On February 25, 2008, a number of state and federal agencies raided the Swift Transportation Driving Academy in Millington, TN, and the Tennessee Department of Safety's office exclusive to Swift Academy applicants in the Swift terminal in Memphis, TN.

Beginning in December of last year, multiple states' departments of motor vehicles began suspending the commercial driving privileges of over 5,000 Millington graduates as a result of the investigation and, I'm told, under the direction of the FMCSA. (In the state of New York, the DMV suspended 313 drivers' commercial privileges alone.)

My New York license, obtained through reciprocity, was suspended without sufficient notice for me to be able to act to retain my commercial privileges. Once I took the written test, I was able to continue driving truck, pending the results of a road test.

I failed the road test two days ago. Now, before anyone wants to make comments, the majority of items I missed were pre-trip items that I should have remembered, but two years have passed since I was in that classroom, and yes, I forgot to mention things to the examiner that I was checking.

Yesterday, my state informed me that, since my road test was considered a "re-examination", that failure of the test would result in an automatic mandatory revocation of my driving privileges for 30 days, at which point I may re-schedule a road test.

I need not mention what this can do to a driver's income. Many Millington graduates are probably driving now, unaware that their licenses may have been suspended. All Millington graduates from May 2005 through the school's close in 2008 should check with their license's issuing motor vehicles department to be sure that their commercial driving privileges are still valid.

Anyone who still owes Swift tuition and whose license was, is, or may become suspended should probably reconsider repaying Swift for a license that they received in Millington that was ultimately invalidated. I filed a complaint on the Swift Aacdemy two days ago with the Federal Trade Commission, and will also be filing one with my state's Attoney General.

Please, please, please . . . if anyone else has any info at all, knows someone that this has happened to, was personally affected, or has any questions about this potentially huge issue that has constitutional and civil liberties ramifications attached to it, far beyond the initial issues of drivers losing their licenses, incomes, and possibly their jobs . . . please write in!

It is only through strength in numbers that we can clear our licenses and our credit reports! A class action lawsuit needs to be initiated!

Anyone who has questions for me, I will try my best to answer any and all. Since this began, I've been in contact with my state assemblyman, the Commissioner of NYS DMV, and the FTC. I still intend to contact my state's Attorney General, the ACLU, and possibly even the FMCSA and Swift Transportation themselves.

Tony I'm goin on Jan 19 for training to Tenn the recruter did not say anything about any of this and he told me they are booked for a while.

Here is a link to a story from last spring about this:

Check this link: [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

There is little press about this as of late; however, I expect that will be changing soon. I'll post the phone number of my state assemblyman's office if you'd like to contact them also, as they have been assisting me with this issue.

Tony

very nice post tony....you have confirmed alot of what i try to preach around here...

This whole c.d.l. From the start is a scam in my opinion.its a marketing sceme that brings in trillions of dollars for the FEDERAL,LOCAL AND STATE government corporate corruption......its all a big game.....

I say this because i did not do the school for the blind.i had an old man in ny teach me and bring me for my road test and then i got a job...thats it...very simple process.have had cdl since 1980's..it makes sence to me they have created a trillion dollar scam,to take the people'S money...

I am proof that the old way works....i have cdl,20 years or so,haz mat,TANKERS,DOUBLES,TRIPLES,PASSENGER AND NO wrecks,no tickets and i faired out well in trucking.....

If i had to do this crap now i would never sign this dotted line knowing how easy it was back then to obtain a ny cdl...no way in hell.

I understand what your saying but look at all the other prof jobs out there they have also had to take some kind of schooling or apprenticeship etc to get their lic. I was in Real Estate and had to do 2yrs salesman before I became a broker, there is always something to get peoples money that is the way it is and they way things are going you may have to have a 2yrs degree before too long.

The Tennessee Department of Safety has temporarily closed a commercial driver’s license center housed in Swift’s shipping center on Brooks Road near Memphis International Airport.
Authorities would not confirm whether the probe centers on the commercial licenses issued from the license center on Swift Transportation property.
At that center, state Department of Safety employees administer the written and eye examinations, while Swift personnel conduct the driving-skills tests

The school was not closed and is accepting students, the focus was on the TDOT office on the Swift property. 5000 drivers did not have their licenses suspended, if that was the case that would made the news in Tenn. Don't you think...............?


I am sorry but the the things you learn on the pre trip are nothing you should forget. This is not something you leave in a classroom, these are things you should be checking on regular basis. When you received the notice to re-test you should have studied.

I agree. and I don't think they are doing the eye or the written exam anymore because I was told to get my permit from mvd in florida and then go to Tenn for the school and I will come back with a mentor and take the test in Florida. I will know for sure next week.

Learn to read. The school was not shut down, but rather the focus of the investigation was the part time DMV office located on the property. Your beef should not be with Swift, but rather the State of Tennessee.

__________________
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The TDot had an office on the Swift property, and students coming in would get the license there after training and go back home and transfer it to their state. That office was the focus of the investigation not Swift.

Swift now has the students get their permit in their state before coming to school, once they graduate they go to thier state for the cdl test to get thieir Class A

You got it.