Originally Posted by Timtruck

I have been driving for 7 years and I am currently happy doing so, I have been in 46 states during my driving carreer. I really dont care if you beleive it or not. But I can prove it. I went to Swift's Orientation in Gary, In and I was not impressed with the way that they screw with their trainees and drivers. I have been hired by Swift twice. Once when I went to their orientation, which if you read the posts- you would have seen that. And once 2 years ago(when they contacted me), but I decided that I would not go, since they only were willing to pay $.32 cpm, and I was currently making $.38 cpm.
Im not sure how you are driving 3000 miles in a 64mph truck either. Obviously you are not doing this legal. At least not at Swift, per one of their recruiters who I talked to this morning and he tells me that their average driver drives approx 2150 miles per week. He also told me that I am wrong-their curent driver turnover rate is around 220% and I said 300%, I stand corrected.
You are correct also, this board is about "bad companies". Swift is one--their drivers are rude and disrespectful. Facts of the matter are that they scare the bijibbies out of me with that thing they do over there where they send a newbie driver with another newbie driver in only 4 weeks out--4 weeks! I stay and steer clear of all Swift trucks, beleive me!!! To green horns behind the wheel is even worse than one!

Originally Posted by Timtruck

I never , not once, said you could. But you can get $.30 no problems. The facts are that Swift will not give you that, they will give you $.23 a mile for the first 6months on your own. Now remember that you school is 3 weeks and then you are with a trainer for approx 6 weeks. During that time you will recieve approx $350 a week. So if you are starting in Mid August then it will be pretty close to Halloween when your training is over, then you will make approx $.23 cpm based on probally (according to Swift) 2150 mi per wk for a least 6 months. So lets see 6 wks x $350= 2100, then $.23 for the next 6 months based on the 2150 comes out to 11,868 add that to the 2100 that equals 13,968 then you will get a raise to maybe, we will be generous $.26 for the next 6 months that times the 2150=13,416, that means that your yearly wage for the first year at Swift will be 27,384--that is before taxes, after taxes that is approx 21,000, but you will be over the road, so figure another $200 per week at least for that-that is 10,000 by itself take that from the 27,385 and you get 17,000 or you will be clearing $326 a week-which is what I told you about $400 after taxes. Are you sure you can buffer yourself against this? New drivers are not gonna get 2800 miles per wk, they will give you 3-4 trips like you want, but did Swift also tell you that there averager length of haul is 475 miles?

Anybody who has been on the road as a company driver will verify that what I am telling you is correct. You were the one that made the comment about $47,000--I havent run into anyone that made that their first year out, and I have only run into a few that made that their second or third year out--I have averaged 146,000 miles a year as a company driver since the day I started, it was last year before I topped $55,000 and that was my 6th year out!And like I say that was based on a lot more than just mileage--And I had to average $.45 a mile in order to do that, that was everything--pulling doubles, bonuses, ect in order to do it and I averaged 2700 miles a wk last year.

You need to get through school and get your training down. You keep telling me I dont know what Im talking about, but I have been where you are and have done that,. You have gone as far to say that you dont even beleive that I am a driver-beleive me, I have run more miles backwards than you have yet to run forward. What Im saying is there are companies that pay better than Swift and are more respected than Swift. Get your own driving school, then get hired and pay your own school off and dont worry about the company doing it. If you do and you decide that after 6 months that you dont like it and you quit, you WILL OWE them and They WILL SUE you for the balance. Most driving schools will GUARANTEE that YOU WILL get a CDL or you dont pay. Plus 100's of trucking companies will be there at the school recruiting and offering "pre-offers".
The School I went to had 150 different companies that recruited at that school--that way you dont have to fixate on one particular company, you can see what all have to offer and go to the one that suits you. I dont know about you, but hometime is a big, big deal to me--I have a life outside work. I have been out 6 weekends in 7 years--and those are because I wanted to be, not because I had to be. BTW, I would tell you what school I went to, but I dont think that the board here will allow me to. I have already stated that I had the highest grade out of 61 students that were in my class. BTW, all the "biggies" hire newbies all the time with zero miles under their belt--you go with a trainer for 5-8 weeks depending on the company. The first company I worked for hired me with a CDL w/hMAT and zero miles at $.30 cpm, I was with a trainer for 5 weeks. Of course, like I said, I was not a 21 year old know-it-all, I was 37 and had had a lengthy carreer in another field.

What I am trying to tell you is dont put all your eggs in the same basket, and if you think that Swift is a better job than dealing blackjack,( it may be better, but not as high paying)--then you really got a reality that will hit you big time.

Originally Posted by Snowman&Fred

Eric, I am willing to bet he has NEVER looked into them. I've shown Timmy those same numbers from the same email I got from a Swift recruiter. However, seeing how he doesnt deal in FACTS, he will just ignore them. It is CLEAR from past posts, that it is "slaving" driving 2000-2500 miles a week at $0.26cpm. (for the first 3 months) Thinks that $38k your first year is 'slaving'. He believes that a newbie can go somewhere, and start out making $40k at the snap of a finger. Every post he has done has that undertone. I am sure that .26 with Swift is slaving, but .26 with Schneider or MCT or TMC will be just fine.

I am on this site looking for GOOD information and opinions. Not something fabricated or anything that cannot be backed up with FACT. Cant do that? then you are no longer worth the blank computer screen you're typing on. I would suggest nobody even read or comment any longer on TimmyTrucks posts. Ignorance is bliss.

Originally Posted by pawpaw

Ah, once again false information is given. A newbie does not go out with another newbie for four weeks. They are sent out with a mentor for 42 days (42 divided by 7 is 6 weeks). That mentor has to have at least 6 months experience and has had to go through a training course. As vickw has stated newer drivers make better trainers becuase they have not yet developed the "know it all" attitude that leads to accidents and carelessness. AND Swift is not the only one that has this type of training set up. I think vickw (who happens to be a terminal manager) has also listed a much lower turnover rate than the numbers you are quoting; well below 200%. The recruiter might have been given numbers colored by the current downsizing that is going on.

As for Swift being a "bad company" that is your opinion and the opinion of others. BUT if you look on the good company thread you will see that there are also people who think it is a good company. AND the number of drivers (which is in the thousands) who have driven for the company in excess of three years attests to the fact that MANY believe it is a good company. The reality is, EVERY company is a bad company and EVERY company is a good company. If they don't offer you what you are looking for and you don't like them, fine. BUT don't put others down for liking them. Their positive experience is just as valid as your negative experience and they have just as much right to share their positive experience on this forum in rebuttal to the negative comments as you do to share your negative experiences on the positive side in rebuttal to their positive experience. That is what a forum is for.

Originally Posted by Maxgussam

It has been nice since the Swift school closed...

No more trucks driving for miles on the service roads between exit 24 and West Memphis with their 4-way flashers, and their fog lights on. (I guess they "teach" the students to use those stupid fog lights right away...too bad they can't also teach them proper aiming.)

The funny thing is, whenever I saw them doing their night driving, at least half of the trucks had lights that were not working. Some had 1 headlight that was not working, others had a tail light out.
I thought the "teachers" would "teach" the students how to do a pre-trip inspection.

Probably no one was happier to see them go, however, than a friend who does a half way meet at exit 21, and no longer has to contend with the 4 or 5 Swift school trucks that would park in the street, or helter-skelter in the lot, thus blocking any way of getting in or out.

My friend was once approached by one of these "driver trainers", and told of the better living that they could make as a Swift Driver...Needless to say, this made my friend the butt of many jokes from all of the schedule drivers that run that route.

Originally Posted by MAJIK Lady

They are back open and I do beleive it was the shool issue not Swift...So get ready to see the traffic of SWIFT TRAINEES BACK IN ACTION...ME INCLUDED AS OF JULY 28TH in Millinton, Tn