I am very new to trucking. In mentorship with Swift at this point. I find that the easiest thing for people to do is complain no matter how much they know or think they know. Truth is - there is some merit without doubt that there are many unprofessional drivers in the land and they work for many companies.
It is easy to find fault in life rather than work hard and try to improve the corner of the world I am in.

Swift has over 17,000 tractors. I can assure you there are many complaints to go around. However - there are also many positive things about Swift and Swift drivers. I think from what I see so far in my brand new career truck drivers overall are no rewarded for tenure and safety the way they should be. But so far - Swift has done what they have promised. I have completed school - got my CDL and am with a mentor now. My mentor has been with Swift 9 years and is safe and professional.

Bottom line - when someone works hard, is honest time will tell if their company notices or not. Most do. I am hopefull Swift does as well. In the mean time - until I see weighted evidence that Swift is some evil company, I will be proud to work for them and build a career with them.

Turbo - ripoff has been sued successfully on numerous occassions for unsubstantiated accusations that cannot be founded. In some cases even producing reports that were complete fabrications.

They really do not have much credibility.

The trucking industry is littered with guys with great attitudes who became disillusioned in trucking. Reality reared its ugly head and bit 'em right in the behind.

I hope all will go well for you at Swifty, Mr. Rives. Do keep us updated if you would, sir. Win or lose.

__________________
--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.

Doesn't surprise me at all. I think some of the stories on here are fabrications as well. Many have stated here that no one should drive for a company that has been sued because they cannot be trusted. Likewise, we should not trust the comments about a company being so bad just because they have numerous write ups on ripoffreports. I guess a major tool of the company-bashers has just been deemed highly suspect and invalid.

For somebody who looks at just the trees, the bashing is suspect.

But when 1,000 honery, "me"-minded, independent truck drivers actually come together in a united voice and say a company sucks, then it sucks. Ignore the herd at your own risk, as 1,000 drivers is quite a forest.

__________________
--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.

1,000 drivers out of over 17,000 drivers. Let's see, that would equal 5%. If you figure the high turnover rate you go by let's say that works out to 40,000 drivers over the last two years and only 1,000 complaining that would be around 2% complaining. Face it, your favorite referral site has been proven to be a scam. Sure 1,000 may come on here complaining with much fewer saying a company is good but the thousands that don't complain are probably too busy driving. Seems like the largest clientele of this site falls into two categories: those doing research on potential companies (like me) and those who are ticked off with one or more companies. And a thousand trees compared to 17K or 20K trees is a little grove, not a foirest.

That 1,000 is just a generalized figure. It's obviously low. A company with 20,000 drivers and 100% turnover means 20,000 more EX-drivers will be in the pool next year. Some will come here and report the "whys", but most won't. 'Sides. Smart guys will stay away from a company that has 100, 150, even 200% turnover. It's simply not worth the risk to go to those kinds of outfits.

I haven't researched rippoffreport, but I bet the people who've built that site would love to hear someone refer to it as a 'scam' site. Maybe the moon is nothing more than a guy standing on a big ladder with a flashlight fooling us all into thinking it's the moon. Maybe the earth itself is flat. Again, truck drivers are an honery bunch who don't act unless they're harmed an awful lot. When five file reports on a company at a place like ripoffreport in one month, you take it very seriously, if you're smart.

__________________
--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.

Obviously you didn't read the post above that pointed out that they have been successfully sued on numerous occasions and have been caught fabricated many of the stories listed there. In other words ripoffreports people made up stories about companies they decided they didn't like.

Regarding turnover at "training companies". Many drivers go ther just for that; to get the necessary OTR experience to go somewhere else. They have the mind set on a company, say like Landstar which requires one year OTR before hiring, so they go to a company like Swift. They quite possibly (though you find this hard to believe) have a positive experience at Swift but when the year is up, they leave to go to Landstar. You have others, like me, that go there but then extenuating circumstances come up and a local job is better for a season and so the driver leaves. You CANNOT say that all, or even most, who leave Swift or any other training company do so because of a bad experience.

Pawpaw lets face it tip is one person you will not convince he see's only the trees in his face. He wont stand back to look at the whole forest.
As you said Swift is a "TRAINING COMPANY" most of the drivers come to Swift only to get thier 6 months to 1 year training, which counts for many of the high turn over. As a former "Mentor" for Swift I had 5 or 6 of my trainees who told me they where there only for the training. They wanted to go with another company either local or OTR that required some experance.
Lets face it a lot of Swift's new drivers as well as the other "training" companies are 2nd career folks. Either they lost a job, retired or just wanted to try trucking.

Most that I have met grew up in the 70's and watched BJ & the Bear, Smokey and the Bandit, Convoy to name a few. They have a romantic idea of trucking the great money, the easy work (after all how hard is it to drive all day), a hot "babe" in every city. When they get out on the road the reality of life on the road is a rude awakening. Pay starting out not what they thought, the food can be a bit wanting, the times alone and the long hours.
I had one trainee who thought that drivers should only work 9-5 and be off weekends (he lasted 5 weeks). When the reality hits some leave, I myself did that when I went to drive for Stevens. When I went to Swift 2 years later I went with open eyes and knew better what I was getting into. I left Swift to drive for a local company last year but have since returned otr with Swift. I have been on Medical LOA since last December and have been with Swift for 4 years when I get a doctors release I plan to return to Swift.

Sleep. Sleep. *Yawn*

__________________
--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.