I must not be a good gambler because I accidently cashed out on a machine and lost it.  It would have been better if I lost it by losing, but I lost it by ignorance.  Then I used my own cash and lost $5.

Next I thought I’d try my hand at the 3pm bingo game.  I met some nice people in the line and learned a few things about what I need to do, like pay an extra dollar to “validate” your cards.  These people are serious about bingo.  You can pay $20 and play electronically, which is where you just sit in front of a machine and it starts playing music if you win.  Too easy in my opinion and I didn’t want to wager $20.  So I spent $10 on “paper” cards.  It was a good thing that I was social in line because you are supposed to have a special ink dauber to mark the cards and a nice philippino woman lent me hers while she played electronically.

I didn’t win a thing, and I played 12 cards simultaneously.  The philippino lady I sat next to won $50 and one guy won the jackpot of $1300.  The lady told me that the week before she lost her whole pension check of $2600 gambling and that really was enough for me to call it a day at the casino.  So I got a free buffet and lost a total of $15.  Meanwhile my trainer turned his $5 initial free playing cash into $20.  So he was very lucky at the casino walking in with nothing and walking out with a full stomach and $20.  I like Las Vegas, but it’s not a good place for someone who doesn’t have extra money.  And unfortunately that is me so I don’t think I’m going to be a regular anytime soon.  Maybe next time I’ll try a different casino and get another free buffet, that really is the only way to win in Vegas.

The end is nigh

I want to shout out like the street preacher “THE END IS NIGH. THE END IS NIGH!!!!!”  Today I only have 22 hours of driving left to go.  We are already planning to head back to the terminal early next week so I can test out. This will consist of a written test, road test and my favorite….. backing.  I will admit backing is not my strongest skill, but my trainer says that I will learn when it takes me 30-45 minutes to back into a dock.  He’s so funny.

Learning to be a truck driver is really an exhaustive experience.  Obtaining the license is really only the beginning.  I feel so lucky to have gotten not only a competent trainer, but a really good one.  No matter the time of day or temperature he will get out of the truck and help me back up.  He’s easy to get along with and has met all my expectations.  After my little cry on day 5, I haven’t had any issues with him.  Finishing training is mostly about having a good attitude. 

It took me 3 training experiences with 3 different companies to finally get to the point where I can see the end of training.  I am so excited about having my own big rig.  I’m going to have to find a place for a porta potty and the little TV I already have.  It will be my own little sanctuary out on the American roads.  I have even considered becoming a trainer myself when I get a bit more experience.  It was so difficult for me to get started in this industry that if I can make it easier on someone else to get through training then I may just do it.