My Experience With Swift

[chefj]

I drove trucks back in the 80's and wanted to get back into it. I got my CDl back(back then it was a class A) and started looking for companies. I settled on Swift bacause they offered the best deal to attain my goal of owning 3 trucks in 2 years. I have to say I was skeptical after reading posts on here but, have been pleasently surprised at the way things have gone.

I did my 6 weeks with a mentor and within a week had a truck and was on my way. I got a Georgia Pacific dedicated run and have been running hard. I don't know why some people have problems with Swift, I guess attitude has a lot to do with it. I am a go-getter so I bug the crap out of them until thngs happen. I don't have to do that anymore, I guess they realized that I would so they started doing things right.

I can say that I am on track to get my first truck in September and will be looking for a team to put in it. Thanks for reading and (if you do) responding to my post.

[jefster]

Good to hear that your doing well at Swift. If I were you though I wouldnt even think about buying a truck with todays fuel prices.

[geomon]

If I were you though I wouldnt even think about buying a truck with todays fuel prices.

Jefster...why do you say that? Freight has to move and with a properly managed FSC you can manage that risk.

Here are the risks I think the chefj should be aware of:

Risk 1: getting accurate estimates on what costs will be and including ALL of them in the business plan. Examples: will the plan include the ROI of the money invested vs keeping it in the bank? How bout budgeting for a new(er) replacement truck in X years? Budgeting for large ticket repairs?

Risk 2...having your competition not know their own costs and low balling your bids. Also mega carriers having lower fixed/variable costs and being able to be profitable at a lower rate. This is not applicable if you plan to lease your trucks on.

Summary...think-plan-and run it like a business :wink:

[chefj]

I've noticed a small trend to this site. If you write a topic that bashes a company you get alot more responses. If you have a good experience with a company, you get less than half the responses. Am I crazy or does anyone else see this?

[Colts Fan]

Or maybe no one gives a crap about your topic.

[Ronin]

I've noticed a small trend to this site. If you write a topic that bashes a company you get alot more responses. If you have a good experience with a company, you get less than half the responses. Am I crazy or does anyone else see this?

Maybe because you are the exception and not the rule. There's plenty of griping to be done about Swift from the refugees, but most of us move on and don't waste our time. And as Colts said most don't care about "success" at [Mega Trucking Company] as company driver. To get respect from the vast majority of the membership you pretty much have to be an O/O.

[MartenDrvrCA]

Or maybe no one gives a crap about your topic.

[Uturn2001]

I don't know why some people have problems with Swift, I guess attitude has a lot to do with it.

In a way you are 100% correct, though probably not in the way you intended.

Sure there are drivers who would not be happy getting 4000 miles a week at $5 per mile as a company driver, but there are a lot of dispatchers, load planners, terminal managers, etc at Swift who also have a very bad attitude when it comes to things (or maybe an "I dont give a %^&*" would be more accurate) that leads to many of the bad reports drivers give about Swift.

If a person gets lucky enough to get a Fleet Manager that actually tries to look after his/her drivers then more often than not that driver's experiences will have a more positive connotation. This usually holds true at most companies.

[belpre122]

I drove trucks back in the 80's and wanted to get back into it. I got my CDl back(back then it was a class A) and started looking for companies. I settled on Swift bacause they offered the best deal to attain my goal of owning 3 trucks in 2 years. I have to say I was skeptical after reading posts on here but, have been pleasently surprised at the way things have gone.

I'm interested in exactly what type of plan/deal that Swift is offering that will bring you up to speed so quickly?

I did my 6 weeks with a mentor and within a week had a truck and was on my way. I got a Georgia Pacific dedicated run and have been running hard. I don't know why some people have problems with Swift, I guess attitude has a lot to do with it. I am a go-getter so I bug the crap out of them until thngs happen. I don't have to do that anymore, I guess they realized that I would so they started doing things right.

Attitude generally has the most to do with it. It appears that yours' is certainly in the right place.

I can say that I am on track to get my first truck in September and will be looking for a team to put in it. Thanks for reading and (if you do) responding to my post.

BOL. Stay in touch, and let us know how it all works out. Your mission has the makings of a very interesting thread.

[bigtimba]

Found a fantastic deal on 13 trucks Swift recently acquired . .

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008...ar-dealership/

[Ronin]

BRILLIANT!!!

Thankfully no one was hurt.

[jonp]

I went through the Swift Driving School many years ago and got my CDL from them and a job. At that time the school was free, they put me up in a hotel and gave me a bonus for signing on. I stayed with them for 3 years. They had some up and downs but overall I had a very good experience with them. I drove a flatbed and if there was no flatbed freight then I got a van load. I was always as busy as I wanted.
Why did I leave? I moved from Arizona back home to Vermont and they didn't have a terminal back here and just couldn't get me home. I left on good terms and wouldn't hesitate to re-hire with them if I was looking to go back to a major company.
One of the good parts of a large company like that is the number of terminals around the country, the freight base is large and you can transfer if you want. There are some bad points, however I dont think they are specific to Swift, they are pretty much like that for every large company.

[Daddy's Rig]

I went through the Swift Driving School many years ago and got my CDL from them and a job. At that time the school was free, they put me up in a hotel and gave me a bonus for signing on. I stayed with them for 3 years. They had some up and downs but overall I had a very good experience with them. I drove a flatbed and if there was no flatbed freight then I got a van load. I was always as busy as I wanted.
Why did I leave? I moved from Arizona back home to Vermont and they didn't have a terminal back here and just couldn't get me home. I left on good terms and wouldn't hesitate to re-hire with them if I was looking to go back to a major company.
One of the good parts of a large company like that is the number of terminals around the country, the freight base is large and you can transfer if you want. There are some bad points, however I dont think they are specific to Swift, they are pretty much like that for every large company.

I drove for Swift from 94-97..Good company with a lot of freight..that when top speed was 57mph..Imagine going from El Paso to Sunrise,Fl
..that was 1 long ride..Schneider and Swift are good places to start..and
retire I guess..

[FlaCrakr]

Or maybe no one gives a crap about your topic.

And than some people do. Thanks for the post.

[chefj]

Belpre122 to answer your question,and thanks for asking by the way, I got lucky enough to get on a good dedicated run that pays me $.37 a mile and will run my first truck solo on this run. My 2nd and 3rd trucks will have teams in them OTR. I usually get 2800-3000 miles a week on this run and should be in line to get my first truck in September. hope this answers your question. And, thanks to everyone else who responded to this thread. I will keep you updated. Chefj

[Twilight Flyer]

Or maybe no one gives a crap about your topic.

I don't know what's gotten into you the past few months, Colts Fan, but you might consider cleaning the piss out of your Cheerios bowl. You've been downright rude lately...has me wondering if you're channeling CFM's past incarnation.

[jonp]

I went through the Swift Driving School many years ago and got my CDL from them and a job. At that time the school was free, they put me up in a hotel and gave me a bonus for signing on. I stayed with them for 3 years. They had some up and downs but overall I had a very good experience with them. I drove a flatbed and if there was no flatbed freight then I got a van load. I was always as busy as I wanted.
Why did I leave? I moved from Arizona back home to Vermont and they didn't have a terminal back here and just couldn't get me home. I left on good terms and wouldn't hesitate to re-hire with them if I was looking to go back to a major company.
One of the good parts of a large company like that is the number of terminals around the country, the freight base is large and you can transfer if you want. There are some bad points, however I dont think they are specific to Swift, they are pretty much like that for every large company.

I drove for Swift from 94-97..Good company with a lot of freight..that when top speed was 57mph..Imagine going from El Paso to Sunrise,Fl
..that was 1 long ride..Schneider and Swift are good places to start..and
retire I guess..

It was 57 when I was there also. I feel your pain. Nothing like getting up in El Paso, driving all day and going to bed then getting up and still being in Texas!

[Kurbski]

Just think of all that great texas bbq and brisket you can eat along the way. The only place in the world I have ever had chicken fried bacon was in Snook Texas. man..thats a long state no matter what your driving or speed your at.

[homer]

maybe you can hire some of those 6 month level 1 mentors to drive those swift trucks or better yet yet get some of those 18 cpm drivers at the mexico office to pick those trucks up at the factory in saltillo.
that other driver thought you where competing with mega carrier not realizing your reducing his liabilities