Today's New Truck Drivers and Their Training

[Camper]

What name calling?

Go back a few posts and see the comment in which you accused me of being arrogant

The issue I had is when I stated that my view of Swift's training program puts them at the bottom you felt the need to point out it is my opinion and it was wrong.

Again, nobody said having an opinion on the matter was wrong. However, stating it as fact as you did in post #29 is. Personally, I don't have a problem with your opinion. I only had a problem with how it was stated.

You can have your view that Swift's program is a good one and I can have mine, they are personal opinions.

Precisely my point. However, I never said Swift was a good program. However, it is a good one for those who have no prior experience who also can't afford an outside program.

 

[paullud]

What exactly about JB's training program to you believe is superior than Swift's?

Lets not confuse better compensation with better training.

I was just lumping the list together, JB has better pay but no training program. Werner has a requirement for 275 hours minimum which gives plenty of behind the wheel time for a trainee as opposed to giving a time of 4 weeks which could be a lot or a little. Werner also has a simulator to train drivers for different weather, lighting, and traffic conditions, it is not out on the road but it is a practical way to train. Oh and Swift actually pays their trainees better than Werner so I wasn't using that as a measure it is the pay after that I meant.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[ATeam]

To those offering up strong opinions about carriers and strong opinions about those offering up strong opinions, may I suggest a time out to consider the following?

Times change and carriers change.

Companies get bought and sold.

Company management changes and with it company priorities.

The Great Recession took out many carriers, motivated others to merge or restructure, and motivated still others to fundamentally change their way of doing business.

CSA is now a fact of life for all carriers, even those that ignored it early on. With FMCSA warning letters now received, even the carriers who resisted this safety initiative are not treating it with more respect and changing their behavior accordingly.

What was true for many carriers was indeed true, but it is also true that economic and industry developments are prompting many carriers to change in many ways. The past is not the indicator of future carrier behavior as it may once have been.

 

[Camper]

I was just lumping the list together, JB has better pay but no training program.

JB doesn't offer CDL training anymore but they still require new hires to go through an orientation training which includes a road test as do most big OTR carriers.





.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

It is a reasonable fee....for the chance to get your CDL you are buying a career...after all

 

[Camper]

Saying someone is acting arrogant isn't name calling, it is my opinion on how you were responding.

But it is, as is use of any such adjective.

My statement was clearly an opinion though, again I will refer to the "World's Greatest Dad" or "World's Greatest Grandma" coffee cup. Those are statements of opinion without using the words "I think" in them. Do you ask to see the official rankings or evidence to prove it? Of course not, it is a sentiment or feeling that is being expressed and if it is just interpreted literally it is an absolute and could be proven wrong.

Apples and oranges..See your example of the "greatest dad" cup is a statement in jest. However, your statement about Swift having the worst program is borderline slanderous when stated the way you stated it in post #29.

Well you told me I was off base and that they were far from the worst training program. I think it is an acceptable training program if there was no other choice but it appears that Werner is a better option with Schneider being better than them.

Well, you were off base for reasons I and a couple other posters have already pointed out.

 

[Camper]

I think everyone has an orientation and road test for drivers, even small carriers, I believe it is a requirement for the companies.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

Pretty much what was said in the previous post as stated below. There are a few exceptions.

JB doesn't offer CDL training anymore but they still require new hires to go through an orientation training which includes a road test as do most big OTR carriers.

 

[Camper]

As I said, things are changing. Opinions about a carrier's current performance that are based on past performance are opinions weakly based, in my opinion.

This should be the closing line of this thread.

 

[x06col]

I think everyone has an orientation and road test for drivers, even small carriers, I believe it is a requirement for the companies.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

Just what else do you "think and believe"?? Kinda curious myself. You seem to type a lot on here, are you under employed?? Gimme some facts, steada jes tinking & believing.

If you need something to do.....I read on Yahoo today.....seems there are plenty of feral hogs to dispatch in your area.

 

[cheri1122]

No, I am not in any way affiliated with Swift, in any way, shape or form, so you can put that conspiracy theory to rest. My issue is with those who make such broad, sweeping statements about a program, based on regurgitated news from 3 years ago. 3 years is an eternity in this industry. That being said, I read those stories back when they were actually newsworthy. I don't need to read them again.

With all due respect, you're the only one who's getting all defensive with the sophomoric name calling after your assertion was challenged.

Wait a cotton picking minute - you said 'adjectives = name calling', so who used such charged adjectives as 'utopian', 'ranting & raving', etc?

You're entitled to your opinion but when you state it as fact which you did, whether you know it or not, you set yourself up for rebuttal.

Check out post 51, in which you stated that Swift does not have the worst training program - sounds pretty unequivocal to me....also the comment "to assume they're the worst is to assume they're the only one cutting corners" [which is unequivocally FALSE, BTW].
I don't read any arrogance in Paullud's posts, but if you do, then pot, meet kettle - the arrogance and condescension fairly drip from comments such as "the cold hard truth is that companies are in business to make a profit, not to be charitable", "there is no utopian training program", and more that I won't bother retyping.
Swift may or may not be the 'worst', but the many indications that they could and should be better are hardly the 'tired old arguments' you describe - they're a red flag to everyone who shares the road with the maybe/maybe not competent rookies.




Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[davekc]

Swift was investigated this year in Memphis, TN and their school was shut down for a variety of infractions. That would be current enough for me.

 

[leezaback]

The worst training -is no training-THAT includes-A-B-E-X holders

 

[Camper]

No, I am not in any way affiliated with Swift, in any way, shape or form, so you can put that conspiracy theory to rest. My issue is with those who make such broad, sweeping statements about a program, based on regurgitated news from 3 years ago. 3 years is an eternity in this industry. That being said, I read those stories back when they were actually newsworthy. I don't need to read them again.

With all due respect, you're the only one who's getting all defensive with the sophomoric name calling after your assertion was challenged.

Wait a cotton picking minute - you said 'adjectives = name calling', so who used such charged adjectives as 'utopian', 'ranting & raving', etc?

You're entitled to your opinion but when you state it as fact which you did, whether you know it or not, you set yourself up for rebuttal.

Check out post 51, in which you stated that Swift does not have the worst training program - sounds pretty unequivocal to me....also the comment "to assume they're the worst is to assume they're the only one cutting corners" [which is unequivocally FALSE, BTW].
I don't read any arrogance in Paullud's posts, but if you do, then pot, meet kettle - the arrogance and condescension fairly drip from comments such as "the cold hard truth is that companies are in business to make a profit, not to be charitable", "there is no utopian training program", and more that I won't bother retyping.
Swift may or may not be the 'worst', but the many indications that they could and should be better are hardly the 'tired old arguments' you describe - they're a red flag to everyone who shares the road with the maybe/maybe not competent rookies.




Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

To say Swift is the worst program based on an article from 3 years ago was a blatant leap. As for the rest of your rant, it's all rehashing the same arguments from previous posts. You and Paul seem to have a penchant for getting a lot of mileage out of a dead horse.


Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Camper]

Swift was investigated this year in Memphis, TN and their school was shut down for a variety of infractions. That would be current enough for me.

That's news to me..Do you happen to have a link to an article? I'm surprised the two self-proclaimed experts( the P C duo) who refuse to give this thread a rest haven't mentioned that.

According to the below link, their school is still in operation, including the Memphis location.

http://www.swifttruckingjobs.com/new_schools.php


Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[cheri1122]

To say Swift is the worst program based on an article from 3 years ago was a blatant leap. As for the rest of your rant, it's all rehashing the same arguments from previous posts. You and Paul seem to have a penchant for getting a lot of mileage out of a dead horse.

Along with arrogance, condescension, and deflection, you can add projection to the list of traits displayed in your posts - because you continued to reply, even if only to heap further insults rather than respond to the points made,[like calling it 'rehashing old arguments' when your own contradictions are pointed out]. I'm done wasting time on it.


Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Camper]

To say Swift is the worst program based on an article from 3 years ago was a blatant leap. As for the rest of your rant, it's all rehashing the same arguments from previous posts. You and Paul seem to have a penchant for getting a lot of mileage out of a dead horse.

Along with arrogance, condescension, and deflection, you can add projection to the list of traits displayed in your posts - because you continued to reply, even if only to heap further insults rather than respond to the points made,[like calling it 'rehashing old arguments' when your own contradictions are pointed out]. I'm done wasting time on it.


Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

Nobody is insulting anyone, except to say there seems to be a certain cohort who seem to thrive on rehashing arguments by grasping at straws or re-wording the same argument 8 ways to Sunday. When that fails, your MO seems to be to get personal and try to discredit the poster. I've seen you do it with others. It's not going to work with me. The buck stops here. As turtle is fond of saying, "Attack the post, not the poster". Until you can heed that piece of advice, perhaps you ought to refrain from further participation in any forum.





.



Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[skyraider]

To say Swift is the worst program based on an article from 3 years ago was a blatant leap. As for the rest of your rant, it's all rehashing the same arguments from previous posts. You and Paul seem to have a penchant for getting a lot of mileage out of a dead horse.

Along with arrogance, condescension, and deflection, you can add projection to the list of traits displayed in your posts - because you continued to reply, even if only to heap further insults rather than respond to the points made,[like calling it 'rehashing old arguments' when your own contradictions are pointed out]. I'm done wasting time on it.


Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

Rule of Thumb: Do not tick off Cherii .

 

[Camper]

Rule of Thumb: Do not tick off Cherii .

Time to throw out that outdated copy of the bylaws.

 

[mcavoy33]

Paul,

If Swift is your definition of the worst training company, them my goal is to become by your definition the worst OTR cargo van training company. You could only name 2 companies who were better.

JB Hunt had to get out of that business side of it because they couldn't safely make a profit at it. Acompany that had to leave the new driver training market is by my definition worse than onewho can successfully turn out one of the highest numbers of new drivers every year.

Can you name 10 companies that can successfully train more new drivers than Swift? If not, I think that makes them quite eliteat what they do and one of thebest.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Experienced and Professional Expediters are ready to help you make smart decisions. Not OTR
Don't ya all think it is time to move unto Safe Expediters driving habits?