Hello, fellow truckers. I am a recent graduate of the Swift Driving Academy in Memphis, TN. I went to their 2 1/2 day orientation and now I am sitting home waiting to be assigned a mentor. I have decided after days of research (on this forum and others) that I DO NOT want to work for Swift and am looking for another company to finish my training and start running solo. So far I have checked into CRST and Roehl but they would not take me because they require a copy of my diploma and test scores from Swift and they will not release them until I pay off my school loan ($3900).

Can anyone recommend a decent company that will accept recent school graduates and not screw them over? All I want is a good company that I can get 1 or 2 years experience so I can then transfer over to auto hauling (good money). Thanks for any advice y'all can give me.

in my humble opinion you should tough it out with Swift. I understand the bad reputation they have, but since you are now indebted to them why not work off your obligation then look for a better driving situation? Your first year is gonna basically gonna suck with anyone anyways- as others on here say: different paint job and name, same job.

Does anybody know anything about W. H. Transportation out of Wausau, Wisconsin? I applied with them yesterday. Their website says that they hire recent graduates from trucking schools and, after a 2 day orientation and 28 days out with a trainer, they will start me out at .29 a mile. Also, their drivers scan their logs instead of sending them via Tripak envelope and they get paid twice a week. And most of their trucks are equipped with automatic transmissions, they never run to NYC and 98% of their freight is no-touch.

Anyone with any recent experiences with this company I would appreciate your feedback and advice. Thanks, guys.

SavannahCane

I would say thats good info from Hardrock.You have all ready commited to Swift,good or bad.Youve done your school,now go ahead and go with a trainer,might not be that bad.Get a few thousand miles under your belt,pay of your debt,then move on. Good luck

don't know about the company but from what other experienced posters are saying it's best to learn how to shift a transmission for a while before going autotrans.

i would go for it,you have nothing to lose,if they take you you will be starting at a fair wage,you can switch if you don't like it later,at the beginning of your career you will be still learning,learn what you can and stay for the experience.i don't know much about them, but haven't heard drivers badmothing their company like we do alot of them,good luck,as far as automatics go,there are somemore companies out there with autos so you could change companies if you don't like them. good luck and enjoy the freedom it allows you.

I live near there and know a few WH drivers and have not heard any complaints like other companies. I am sure if you look hard you could find a disgruntled employee but I think it would be a good place to start.

I thought Swift had those ‘enclosed’ car haulers? Check that out 1st, if it were me.

__________________
"I’m not speeding…I’m qualifying!!!"

You say in your post that Swift won't release your grades or diploma until you've paid off that loan. This makes me believe you've quit 'em. Have you? This is yet another reason not to go the indentured servitude route. You SHOULD have the option of leaving Swift and going elsewhere. Sure, you'll have to pay Swift for the training, but that'd be fine. At least you'd be driving for a better company, a company where you'll make more money, keep your DAC "cleaner", and be happier overall. But I see Swift doesn't give newbies that right....it's just another scheme, DAC and "DACcidents" being the other, to keep their drivers on board. What a lame-********* way to reduce turnover.

Are you still employed at Swift? If so, stay on until this enslavement period ends. *Sigh* I hate it when drivers end up in this situation, especially with THAT company.

Good luck with them if you're still on their payroll. You can tough it for a year, I'm sure. Keep your nose clean, get this training forgiven, and then go somewhere better.

So they call trainers "mentors" now? I wonder if that is some legal dodge. Terminology means a lot in the courts. What exactly is a mentor anyway? Is it just another term for "trainer", or is it someone who isn't quite a trainer (due to lack of experience) but is pretending to be a trainer? There are lots of inexperienced trainers at Swifty, boy.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.

Well put Tip.Swift has to use different titles for everything.Used to be trainers,now mentors.Used to be dispatchers,now driver managers,should be errand boys or girls.They are nothing more than a go between,between the planner and the driver.Of course they can sit around the dispatch office acting like they own the company and the drivers.Then there are the so called fleet managers,God only knows what they are supposed to do.Then you hear them all telling how big and great Swift is.They tell you if we cant find freight for you then no one can because we are the biggest carrier out there.When they do find a load it is usually deadhead 100 miles,then pick up a load at drop yard and take it to a grocery warehouse 15 miles away.Oh yeah usually a 1 AM appointment.Lots of fun,then be ready to roll at 6 AM.I can honestly say I look for Swift to fold in the near future,due to the way they keep their trucks running.