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
Ray Smith Jr.
So what there saying is they only use chains to get out of trouble…ok. so when you know there is a chain law in effect and your in denver, shouldnt they stop you from driving up into trouble? I have driven the I 70 corridor since I was 16 with trucks and all.kinds of cranes and such. Chaining up is part of the job and if you cant do it then find some other job that doesnt require a little excellence in it. Get with the program and put some miles down. People work harder trying to find a reason not ot drive then just driving..
jtmkinsd
He’s not an “idiot”…driving with chains in the proper way IS safe…he didn’t say otherwise. Swift’s policy is to use chains only in an emergency to get to a safe place to wait out the weather. That is NOT an industry policy…chains are safely used EVERY YEAR to drive through inclement conditions. In the end, the decision rests with the driver…if you don’t like driving with chains…don’t.
Roger Bradford
How many people do you have working in your accident claims department now ? No wonder Swift is the butt of 90% of all truck driver jokes and memes !
Bella
Put the chains yea right because you do that all the time don’t you Angela? He was on the clock if this was his truck than ok like a owner but Swift pushed him most likely because is a new driver and because dispatch drinks with operation managers and sales women who don’t have CDLs but they want to fired people with families pushed them to drive just so management can keep their jobs. Arizona trainer gave a job to a chick in Colorado name Meineke Joy When she has a boss so the owners of bosses of the Arizona headquarters need to fired a whole new staff they are the lazy ones ruining this company. This is a first for me defending Swift I never seemed them accept fault and cared for a driver. Hope this message gets to the owners!
Giovanni Socci
uuuuhhh?!?!?!?
Bella
If this driver was not on clock that would had been on him but he had someone who then knew he had pushed that driver. The Colorado office of swift those people in charge that Arizona just assigned without knowing them but just by Skype to lead people in Colorado when they don’t drive. You got leaders that don’t have CDLs you got trainers kicking new drivers out Swifts trucks is a horrible horrible place to work for. Corporate in Arizona needs to stop playing owners and ride with all those drivers your management And dispatchers are running for customers.
Angela Nance
Sweet lies and kisses. Swift drivers work for free. Just covering their asses should they wreck with this bs broadcast to the world. They should have put on the chains, then coordinate with all the other Swift drivers to run em all in the ditch and look for a better job. Injury lawyers would have been going Cha ching all over the country if they saw that. Safety first eh? Nothing but bs trucking company got caught with it’s little panties down. Been going forever.
Carroll
If roads are open, chains required, it is your job to go! Speed limit with chains is 30 mph. Use common sense, safe distance and all will be ok. Or find another job.
Handy
I agree with Larry on this one. If you’re going through a region that has inclement winter weather chains are part of the job. Chain up, go a reasonable and prudent speed for conditions, and pay attention to other motorists. Not that big of an inconvenience.
Ivor J Padula
You’re an idiot. If it’s unsafe, don’t go. If you kill someone it’s on you. The dispatcher will deny it and you go to jail.
jtmkinsd
He’s not an “idiot”…driving with chains in the proper way IS safe…he didn’t say otherwise. Swift’s policy is to use chains only in an emergency to get to a safe place to wait out the weather. That is NOT an industry policy…chains are safely used EVERY YEAR to drive through inclement conditions. In the end, the decision rests with the driver…if you don’t like driving with chains…don’t.
Giovanni Socci
I don t know how long you ve been driving,but chaining up was and is all part of the job,for some of us is not a big deal,we go past the chain zone and continue on driving after that,no one ever called anybody an idiot for chaining up.
We used to help the ones that never chained up before,we certainly didn t think they were idiots.
No one is advocating for driving unsafe,but if you can t handle it,yes,park it,the last thing we need is a wannabe trucker.