Sean McQuaid
Whiny baby
Trucking can be a DIRTY industry in good times. But in a bad economy and job market, they take DIRTY to the MAX. Companies who take on new drivers are subsidised by the Government. And when they can, they take the money and run - and avoid using that subsidy money for the tuition reimbursement to the school the driver came out of. I made the worst mistake of my life in believing trucking was good in a bad economy because freight still has to move. I came into trucking knowing full well of the long hours, low pay, very little time home - etc.. I did not expect to get hit with what I got hit with. The following is long, but fully details what Swift did to me:
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After completing training with Swift, I was not issued a truck in spite of the fact I had been told I would have a truck "within a week" once I was finished training. I called Matthew Thompson on a DAILY basis to be updated for a truck - this was his requirement. During my calls, I was rushed to get off the phone, and I always had to ask where I was on the list, or how much time I still had to wait. Nothing was ever volunteered to me other than I was updated on the truck list. This made things difficult where properly governing my life was concerned.
After a month, and still without a truck, I was forced to move due to lack of income for too long a period of time. As bad luck would have it, Swift came up with a truck at the time I was in the middle of moving. They have to have trucks seated in within a 24 hour period, or the truck is lost. I had no choice but to decline and be moved back to the bottom of the list. Three weeks passed before a second truck was available. But Swift conveniently neglected to tell me I had to take a Smith System Driving Course as a prerequisite to being seated in the truck. It was stated to me by Matthew Thompson at the Ocala Terminal (who I reiterate I was calling DAILY to be upgraded on the truck list) that "someone on our end dropped the ball". This being that Mr. Thompson was not informed until that very day that I was on a safety hold because I was to take the Smith System class/course which I had not taken yet. It was already after 10:00 am when Matthew Thompson called me back to tell me of this task (which takes the better part of the day) I had to complete as a prerequisite to being seated in the truck. The nearest terminal was 3 hours away from where I was. In addition to the Smith System being the better part of the day, I had to go 500 miles to get the truck. Going the 500 miles is in addition to the 3 hours to the terminal, which did not even point me in the direction I was to go to get the truck. If the Smith System was not done that day (friday), I had to wait until monday. Going the 10 hours to get the truck from my location was difficult as it is, but possible. Getting the added task of the Smith System class made it impossible as there was no way to do the class that day given I'd not arrive at the terminal to do the class until the afternoon. By then it would have been too late and I would have only wasted my time, money and effort for something I could have (and should have ) been made aware of before that day.
It seems to me that it is believed that all truck drivers (or those becoming one) are totally stupid/ignorant. I am expected to believe that any safety hold on me or tasks I was to perform (such as the Smith System) was not known for 7+ weeks until the day I was to leave on a 500 mile trip to get a truck within a 24 hour time frame. Or I am supposed to believe that maybe a safety hold suddenly appeared on the very day I was to leave to get a truck 7 WEEKS after I finished training. Matthew Thompson is a SUPERVISOR, not just a Driver Manager. Matthew Thompson assigns the trucks, or oversees such. Any safety hold on me, or tasks to accomplish as a prerequisite to getting seated in a truck would be on his screen as soon as he entered my Driver Code. Just as the Safety Department, Driver Managers (Dispatchers) and possibly many others working with the company know this when my driver code is entered. Matthew Thompson told me I had plenty of time to complete the tasks required. Yes, I did. And I would have had I been told of something I did not know about. Matthew Thompson had plenty of time to inform me of a safety hold. He could have informed me up to the day before I was to leave for the truck, and I still could have accomplished the requirements. If this were a mistake on their end, it should not have been expected of me to perform the impossible, nor terminated when I clearly and obviously could not. Matthew thompson stated to me that I could "reach out and touch this truck". He also stated that I was on the truck list for way too long. The initial 4 weeks was no fault of mine, and if my not being able to get a truck assignment at that 4 week mark because of a move I was left with no choice but to do was the problem, I should have been terminated at that time and not strung along an additional 3+ weeks. It is indeed my opinion that Matthew Thompson continued to string me along over the 3 weeks after my not being able to take the truck the first time. He continued to make me believe that I was still an employee of Swift, and would have a truck the next time one came available. Instead I was set up for termination by my status being witheld from me until it was too late for me to accomplish what I had to do as the prerequisite to being seated in the truck (most namely, the Smith System). Matthew Thompson decietly and maliciously set me up to either quit or be terminated by not telling me of the Smith System until the very day I had to leave on a 500 mile trip to get a truck I had to be seated in within 24 hours.
