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What is up with the Swift haters?

Bored Insane

Well-Known Member
There seems to be over the top Swift haters in this forum, I just wonder why? All mega carriers have their issues I thought, but is Swift truly exceptional?

I can't say that I'm 100% satisfied with Swift (or even 80%), but I've only been with them a few weeks, and still in training. Maybe I just got really unlucky. Few people that I have contacts with during orientation are doing well (going through his training smoothly), I must be the exception with 'dedicated' routes which has limited my time on the driver's seat. Even then, I don't think Swift is any worse than any other mega carriers.

I'm also getting lots of crap from one member in this forum, possibly because I'm working at Swift?
 
Nothing wrong with them if that is what floats your boat. If you just started trucking, you are gonna have to take it on the chin for a while to get your experience. Just remember that if your dedicated account is underwhelming, you should be able to switch to a different account before you up and quit.

The guys giving you crap for being with Swift...well, all I can say is it's most likely sarcasm.

SWIFT = Sure Wish I had a Fast Truck, Slow Wagon In Fast Traffic, and my personal favorite So What if I F*** Turkeys.
 
No one hates Swift... maybe you're just a bit sensitive to folks having a bit of fun with them. After all it is rather easy to find stuff to poke fun at Swifities with.
 
No problem with Swift.
:)

It's you that nobody likes.
:eek:
Just kidding...
:D

The Swift thing goes back a long time.
Schneider and JB Hunt used to catch as much hell as Swift but Swift never pulled away for whatever reason.
JB Hunt actually used to catch a lot more grief.

Part of the thing with Swift is their size and the number of inexperienced drivers they have.
You seriously can't run most weeks without seeing a Swift in a bad predicament, dragging ass in front of you or doing something to get noticed.

With nearly 20,000 trucks they're more noticeable than say Commie Express with one truck.
When Commie Express backs out of a spot at 30 mph people just say lookit that numbnuts and don't remember the name even if they notice it.
When Swift does it the name gets noticed.

With that said though, Swift does seem to turn drivers loose when they're pretty green just based on my personal observation.


...I don't think Swift is any worse than any other mega carriers.

And this is based on your vast experience with...
one single carrier.
;)
 
There seems to be over the top Swift haters in this forum, I just wonder why? All mega carriers have their issues I thought, but is Swift truly exceptional?

I can't say that I'm 100% satisfied with Swift (or even 80%), but I've only been with them a few weeks, and still in training. Maybe I just got really unlucky. Few people that I have contacts with during orientation are doing well (going through his training smoothly), I must be the exception with 'dedicated' routes which has limited my time on the driver's seat. Even then, I don't think Swift is any worse than any other mega carriers.

I'm also getting lots of crap from one member in this forum, possibly because I'm working at Swift?
We pick on everyone actually. It's how we play. Like when two dogs pretend to attack each other. It's just playing.

Insulting each other is simply what guys do for fun.

I don't even really know how to explain it because it doesn't make any sense, but it's just what we do.

We pick on @rigjockey for being Canadian. Nothing wrong with being Canadian but we're gonna make fun of him anyway.

We pick on @Skateboard for being from New England and for voting for Obama (that's where that whole "Commie express" thing came from).

I pick on @ironpony because he drives abnormally slow to reduce fuel costs.

We pick on @Sinister because he fell off a homemade raft twice during a drunken redneck adventure.

We even pick on the owner of this forum because the name of the color of his truck is "Radiant Fire". (dark red).

Basically if there's something we can pick on someone about, we're going to do it just for fun.

None of it is intended to be taken seriously. It's just how we joke around.

All guys do it, not just us. I see my friends posting really nasty insults to each other on Facebook about the sports teams they're fans of, or because they drive a Ford instead of a Chevy or vise versa.

Nobody takes offense to that stuff. They just return the insult & laugh about it.
 
That's what everyone thinks, that you need years of experience or even personal experience to have any understanding. If you need your own personal experience on everything, then this forum loses its main goal.

I base my opinion on other's experiences as well as other information I gather. I don't get offended, it really doesn't matter to me, I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to gather information and have answers to my questions. I just change my opinion of people that are on here that is all.

Everyone knows this but don't want to admit: Trucking is not a difficult industry to get in. Anyone can be a truck driver. Standards and requirements to get into it is unbelievably low.

Pat your back all you want, it doesn't matter to me.
 
Nothing wrong with them if that is what floats your boat. If you just started trucking, you are gonna have to take it on the chin for a while to get your experience. Just remember that if your dedicated account is underwhelming, you should be able to switch to a different account before you up and quit.

The guys giving you crap for being with Swift...well, all I can say is it's most likely sarcasm.

SWIFT = Sure Wish I had a Fast Truck, Slow Wagon In Fast Traffic, and my personal favorite So What if I F*** Turkeys.
I'm okay with the pace (as I'm not in a hurry), but it shouldn't be okay with Swift. Sure enough, I did get a call and got switched to 48 state running trainer. I'm just hoping I can juggle this schedule with my MBA class schedule.

I expect certain percentage of people to throw crap in my way, I'm okay with that. But I also met many good people too, so it's all good.

At the orientation, we did think about SWIFT acronyms, but yours is much more impactful. I was in a truck that was governed to a bit higher than 62, so I was good with it. Heck, I'm good with 62 even. Like I said, I'm in no hurry. My main thing is to be safe and staying away from idiot drivers (of course, I could be an idiot driver w/o realizing it).
 
Okay, I will go first. No trucking is not a tough industry to get into. That is why some fleets recruit hood rats and anyone and everyone that can fog a mirror breathing.

Not everyone can be a truck driver some can't pass the CDL.
Some do pass the CDL and occupy a truck seat but they are steering wheel holders not truck drivers.

Next. Many people washout. They can't handle the lifestyle.
That is why megas and others have a revolving door in the training dept.
So far you are a guy with a CDL. Congrats you made it that far.
You are not a trucker, truck driver. You are not even a steering wheel holder yet.

If you manage to learn to love the lifestyle and don't washout then after a few years you can come back and tell us how being a truck driver is easy.
 
@rigjockey ,
Quite frankly, I respect few in this forum and few that I've met through trucking industry (regardless of age, education, or race EDIT: or number of years of experience in trucking), both as a person and as a professional driver. Like I said, I only get crap from one member in this forum.

I'll assume that difference of being a steering wheel holder and a trucker is a degree issue. I'm not arguing that. There are really a 'pro' in every profession, and not so 'pro', I get it. If you take pride in your profession, then fantastic, great.

What I'm saying is what everyone knows, there are too many examples of 'truck drivers' doing things that seem below normal people's comprehension (i.e. when compared to other profession). So many examples that it has become the norm, a stereotype if you will. The industry is full of people taking advantage of drivers (why? because drivers fall for it - most of the time). If this forum is for drivers or would be drivers, promoting the idea of anything 'below normal level actions' should be minimized.

Members should promote 'proper' or better way of being a professional as much as possible (I believe this is being done in this forum most of the time, that's why I'm still here) to would be driver. Don't just say; 'if you don't have 2 years experience, you're not a trucker'. As if having years of experience makes you a trucker automatically, does it?

I agree that experience matter (it could be almost everything in this industry), but isn't getting experience a matter of time (i.e. anyone can get it)?

Even if you're not with Swift, but you're a trucker, why would you promote other driver's mistake? To feel better about yourself? That you are a 'real trucker' and those truck drivers are not? (of course I'm not saying this to you @rigjockey )

I'm just saying...:stirpot:
 
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I know I'm pushing my luck here, but I tell it like I see it:

I guess we agree then that it's not difficult to become a 'truck driver' or a 'steering wheel holder' or whatever you want to call it: we agree that it's easy to get into.

So the difficulty of becoming a 'truck driver'or 'trucker' from first getting into it is because:
special skills required by rigorous training and testing?
drastic life style change (from living in homes to living in a truck)?
psychological change of driving 11 hours a day vs. 1 or 2 hours of commute?
high standard of drug testing or back ground checks?
high physical demand of sitting for long periods?
complying with extensive regulation and complex laws?
high standards of continuous education or knowledge?
understanding of ever changing process or procedures?

Or is the difficulty is in staying as a 'trucker' or 'truck driver' after you become one is because:
truck driver is required to conduct professionally at all times?
truck driver has high ethical standards?
truck driver maintains high degree of knowledge and skills?
truck driver is required to pass stringent periodic testing?
truck driver is considerate of safety of others above all else?

In case you don't get it, I'm asking these questions. All, please educate me because I feel like I'm missing something...

I'm saying I don't see any of this as being difficult for me to do. If any of this is difficult for you, then that's just you. If you've worked in any high tech industry, these requirements are just minimum standard stuff that everyone conforms to. It's nothing special.

(I'm just bored (Edit: I may be insane too), sitting at home. I should be out OTR driving a truck, hauling some load... :frown:)
 
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Personally, I think the difference between "steering wheel holders" and "trucker" is the attitude in which you conduct yourself on the road. Do you care how you, your company, and the overall image of the industry look when you are at the controls? Yes? Then you are a trucker, or at least you are a professional. Are you in it just for a pay check, and all others be damned? If so, you are a steering wheel holder.
 
Personally, I think the difference between "steering wheel holders" and "trucker" is the attitude in which you conduct yourself on the road. Do you care how you, your company, and the overall image of the industry look when you are at the controls? Yes? Then you are a trucker, or at least you are a professional. Are you in it just for a pay check, and all others be damned? If so, you are a steering wheel holder.
Okay, thanks for that thought. Interesting point (like you said, 'how you conduct yourself on the road' as the definition).

Edit: I would even say for your own personal sake. Look and act professional everywhere (I believe someone here said this) for your own pride, even on forums where new drivers can 'see' you and judge you. Act intelligently, professionally, then you should be respected (okay, you kinda said this already).
 
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If you get into trucking with the attitude that it's so easy a cave man can do it (thank you Geico) you're going to be in for a rude awakening once you get out there on your own.

It's not rocket science but it does require a good attitude and constant regard for safety every minute that truck is moving, and sometimes even when it's not.
 

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