Some truck drivers for Swift Transportation, a unit of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KNX), said they received messages via their onboard computer messaging systems around 7 a.m. Dec. 2 instructing them to chain up and drive in inclement weather to get their loads delivered on time.
“We cannot afford to have you down or the load to be days late due to weather,” said the message, sent by a Swift driver leader and posted by Swift drivers on the Twisted Truckers Facebook page. “If we can drive, we will — whether it be 5 mph or an appropriate speed as long as we are safe.”
The social media post received more than 3,700 comments from truckers responding to the message. Some said they would park until conditions improved while others stated that driving in harsh weather conditions is just part of the job.
Winter weather alerts disrupted much of the Northeast on Dec. 2 after a storm dumped snow, freezing rain and sleet across a large portion of the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Severe weather was also reported in portions of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades in southern Oregon to the mountains of northern Nevada and southern Idaho.
A follow-up message was sent approximately four hours later by the same driver leader to Swift drivers clarifying that he did not recommend drivers be on the road “if the weather won’t allow it or you do not feel comfortable.”
Kevin Quast, chief operating officer of Swift, confirmed the message was sent by one of its “newer driver leaders,” but said the statement didn’t accurately convey the company’s position on safety.
“This was not a company-wide statement,” Quast told FreightWaves. “A newer driver leader with us was a little overzealous with what he was trying to do. We’ve coached him and helped him to understand really what he was communicating and we made sure we are all approaching it the same way.”
A post on Swift Transportation’s Facebook page on Dec. 3, a day after the original message was posted, clarified the mega-carrier’s position on its chain usage stance.
“Chains should be used to get a driver out of trouble and to find the first safe/legal place to park,” Swift’s post stated. “They [chains] are not to be used to make a delivery on time or to get through bad weather.”
Dave Berry, vice president of Swift, said he wasn’t aware of the social media posts concerning the Swift driver leader’s message sent via OmniTracs, formerly Qualcomm.
“Loads can be late, but the priority is the people on the highway and the people behind the wheel of the truck,” Berry told FreightWaves.
Since the merger with Knight Transportation in 2017, Swift is becoming significantly safer than it’s been in decades, Quast said.
“We take safety very seriously and are continuing to improve and work hard to become even safer,” he said.
FreightWaves’ Stephen Oatley contributed to this report
Lloyd smith
Ok and? Your point is what? It’s up to the driver not whoever sent the message. They problem now days is the these new folks have to be told how and when to something. Guess what? You big companies that wanted the hours of service changed and the eld b.s. are paying for it. You now have drivers that have to be told when to tie their shoes. Hope you’re happy. Any way. The driver is in charge the truck. He does not have to throw steel. For the record guys ,there is no such thing as forced dispatch. Don’t feel safe or you are tired, turn it down or pull over. If the dispatcher tell’s to call to them no. Tell to communicate over the Qualcomm. Trust me ,do not call you will not have any evidence or proof of conversation.
Joseph Corrigan
I worked for Swift 1 whole snowy winter never once did they make me chained up. They told me to pull over and be safe.
Jesse Jackson
Always walk away from a supervisor like that , your life and the lives of the motoring public are more important then the job. Keep your driving record clean and look for a new job and hope they put safety ahead of the customer. Don’t get me wrong the customer pays the bills . But your life and the lives of the motoring public is your responsibility. Just walk and live to work another day and maybe the the next guy will be a better work place.
Mark Coffey
Ive driven back in the day literally thousands of miles chained up and for the most part of it, scared shitless. I would not force anyone to do it except to get to a safe place and wait it out. We had hell just keeping our cabs warm enough to keep your feet from freezing. Even so with these new nice rigs….park em ! Be safe, stay out of trouble. In 24 hours nobody will remember anyway. Life and your family go on.
Sally Ann Martin
Many companies’ stance seems to be, drive only if the driver can safely do so. That way, if the driver wrecks, then it will be the driver’s fault for choosing to drive in unsafe conditions. That would be proven by his wreck. I disagree with this because winter conditions can change in seconds. A rogue, unforcast gust of wind can blow a truck over in any season. We once saw 4 overturned trucks with in a mile. It was not windy when we passed through safely. My husband was told by a seasoned dispatcher to deadhead down the length of the Rockies during a windy blizzard. Husband told the dispatcher it was unsafe. The dispatcher said, “Well you can just stay there until it thaws!” When we returned to the terminal, he chose a new DM. He also lost a $500 safety bonus for breaking a .89 plastic screw when a deer jumped in front of him off of a bank above the road.
Wayne
People have to realize that Swift/Knight or just Swift, especially Swift, is a churn and burn outfit. People who think walmart abuses their employees, have never driven for this sweatshop outfit. Deregulation allowed companies like this to exist. And the driver has suffered since. Hope the douche who forced them to drive is dealt with. One way or the other.
Anthony Kornetka
Been driven 28 years.never let someone behind a desk tell me it safe to drive.you don’t feel safe.get off the road.
Lee
The first comment would sound more like the swift, that most seasoned drivers would think true. We remember the driver license issues, have seen several major mistakes from the company. Now I will also say. In the last three years swift has been changing. I would much rather be near a swift truck than a Schneider, of jbhunt truck. Swift has done a lot to clean up the reputation of the company. I have never worked for swift. Just seen and read things. I will say keep up the work you are doing. It is going in the correct direction.
Stephen Webster
Too many truck drivers are being forced to take take chances to make delivery appointment. The companies are more concerned about using the E-LOGS to control truck drivers than safety. I talked to a insurance guy today
He said large companies are cheating truck drivers
Insurance companies are cheating truck drivers as well. The reason California passed a laws about truck driver pay rules.
John Carver
If you have to chain up and drive at slower speed along with new rules then your going to be late regardless. Know if Swift wants be as predicted usually you’ll find the truck in the ditch and waiting on a wrecker. I thought by know Swift would have learned better by know