New raise 2015

I think mine was around 10%.

It's nice, to be sure. In the past couple months my ex has needed a lot of help because she was out of work. The raise made it better for both of us.

But I still think it will bite us in the end, once it all filters down and up.
That is the main defect with a largely capitalistic economic system - continuous inflation.
In a check and balance system, as the checks raise the balance follows suit. Then another round begins.

 

They pay zipcode to zipcode and you still lose at least 50-75 miles of pay on each trip, plus trucks are governed at 62 so you cant cover enough miles to keep your head above water, you do the math first. Then there is still the matter of how they treat their drivers, they say no forced dispatch, total lie, you cant turn down a load just postpone it a bit untill you have the hours to run it

 

YAWN.....and you know all this to be factual? Zip code to zip code is right, 62 MPH is right (not a handicap though), I've been treated well for a long time at Swift, if you turn down a load for a legitimate reason there is no problem. I, and many many more have made a good living with Swift.

 

I'm sure many have and many haven't, after my def system went down and they wanted to assign me a truck that was absolutely filthy, had only one working power outlet, Jake break didn't work, inside was covered in dog fur and stains on the matress and I was told just to cover it with a sheet, and another driver verifying the condition was also pretty bad and unsafe to operate. Recovered it in Nashville and promised $250 for doing it, never saw that. The pics are going to Richard.

 

pay us practical miles and that would help. also pay the L/O better then what we get now.

 

All for a pay raise ... but not much room for raise with the present o/o model. The model is going to have to change and o/os will have to accept more of the risk for a shot a bigger reward.

 

Losing 50-75 miles of pay on each trip? Are you still with Swift, and if so have you been following actual versus paid miles closely? When Swift implemented the pay raise last year they also were changing the algorithm for calculating paid miles. Other drivers and I have noted that paid miles are much MUCH closer to actual than they were in the past. It's rare to see anything over 40 miles unpaid anymore, and the norm is within 10-20 miles on long hauls. Right now I'm on a load that will pay 10 miles MORE than actual.

Regarding forced dispatch, when did this happen? I've never been forced on a dispatch, ever. It's rare for me to turn down a load offer, but when I do there's no beef about it from the planners or DM's. So your statement that "no forced dispatch, total lie" is a... total lie... at least in my experience.

Regarding running at 62 mph and "you can't cover enough miles to keep your head above water", my question to you is why can't you keep your head above water? Is it possibly because your personal expenses are way out of wack? Borrowed too much money and now your bills are sky high? Kids in college and you're paying their full tuition? I'm certainly keeping my head above water and salting away a pretty good sum. This reminds me of a thread started a couple years ago from some driver crying how some small company was total crap and forced him into bankruptcy. He actually had a bit of fan faving until the owner of the company posted that it wasn't his fault he bought that brand new Corvette, was cheating on his wife with an expensive girlfriend, and had a gambling problem. The thread kind of died off after that.

 

My current load is a 3 stopper, which in the years past have really hosed me on miles.
This trip the loaded miles are 1655 and the actual are 1683.
I find no reason to complain about those 28 miles.
That seems to be the way of things, these days. The actual miles are usually very close to the paid miles.

Lepton is also correct about the 'forced dispatch' issue.
A company driver is expected, and rightly so, to go wherever they are needed and sent. We work for Swift - not the other way around.
But they give a very wide latitude.
With Mac 9 I can adjust the times to suit my hours and driving style, as well as my personal needs. It allows me to give more time on a load if I need it.

It also let's me control where I go, to some extent.
I am always free to input times that I know will be rejected by the system, and the system will automatically take the load off me.
Granted, if I abuse it I will be called out on it if it is clear that I am being a @^**&^%#$ about the load.
Used properly, the Mac 9 is your second best friend - the first being Mac 22.

A Platinum level driver has even more options to pick and choose.

All you need to do is learn Swift's system and work within it. (Well, work smartly...)
In all my years I don't think I have found many companies that are easier to work for - on my own terms.

 

I get hosed on some loads pretty good, but overall it evens up with the container pay. Sometimes. I have some loads I drive 22 miles more per round trip than paid. When you do that 3 times a week it adds up. Yet at the same time there are some "easy" ones so I guess it evens out. Hell who knows

 

How much more risk are they supposed to take? They already pay for the truck, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and get nothing for layover, breakdown, and have to fight for detention pay. Where is there additional risk to incur?