After telling Mr. Thompson this was too unrealistic to accomplish, he recommended that my driver code be terminated on the grounds of a second truck refusal and being a no show. I saw the whole thing as a set up for my either being terminated or my quitting. I sent strong worded e-mails to Matthew Thompson as well as having contacted Human Relations at Swift Corporate. Mr. Thompson stated to me that given I was in contact with Human Relations, the matter was now above his head. I was to call Mr. Thompson's supervisor (Mr. Forrest Vance) in Greer, S.C. to resolve the matter. I was admittedly (and rightfully so) in a heated rage, and I did not contact Mr. Vance by phone as I feel as though he would have sided with Mr. Thompson. Mr. Vance also stated in correspondance to Human Relations that he tried to contact me at all numbers listed with no response. This is not so as I saw no indication on my phones of anyone trying to contact me from anywhere. And I have secured service records from my phone provider which confirms this (I suppose I was not supposed to think to do this as I am supposed to be stupid). Mr Vance further stated to Human Realtions that On 11/21 I was once again advised of truck availability in the area where I was staying. I was staying in the Roanoke area in Virginia, the truck I was to pick up was in Avenl, New Jersey - this is in the area I was staying?!?! Mr Vance stated I was "given instructions to report to the Richmond terminal 160 miles away so that they could update my CDL and complete my Smith system class. Mr Vance added I would then be transported to my truck in Avenl NJ to be ready to run Sat". The time required for all this would be obvious to anyone this was not possible, I would not have made the Richmond Terminal in time to start the Smith System. On top of that, Swift was NOT to transport me to Avenl, N.J. as I had a car which I would not/could not leave at a terminal several hundred miles from my home terminal when I had no way of knowing when I'd be able to get back there to retrieve the car, and have the time to do so. This meant that I would have driven through the night to get the truck had I had the time to do the Smith System that day. Meaning: with all I had to do, I would have been on the go 24 hours straight and expcted to run after being seated in the truck (Mr. Vance stated my being ready to run on saturday) which is excessive. The following is a direct verbatim quote from Mr. Vance's correspondance with Human Relations: "Mr. Mcquaid did not leave as instructed, rather he called the Harrisburg terminal to give a reason why he did not want to go. more than 2 hours later Mr. Mcquaid was sending a email to his terminal in Ocala stating he did not feel there was enough time to complete the tasks given and that he did not see the need to waste his time". Yet again, it is stated as though I am totally in the wrong. It was not a simple matter in that I did not want to go. Mr Vance states that I stated that I did not see the need to waste my time as though I were being totally arbitrary and unrealistic. Trying to complete what I had to complete with the lack of time would have been a waste of my time and money. Mr Vance also stated to Human Relations that he tried to contact me that morning at my numbers with no success which is also untrue as I had no indications of an incoming call(s), and nothing on record from my provider. Also in Mr. Vance's convincing correspondance to Human Relations was the fact they were done trying to help me due to my displeasure with Swift and nasty e-mails. There was no help extended to me in this matter, only problems. Matthew Thompson terminated my driver code because I could not complete a task there was no time to do, and I would not try. Matthew Thompson chose to not inform me of my status and what I needed to do until it was too late. And Forrest Vance did not attempt to call me as I had no incoming calls from anyone at any time. No one at Swift has shown me they were trying to help me, only cause me grief and aggravation. And start me down the road to be a loser/failure.
I don't know how happy I was supposed to be. Matthew Thompson had plenty of time to inform me of tasks I had to do prior to the day I was to leave on a long trip for a truck. He did not do so. It was expected of me that I believe that someone on their end "dropped the ball", and this did not surface until the day I had to leave on a long trip. It was expected of me to perform a miracle because of a supposid blunder on their end. It is my contention that if there was a mistake on their end, it should not have been put on me to bail them out when it was just about impossible with the time available. And if this is the way things happen with those in a position of this type of responsibility, I'd have to question whether I really want to work under these people, have confidence in them, or trust them or their judgement.
In addition, I know Swift hired too many drivers as the recession got worse, and Swift had no trucks to assign. And Swift (as well as other big companies) continued to hire drivers fresh out of school as they were getting subsidised for each student they hired on. Given this, it is my opinion that Swift (as well as others) were looking for ways and reasons to get rid of drivers. Matthew Thompson terminated my driver code, Though my DAC Report showed a Voluntary Quit (V.Q.); possibly because of the lengthly and detailed letters I wrote to Swift Corporate regarding the matter. If I am really in the wrong here, then why would I only have a V.Q. on my DAC, and not a termination? I have always thought people recieved as they deserved.
In the end, this is one way Swift has come up with ways to eliminate drivers, and continue to take on students coming out of school for the subsidy money. They got their money for me. They found a way to set me up to be terminated or quit BEFORE they had to pay any significant amount of reimbursement money to the school I attended for my CDL-A (namely C1). The way eliminated me was to not tell me of a task I had to perform until the day I had to leave on a 10 - 12 hour trip to get a truck which has to be seated within 24 hours. No one can convince me that they did not know of the things I had to do before being seated in a truck. They knew of the task before that day. They knew of the safety hold. And they knew the task takes the better part of the day, and that there was no way I could get to the terminal in time to start it to say nothing of the added time to get to the truck. I know I am not the only one who has had this or similar experiences. As for the future when drivers are not so easy to come by (as has been the usual case in the past), I hope Swift (and other carriers) remember the wrongs they have done to alienate drivers who could have been an asset, and the way they have used student drivers to continue to line their accounts. And understand why there will be a lack of trust extended to the company and drivers not want to work for them later when times are better. I (for one) am tired of the ways people have been played with and used. My memory is not short.
Bottom line: too many folks are being played games with and screwed over in a bad economy because those doing so can get away with it.
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After completing training with Swift, I was not issued a truck in spite of the fact I had been told I would have a truck "within a week" once I was finished training. I called Matthew Thompson on a DAILY basis to be updated for a truck - this was his requirement. During my calls, I was rushed to get off the phone, and I always had to ask where I was on the list, or how much time I still had to wait. Nothing was ever volunteered to me other than I was updated on the truck list. This made things difficult where properly governing my life was concerned.
After a month, and still without a truck, I was forced to move due to lack of income for too long a period of time. As bad luck would have it, Swift came up with a truck at the time I was in the middle of moving. They have to have trucks seated in within a 24 hour period, or the truck is lost. I had no choice but to decline and be moved back to the bottom of the list. Three weeks passed before a second truck was available. But Swift conveniently neglected to tell me I had to take a Smith System Driving Course as a prerequisite to being seated in the truck. It was stated to me by Matthew Thompson at the Ocala Terminal (who I reiterate I was calling DAILY to be upgraded on the truck list) that "someone on our end dropped the ball". This being that Mr. Thompson was not informed until that very day that I was on a safety hold because I was to take the Smith System class/course which I had not taken yet. It was already after 10:00 am when Matthew Thompson called me back to tell me of this task (which takes the better part of the day) I had to complete as a prerequisite to being seated in the truck. The nearest terminal was 3 hours away from where I was. In addition to the Smith System being the better part of the day, I had to go 500 miles to get the truck. Going the 500 miles is in addition to the 3 hours to the terminal, which did not even point me in the direction I was to go to get the truck. If the Smith System was not done that day (friday), I had to wait until monday. Going the 10 hours to get the truck from my location was difficult as it is, but possible. Getting the added task of the Smith System class made it impossible as there was no way to do the class that day given I'd not arrive at the terminal to do the class until the afternoon. By then it would have been too late and I would have only wasted my time, money and effort for something I could have (and should have ) been made aware of before that day.
It seems to me that it is believed that all truck drivers (or those becoming one) are totally stupid/ignorant. I am expected to believe that any safety hold on me or tasks I was to perform (such as the Smith System) was not known for 7+ weeks until the day I was to leave on a 500 mile trip to get a truck within a 24 hour time frame. Or I am supposed to believe that maybe a safety hold suddenly appeared on the very day I was to leave to get a truck 7 WEEKS after I finished training. Matthew Thompson is a SUPERVISOR, not just a Driver Manager. Matthew Thompson assigns the trucks, or oversees such. Any safety hold on me, or tasks to accomplish as a prerequisite to getting seated in a truck would be on his screen as soon as he entered my Driver Code. Just as the Safety Department, Driver Managers (Dispatchers) and possibly many others working with the company know this when my driver code is entered. Matthew Thompson told me I had plenty of time to complete the tasks required. Yes, I did. And I would have had I been told of something I did not know about. Matthew Thompson had plenty of time to inform me of a safety hold. He could have informed me up to the day before I was to leave for the truck, and I still could have accomplished the requirements. If this were a mistake on their end, it should not have been expected of me to perform the impossible, nor terminated when I clearly and obviously could not. Matthew thompson stated to me that I could "reach out and touch this truck". He also stated that I was on the truck list for way too long. The initial 4 weeks was no fault of mine, and if my not being able to get a truck assignment at that 4 week mark because of a move I was left with no choice but to do was the problem, I should have been terminated at that time and not strung along an additional 3+ weeks. It is indeed my opinion that Matthew Thompson continued to string me along over the 3 weeks after my not being able to take the truck the first time. He continued to make me believe that I was still an employee of Swift, and would have a truck the next time one came available. Instead I was set up for termination by my status being witheld from me until it was too late for me to accomplish what I had to do as the prerequisite to being seated in the truck (most namely, the Smith System). Matthew Thompson decietly and maliciously set me up to either quit or be terminated by not telling me of the Smith System until the very day I had to leave on a 500 mile trip to get a truck I had to be seated in within 24 hours.
After telling Mr. Thompson this was too unrealistic to accomplish, he recommended that my driver code be terminated on the grounds of a second truck refusal and being a no show. I saw the whole thing as a set up for my either being terminated or my quitting. I sent strong worded e-mails to Matthew Thompson as well as having contacted Human Relations at Swift Corporate. Mr. Thompson stated to me that given I was in contact with Human Relations, the matter was now above his head. I was to call Mr. Thompson's supervisor (Mr. Forrest Vance) in Greer, S.C. to resolve the matter. I was admittedly (and rightfully so) in a heated rage, and I did not contact Mr. Vance by phone as I feel as though he would have sided with Mr. Thompson. Mr. Vance also stated in correspondance to Human Relations that he tried to contact me at all numbers listed with no response. This is not so as I saw no indication on my phones of anyone trying to contact me from anywhere. And I have secured service records from my phone provider which confirms this (I suppose I was not supposed to think to do this as I am supposed to be stupid). Mr Vance further stated to Human Realtions that On 11/21 I was once again advised of truck availability in the area where I was staying. I was staying in the Roanoke area in Virginia, the truck I was to pick up was in Avenl, New Jersey - this is in the area I was staying?!?! Mr Vance stated I was "given instructions to report to the Richmond terminal 160 miles away so that they could update my CDL and complete my Smith system class. Mr Vance added I would then be transported to my truck in Avenl NJ to be ready to run Sat". The time required for all this would be obvious to anyone this was not possible, I would not have made the Richmond Terminal in time to start the Smith System. On top of that, Swift was NOT to transport me to Avenl, N.J. as I had a car which I would not/could not leave at a terminal several hundred miles from my home terminal when I had no way of knowing when I'd be able to get back there to retrieve the car, and have the time to do so. This meant that I would have driven through the night to get the truck had I had the time to do the Smith System that day. Meaning: with all I had to do, I would have been on the go 24 hours straight and expcted to run after being seated in the truck (Mr. Vance stated my being ready to run