Swift in Trouble??
#41
If I'm still alive in 8 to 9 years, I'll buy out all of their terminals and replace them with skateparks/shooting ranges.
#43
Kevin, you are so Nieve, quit trying to defend swift at every turn. Face reality, Swift is one of the worst organizations that the trucking industry has. They have lost many many law suits, their credit rating this last quarter dropped, which is a sign that they are struggling to pay on their debts, they have a massive turnover because they let go of the higher paid drivers to bring in fresh trainees to start off at .26cpm. All those swift drivers out there are so happy that they get to keep rollin them wheels making next to nothing, and never realizing they are helping to destroy the rest of us. Swift, JB, Werner, Scheinder, and all the other mega carriers are doing nothing more then destroying the rates for everyone else, and in turn destroying the industry. I'll let you in on something, these companies cannot AFFORD to haul the freight at the rates they are accepting, that is why they offer these lease programs, the more drivers they got on that contract, the less trucks they have to be financially responsable for, knowing DAMN well that these lease ops in the long run will not be able to afford to keep rolling at the prices they get.
A secondary thing they are doing to destroy the industry is to keep training new students! We don't need new drivers, the freight isn't here right now to support the qualified and experienced drivers in the labor pool to begin with! Why do they do it then, simple, because they are making a lot of money off of training drivers! They don't care that there is no possible hope for getting all of these people in a truck and making a living, they just care that they complete the training and get their government credits, and try to get you to pay the bill when they don't employ you or let you go, or you leave because you realize you are stuck in a crappy spot and want to find something better, which will be damn tough right now. I know you think I am picking on you from the other 2 threads I have replied in, but I'm not, I'm just trying to get you to realize and see that you don't know the answers, you don't understand everything that is going on yet. At this point in time all I can say to anyone driving for swift, is STAY THERE until you can find something better, because more then likely it's going to be a while and its going to be tough to find anything else right now. Do I think swift is going under? Yes I do. At the time I left swift they let go of 3000 drivers that month! I see people throwing around such small numbers of how many people they let go, and in reality in the last year they have let go well over 5000 drivers. It hasn't been a layoff persay, they have been going through and systematically weeding out drivers for various reasons. Some I am sure more then deserved to be let go, but others I know for a fact did not deserve to be let go. They have been letting go of people for things as stupid as minor log violations! And that isn't even the true reason of why they let these people go, they simply look at the highest paid company drivers, and look for any possible black or grey mark to let them go so they can replace them with trainees, why pay a driver .31 - .33cpm when you can put someone in that seat for .26cm? And Kevin you can't call BS on me, I drove for them, I know this FIRST HAND, my old trainer whom I am still good friends with, has 30 years experience, he has been with MS Carriers for 15 years and stuck with swift when they bought them out, he has a lot of friends high up in swift, and hears a lot of inside info, which he in turn tells me. But not only him too, but I have quite a few friends that drove for swift at the time I did, a few still do drive for them, most do not.
#44
so i am wondering if this 'bonus' you keep talking about, is just the 'tuition' is free, after 2 years service?
#45
swift closing it's doors would be better for the trucking industy as a whole.
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"lady's and gentlemen, they call me freebird, that's right the legiondary freebird, and i'm back in town"
#46
what 'bonus' are you talking about?? my roommate during training told me a funny story. He said his checks were getting so small, not running enough miles, he was in danger of losing his house. He took the truck/trailer down to the terminal, parked it in the turn of the driveway close to the security checkpoint (still on property) cleaned out the truck and unplugged the QC. A day later he got a call on his cell from his DM and said there was a load to pick up, and he just said, "yeah, the truck is parked at the terminal in the driveway, good luck with that load." He got on with Warner, who picked up the tab for tuition, and will pay him $500 every 6 mo. he stays with them. (or so he tells me).
so i am wondering if this 'bonus' you keep talking about, is just the 'tuition' is free, after 2 years service?
#47
i dont care how you look at it. you cite jb hunt, schneider, swift, and weener as the cause for cheap freight, but i dont see very many posts on how schneider or warner suck. why? cause it is easier to jump on the swift-bashing bandwagon, because they are the most hated carrier.
Another Experience why guys could hate swift... For Example a guy is try to blind side back and the swift driver is in his truck laughing cause he can't do it or about to take off his mirror instead of helping him one way or the other instead of watching him struggle.. KEYWORD WAS COULD HATE SWIFT!! COULD!! AGAIN COULD!!! There's a reason why swift is one of the most hated carrier... i have no problem with Swift Drivers.. Except for you for that stunt you pulled in Laredo.. I respect every Swift driver, they have a job like me and that's to deliver freight!!
#48
aaah...the 'i have a friend who has a friend, who sleeps with this guy, who has a friend' theory. sorry, unless you post a link with said 'proof' of 3,000 driver layoffs, then i cant simply accept it because without proof, its just an opinion. Am i 'defending' them? i dont care how you look at it. you cite jb hunt, schneider, swift, and weener as the cause for cheap freight, but i dont see very many posts on how schneider or warner suck. why? cause it is easier to jump on the swift-bashing bandwagon, because they are the most hated carrier. Guess what.....keep hating them. as long as my paycheck keeps coming in, and i keep getting 2200 mi a week, i'm happy.
Scheinder and Werner do suck, just not as much as Swift/CR England/Hunt, but the margin is very negligible in the suck factor difference. Personally I blame any company with 1000+ trucks for destroying the freight rates.
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My Trucking Blog: http://matcattruckin.blogspot.com/ Website I am making for drivers: http://www.4thedriver.com As I sit looking all around, Confusion and uncertainty is all I found. The answers are there, But I do not know where. Optimistic and hopeful dreams, Are all I have so it seems. The future I do not know, So all I can do is take it slow. But I do know it will work out, So I wait and watch without a doubt.
#49
I don't think Swift is going under this week or next. I got a call from them this morning asking if I wanted to start driving school with them next Monday (thankfully I'm going to a private driving school in April).
Anyway, it sounds like Swift is still trying to hire drivers.
#50
That reminds me, I saw a brand new Swift Freightliner Argosy hauling double flatbeds today! Quite an odd setup for swift.
__________________
My Trucking Blog: http://matcattruckin.blogspot.com/ Website I am making for drivers: http://www.4thedriver.com As I sit looking all around, Confusion and uncertainty is all I found. The answers are there, But I do not know where. Optimistic and hopeful dreams, Are all I have so it seems. The future I do not know, So all I can do is take it slow. But I do know it will work out, So I wait and watch without a doubt. |

