Talk about your narcisstic people!!! I drove for this company for 12 months straight. Sure I had problems when I first started. I was "promised" a new vehicle when I completed my 6-weeks of training. They even sent a letter to my school!!! I received a 6 year old "flat-top". I was expected to drive this cramped, ill-equiped, rig in all 48 states. I was sent to the east coast and that is where I stayed for three weeks! When I asked why I wasn't running 48, I was told that the East coast WAS 48. Then, I get blamed for not running 2700 miles a week!
You tell me: When you are given a 1400 mile run (2 and 1/2 days in a Swift Truck), then you are given 300,250, 150, etc. Miles per run, how can you be expected to run 2700 miles per week?
Too ma, e a LONG story short, the straw that broke the camels back came on my last trip out. I had finally convinced them that I would not run East of the Mississippi River. They were doing pretty good at keeping me in the West. But, I left Tucson one day, made a pick-up in Nogales, drove all the way to Lawrence, Ks. Some 1400 miles. Made my delivery one hour early (8:00 AM), accepted a pre-plan for 400 miles. When I got to the shipper I found out I could not pick up early.in fact I couldn't pick up until 2:00 AM the following morning. I HAD TO SIT FOR 17 HOURS in 103 degree weather. I requested to go to one of our yards (23 miles way). I was told it was TOO FAR!
I quit. I filed for unemployment, the company said I would not recieve it. Well, I am receiving $210.00 a week. The State said: (and I quote) "You quit your job because you were dissatisfied with the working conditions. IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THE OBJECTIONABLE CONDITIONS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THOSE FOR SIMILAR WORK IN THE AREA." [Former, Present, and future, Swift, DSW/HDS; COMPANY DRIVERS TAKE NOTE]: You either discussed your grievance with the employer PRIOR to leaving the job but satisfactory changes were not made, or such discussion was not reasonable.
YOU VOLUNTARILY LEFT WITH GOOD CAUSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE EMPLOYMENT. What does this mean? It means that I tried to reason with my driver manager, but the only thing they were concerned about was losinbg the load. They didn't care that it was a tremendous hardship on me.
When I notified Swift, Swift told me that they would not let a truck set that long, under those conditions. My driver manager COULD have taken me off the load, or they could have let me go the 23 miles to get out of the truck while I waited for my pickup time. They did neither, so, it is costing them $210.00 a week until I can find a more "reputable" company to work for. Why a company would rather pay to idle a truck for 18 hours with the air conditioner running, instead of driving a total of 46 miles is beyond me. It is just one more instance of a company not caring about it's drivers.
KENT
Tucson, Arizona
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