on saturday) which is excessive. The following is a direct verbatim quote from Mr. Vance's correspondance with Human Relations: "Mr. Mcquaid did not leave as instructed, rather he called the Harrisburg terminal to give a reason why he did not want to go. more than 2 hours later Mr. Mcquaid was sending a email to his terminal in Ocala stating he did not feel there was enough time to complete the tasks given and that he did not see the need to waste his time". Yet again, it is stated as though I am totally in the wrong. It was not a simple matter in that I did not want to go. Mr Vance states that I stated that I did not see the need to waste my time as though I were being totally arbitrary and unrealistic. Trying to complete what I had to complete with the lack of time would have been a waste of my time and money. Mr Vance also stated to Human Relations that he tried to contact me that morning at my numbers with no success which is also untrue as I had no indications of an incoming call(s), and nothing on record from my provider. Also in Mr. Vance's convincing correspondance to Human Relations was the fact they were done trying to help me due to my displeasure with Swift and nasty e-mails. There was no help extended to me in this matter, only problems. Matthew Thompson terminated my driver code because I could not complete a task there was no time to do, and I would not try. Matthew Thompson chose to not inform me of my status and what I needed to do until it was too late. And Forrest Vance did not attempt to call me as I had no incoming calls from anyone at any time. No one at Swift has shown me they were trying to help me, only cause me grief and aggravation. And start me down the road to be a loser/failure.
I don't know how happy I was supposed to be. Matthew Thompson had plenty of time to inform me of tasks I had to do prior to the day I was to leave on a long trip for a truck. He did not do so. It was expected of me that I believe that someone on their end "dropped the ball", and this did not surface until the day I had to leave on a long trip. It was expected of me to perform a miracle because of a supposid blunder on their end. It is my contention that if there was a mistake on their end, it should not have been put on me to bail them out when it was just about impossible with the time available. And if this is the way things happen with those in a position of this type of responsibility, I'd have to question whether I really want to work under these people, have confidence in them, or trust them or their judgement.
In addition, I know Swift hired too many drivers as the recession got worse, and Swift had no trucks to assign. And Swift (as well as other big companies) continued to hire drivers fresh out of school as they were getting subsidised for each student they hired on. Given this, it is my opinion that Swift (as well as others) were looking for ways and reasons to get rid of drivers. Matthew Thompson terminated my driver code, Though my DAC Report showed a Voluntary Quit (V.Q.); possibly because of the lengthly and detailed letters I wrote to Swift Corporate regarding the matter. If I am really in the wrong here, then why would I only have a V.Q. on my DAC, and not a termination? I have always thought people recieved as they deserved.
In the end, this is one way Swift has come up with ways to eliminate drivers, and continue to take on students coming out of school for the subsidy money. They got their money for me. They found a way to set me up to be terminated or quit BEFORE they had to pay any significant amount of reimbursement money to the school I attended for my CDL-A (namely C1). The way eliminated me was to not tell me of a task I had to perform until the day I had to leave on a 10 - 12 hour trip to get a truck which has to be seated within 24 hours. No one can convince me that they did not know of the things I had to do before being seated in a truck. They knew of the task before that day. They knew of the safety hold. And they knew the task takes the better part of the day, and that there was no way I could get to the terminal in time to start it to say nothing of the added time to get to the truck. I know I am not the only one who has had this or similar experiences. As for the future when drivers are not so easy to come by (as has been the usual case in the past), I hope Swift (and other carriers) remember the wrongs they have done to alienate drivers who could have been an asset, and the way they have used student drivers to continue to line their accounts. And understand why there will be a lack of trust extended to the company and drivers not want to work for them later when times are better. I (for one) am tired of the ways people have been played with and used. My memory is not short.
Bottom line: too many folks are being played games with and screwed over in a bad economy because those doing so can get away with it.
