[-FlyByNight-]

I would suggest looking around your local community for training you can either pay for yourself or get help paying for. Job Service, Community Colleges etc. That way you don't become an indentured servent to a company for any period of time simply because they trained you. That being said, if I HAD to choose between the two companies you listed, I'd go with Schneider hands down. Good luck.

[Skullitor]

Schneider is railing most good freight and giving us crap loads with floor loads and multiple drops that trains can't do.Also closing terminals has a few of us worried! :x The health plan is garbage to now.Many ready to quit the Mighty Pumpkin i hear. :x

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Skullitor

Schneider is railing most good freight and giving us crap loads with floor loads and multiple drops that trains can't do.Also closing terminals has a few of us worried! :x The health plan is garbage to now.Many ready to quit the Mighty Pumpkin i hear. :x

Sorry to hear about this, Skull!!!

Coming from you, "Mr. Pumpkin Blood" himself, things must have REALLY gone to Hell in a handbag!!!

Any thoughts on your plans for the future???

[Timerider315]

I have worked for swift and shneider and id allso have to say there both not very good but if it were a choice, shneider all the way because swift is very tricky and plays alot of games with your reputation, this didnt just happen to me it allso happen to 3 guys I met at swift who left the company because of their games. STAY FAR AWAY FROM SWIFT

[emerlin]

Originally Posted by Ian Williams

You got a false dilemma here. Its like driving past the steakhouse and sushi bar asking do I want McDonalds or Burger King?

This is some seriously flawed logic. Or at least a bad example. If you don't have the money for the steakhouse or sushi bar, you do ask questions like "McDonalds or Burger King?"...

Likewise, if you don't have any OTR experience, you're not likely to be able to get on with the "steakhouse" company.

[dieselgrl]

*shrugs*

I started my career with Swift. Got my license through them in Millington, TN school. Stayed my year, and left for "greener pastures". Six months later, I was back in Swift orientation. I've gone through major periods of love/hate with them, and have bounced around the company like a rubber ball to find the terminal and dispatcher that I worked best with. I've also worked in the Ocala, FL shop.

Like any other big company, they have their pluses, and they have their fair share of well earned minuses. It's all what you make of it. I left them the last time to go flatbedding since Swift doesn't care for women in that division, (nor is it their specialty) or I'd probably still be hauling on my dedicated account right now.

[NevadaJim]

Originally Posted by Ian Williams

You got a false dilemma here. Its like driving past the steakhouse and sushi bar asking do I want McDonalds or Burger King?

CPM is not the whole picture.

Do they use HHG or Practical Miles?

Whats the average length of haul?

Do they have a busy lane close to your home?

Pay for detention, delay, and other stuff can make a big difference.

An 18 month payback for their over priced training is just ridiculous. You are much better off finding a local truck school and paying your own way. On the plus side they do have computer simulators, thats something that only a handful or training programs had.

One of the guys on the swing shift with me trained with Pumpkin. He only stuck around for about a month on a dedicated account that paid $800 week for 60-70 hrs before entering the promised land of LTL.

One of our line drivers started his career with Swift in CA and went through a personnel bankruptcy when they had no work for him.

Just my $.02

No false dilemma at all. If someone doesn't have the finances, credit, whatever, to finance going to school the choices are limited. Most here make the assumption that everyone can find a way to pay for school. That's the false dilemma. The options for a rookie to find a training company are not as great as you may think. Coming out of a school there are more options. After sticking it out for a year and keeping your nose clean, there will be more opportunities. I wish I had 4K under the mattress so I could pay upfront, but I don't.

This is just my opinion, but anyone that needs to file bankrupcy after starting a career with ANY company either didn't do his homework or didn't manage his money very well. There's just too many resources out there to not know how much you'll be making vs. how much you need to sustain your livlihood each month. I wouldn't be blaming a company for his situation.

[Splitter]

Is SNI still unable to enforce a contract in CA? Last I heard, they had no contract there.
In my opinion, 18 months is too long for a contract. It's amazing what a company will do to keep meat in the seat.

[Maximum Destruction]

Originally Posted by mikey4069

A new driver starting off as an o/o i can see that working . :roll:

oh my god. ops:

[danj_otr]

Swift did good for training me.
Good company for the most part, in my own experience.

Just remember 1 thing, all these companies are doing is getting you prepped for your CDL exam and that is it. The real fun starts after you go solo! :twisted: