To be honest with you, I would choose swift. Just put in a year or 2 with no tickets or accidents and you will have have a very strong starting point to bargain with when you choose to go with another company.
Your first year will suck! I started with swift in 04 after taking 4 years off to work at a refinery after driving with May trucking. And I knew what to expect this time, and it was still irritating. I had alot of drop and hook when I was there and was dispatched everywhere. Their computer set is amazing, do my detriment
, I had only enough hours to do a 200 load, and that damn thing found me a load. I wanted to go to bed.
They do have forced dispatch, and that is one of the reasons I left. you also might consider Knight Transportation. They only require 4 months experience. Go to swift or prime or however for 4 months and if you don't like them go to knight for a few years to build up some stability on your resume. Knight is non-forced dispatch and much more driver friendly than swift or prime, depending on which terminal you are out of.
You should also think of getting your cdl through a school outside of whatever company you choose to start with, unless you are committed to staying for the duration of the payoff for your training. I can't remember what swift period was, I think it was a year, but am not sure.
There is a prime terminal in SLC down the street from my LTL job, and there are a large number of smashed trucks in that yard. Don't know if it's their accidents investigation area or what, but they park the damn things right next to the side of the road and everyone going by can see them. They always have an add in the paper for $835-$1245 a week, but still have a yard full of trucks, but then again this is the reefer division too.
If you have any questions feel free to pm me and I'll try to do some research for you, or continue posting here at CAD. You will find a great many brilliant posts and posters who would love to help you.
You've chosen a fantastic career! But that's my opinion :twisted: