I'm going with Swift for my first 6 weeks of OTR experience. The company is busing me out to Arizona for a four-day orientation (I'll be signing on to their flatbed division, and they require an extra two days for training on special equipment), which preceeds a six-week training period on the road: four weeks with a dry-box, two weeks with a skateboard.

After reading about all the bad experiences people have had with Swift, I am having second thoughts, and would appreciate it if anyone could suggest a carrier that would hire new graduates for LOCAL runs (with TAH every night). Swift really is a last resort, and I am actually considering TMC instead. I already have a CDL with all endorsements.

I would honestly go to TMC over Swift, but Swift has a flatbed division also. Think you will get home more with TMC

You don't say where you are from, but with TMC you can get home nearly every weekend for most of the country. Check their website for the hiring area.
http://www.tmctrans.com/

They do hire in all 48 states for the longhaul division, and in that you will usually be home every other weekend. Check out the 165 page TMC thread for more information.

At TMC you will get 6 weeks of FLATBED training. After only two weeks of training for load securement I didn't know much, but in six weeks I experienced a wide variety of loads.

If you live in the right areas with TMC you may get onto a dedicated run after you get some experience, that could include being at home every day.

I work for Swift, and while I won't say they are as bad as some would have you believe, they could be much, much better. I'd definitely shop around.

As far as TMC, I recently spoke with a new TMC driver, who told me that he was not getting steady mileage, and he got as low as 1500-1800/wk a few times. He was out of... North Carolina, I believe.

Me, I'm talking to Boyd Bros. I've looked and looked, and have found only promising information. Then, considering I don't know where you're from, they may not be an option. Maverick looks decent, too, and I sent them a app the other day. But I'm holding out for Boyd Bros...