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
Truckers VS Drivers
If the trucks don’t move.
If trucks stop due to “inclement” weather, where do you suppose the oil for heating your homes, keeping your family’s all warm, toasty and fed? The grocery store shelves don’t refill themselves and as a 20yr OTR veteran, I assure you there aren’t elves that restock magically overnight. Driving in bad weather, mountainous terrain and CHAINING UP is part of the job. Most states will shut the interstates down if it’s that bad. Suck it up butter cup, you chose the career. A good dispatcher (as bad as I loathe SWIFT) wouldn’t put their drivers in harms way.
Truckin’ ain’t what it used to be and most driver’s aren’t truckers anymore…
Angela Nance
You are right. Trucking just ain’t the same. Pays 37.5% less than 1970”s adjusted for inflation. Thanks to Carter and deregulation. Wage slaves. Enjoy that professional stupidity! How’s those 1970’s wages for you?
Kyle j McKee
This is why SWIFT is in the shape that they are. “Overzealous”, you do realize that the “overzealous” driver leader or whatever you call your crack team if morons over there, sent out an area wide communication from dispatch indicating to drivers “hey, we don’t care about the weather, all we care about is the profit your making for us”. Then, mind you, it four hours, fours hours for someone to catch what Waldo did, and tell him to redact and modify another message to indicate this is not SWIFTs ideals. Meanwhile, within those four hours, 80,000 pound vehicles were transversing the road and it’s by shear luck, no one was injured or killed. This why contract trucking needs to stop and private fleets need to move their freight. Its frightening to think contract trucking has profit over people or safety. Contract trucking says they are dedicated to safety, when in reality it’s safety that takes a back seat.
Don't be lazy
Can somebody just come and hold my hand while i drive like a support person. Its a job where its not always rainbows and pretty sunsets folks. The best part is all the people to affraid or just plain lazy clogging up the chain up areas rather than pulling off and parking somewhere they drive to the base of the pass knowing their gonna sit it out and make us drivers who do our jobs are not lazy emd up chaining up on the fog line. Your not gonna make the 70,000$ the add promised ya sitting waiting for snow to pass. Next they will be bitching about small paycheck and wanting snow day pay.
Jason Turner
Good for you, hero!
Angela Nance
Thnx for your input dispatcher or are you the CEO?
Murray willis
It no different than what I was told by a fleet manager.i dont care if u have to drive 5mph.get it there .This fleet manager is in ATLANTA.GA.IF WE HAVE DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR DRIVERS WHY NOT HAVE THE SAME FOR FLEET LEADERS.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN LIVES AT STAKE.NOW UPPER MANAGER PLEADS I AM SORRY BUT WHAT IF THAT DRIVER WAS NEW.AND DROVE AND KILLED SOMEONE.WOULD SWIFT BE HAVEING THIS CONVERSATION. SAFETY FIRST
Frank constanza
When I worked for Maine’s paper and food company they had us drive doubles when the state shut the roads down claiming we were necessary for hospitals and nursing homes We never delivered to them
Robert Schaaf
Get them on and drive
Bob
Knight does not care about you. I dealt with them and their work comp insurance for almost 2 years. They told me I still had a job several times. I had to fight hard to get compensated and surgeries after losing traction on slick pavement while bobtailing with barely legal tires. They refused to give me better tires or fix the anti lock brake system. I ended up in a ditch on the driver’s side. And once they offered me a settlement they decided to call it a preventable accident and screwed me royally.
Marshall Lee Giampocaro
Chains is a requirement to have on your truck in a few states. It doesn’t mean you have to use them. I got my truck stuck on the ice one time and I just threw them on the ground to get traction. Chaining tires in the cold is an easy way to have a heart attack. It constricts blood vessels. Don’t do it. If you need chains, you need to PARK!
John Burger
heart attack from putting chains? Exercise much?