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
Colin Young
Why isn’t Swift being fined by the FMCSA? This would appear to be classic coercion on a company wide scale
Raymond
It is easy to drive a truck from an office desk sitting warm and comfortable in a chair holding a cup of coffee. Those leaders should be required to spend a week on a copilot seat to learn first hand the job of a truck driver.
Ryan Todd
These trucking companies don’t care anything about safety.. I drove for Boyd Bros a flatbed company.. every trailer I would hook up to the abs light would come on and stay on indicating a fault in the air brakes system.. I would tell my fleet manager, they would tell me to take the load anyway.. I should of refused and let them fire me.. I took pictures and all that of the abs lights and messed up trailers.. but I ended up turning my keys in as well and kinda screwed myself out of a lawsuit.. long story short, trucking companies don’t care about safety at all, it’s all just to make the public think they practice safety but they do not..
Don’t Be Stupid
Swift, come on I no those drivers don’t let them threaten them with driving in unsafe weather. They only pay 15 cpm. Gone threw Jersey while that truck band is in place and let Swift answer to the Mayor and DOT!!
Giovanni Socci
It used to be like that,no weather condition would stop us,if the roads were closed,we d try to find an alternate route,if there was one,I survived some of the most hair raising,heart stopping detours,but I am glad that Swift and the industry are seeing the light.
Angela Nance
They are seeing lawyers in the rear view mirror. You sound a little naive or maybe just being nice. Better to move on from that prison on wheels than to sit to in one for years.
Giovanni Socci
you talkin’ to me? no prison on wheels here.
I do my job and get paid for it,I can quit if I want to.
Where is the prison part? I ve never worked for Swift or any of the sweat shops on wheels,I was referring to how it used to be for us,driving on ice and snow was not a big deal,it was an every day type of thing and no one ever complained or whined about it.
Ex Swifter
I have put my life in danger while training in winter storms with Swift. I was trained to never stop and get the delivery there on time (especially Amazon and FedEx routes). I made a promise to myself that I would ditch the truck and my life instead of hitting a 4 wheeler. Many nights I drove without sleep and would get chewed out for stopping at a rest area. I drove the truck to Syracuse NY and handed Swift the keys. I fear that Swift will cause a serious disaster. This company calls me weekly for “Swift University” reimbursement.
Ex Swifter
BTW… I would love to see their financials. Most of the revenue would come from the “Swift University” that is a separate LLC, owned and managed by Swift/Knight .
Edward Heard
I always teach my students to have a preventive, safety first mentality. Don’t move the truck if conditioned are abnormally bad. When you’ve created severe damage or death on the roadway, guess who will be jailed, lose a job, or license. Sorry, your first responsibility should be to your family and you. Your job will be posted immediately!
Larry
Hello. The only time I throw iron is gaining elevation, to a point of descent. For you zombie millenials, I put chains on driving over big mountains. You shouldn’t drive with chains on over 25 MPH. It’s much safer with chains on, and usually you drive a few miles through the worst conditions of packed snow and ice, carefully, and you find yourself out the other side on safe, clean conditions again; where you can drive faster. Chains are nothing to fear, they are another tool for professional drivers. Beware states without .