Originally Posted by vols021

Swifties ....... They always seem to clear the O/O's out when they enter the lot.

Originally Posted by pawpaw

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.

Originally Posted by desert_son

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.

Originally Posted by vols021

LOL Who's B.J.?

Look, Swift does not treat people well. That is why they don't retain them. Sure people look for work in trucking and don't do any research before getting into it, but some people do like trucking after they do it for a bit. So if they like driving, why don't they stay at Swift if it is such a good company?

I didn't make it through the first day at Swift orientation. I walked because they talked to us like we were dogs. They didn't feed us lunch, and they wouldn't let you leave to get any food. Anytime you ask them a simple question, they would respond with a smarta** answer. I figure if they treat you that bad in an unpaid orientation, how bad are they going to treat you when you drive for them.

Needless to say, my next orientation was a more professional experience.

Originally Posted by psychocreep

The only reason I'm with Swift now is because I need the experience and because I started at Werner like a DUMB !## and no one else wanted to hire me until I had at least 3 months experience (OK there were others, but I chose not to go with them).

With that said, I on the other hand have been treated really well by everyone even during orientation.

They fed us ( the food tokens could've been $10 instead of $5.. Oh Well) and let us pretty much come and go if we needed.. AFTER we completed our physicals.

Just as long as we stayed awake through all the boring videos (i almost didn't make it through the 2 hour video but that's a different story on how some of us made it through) we were alright.

I will admit there was one lady who just wasn't happy and was going to share her misery with all. If you gave her back the attitude she checked herself real quick.

I'm finished with training this coming Monday. I'll be glad to get rid of my mentor.. He's actually taught me a lot, but I'm completely done with him.


These are just a few of my experiences that I wanted to share because so far from what I've seen is All good from Swift. Definitely a whole lot better than Werner. IMHO. We'll see what happens when I'm on my own.

Originally Posted by vols021

LOL Who's B.J.?

Look, Swift does not treat people well. That is why they don't retain them. Sure people look for work in trucking and don't do any research before getting into it, but some people do like trucking after they do it for a bit. So if they like driving, why don't they stay at Swift if it is such a good company?

I didn't make it through the first day at Swift orientation. I walked because they talked to us like we were dogs. They didn't feed us lunch, and they wouldn't let you leave to get any food. Anytime you ask them a simple question, they would respond with a smarta** answer. I figure if they treat you that bad in an unpaid orientation, how bad are they going to treat you when you drive for them.

Needless to say, my next orientation was a more professional experience.

Originally Posted by vols021

LOL Who's B.J.?

Look, Swift does not treat people well. That is why they don't retain them. Sure people look for work in trucking and don't do any research before getting into it, but some people do like trucking after they do it for a bit. So if they like driving, why don't they stay at Swift if it is such a good company?

I didn't make it through the first day at Swift orientation. I walked because they talked to us like we were dogs. They didn't feed us lunch, and they wouldn't let you leave to get any food. Anytime you ask them a simple question, they would respond with a smarta** answer. I figure if they treat you that bad in an unpaid orientation, how bad are they going to treat you when you drive for them.

Needless to say, my next orientation was a more professional experience.

Originally Posted by vols021

Where did you go to orientation? I went to Atlanta. You are right about the physicals. We must have gotten a late start. It got to be late afternoon and I was about to go cannibal. I ask if I could get something to eat and they said not until after the physical. There was still 8-10 people ahead of me so I told them to give me my paperwork back and I left and got me a burger.

I hope it works out for you there.

Originally Posted by psychocreep

... There was like 50 people total for orientation. so needless to say some of us were NOT going to wait any longer....

Originally Posted by Tip

You know what they say about orientations. Well, what SOME say, anyway: stay away from outfits with crowded orientation classes. That's 50 people for how long of an orientation? 2 days? So can we say 100 sausages on average every week? Maybe 150? And that's just one terminal.

I've heard it's even worse at England.