Share your Crete orientation/otr training with me??

all the stuff you here about swift and they still run at the gun.why????

 

Av8ist,

If there is only one thing on this board that I and TIP will agree on is.....


DON'T GO TO SWIFT

Some will say it's a good company. Many will say it is as good a place to start as any. Total BS.

Swift is one of the worst companies you could possibly run for, outside of Werner that is.

I can attest to this from personal experience.

If you really can't afford to pay for school on your own, check out Schneider, Roehl, TMC, Decker, or any number of companies that others on this board can suggest.

Just read the numerous Swift threads on this board or others. If after reading these thread, you decide to go to Swift, well then I have no pity for you.

If you can actually go to a school for under a $1000, do what ever you need to get that money and pay for the school yourself. The difference in your pay after your first year with Swift and your first year with Crete(or a number of other fine companies) will be extreme.

What does Swift pay during training, $300 a week? Crete is $500!

What does Swift pay when you get your own truck? 24cpm? I think Crete pays 34cpm to student grands.

If you overlook everything else, .10cpm difference at 120,000 miles for your first year. This is a moderate number of miles, easily obtained at a good company, but not from what I've read on recent Swift posts.

Anyway, 120,0000 miles at .10cpm= $12,000 difference in pay. How free does that school look now

 

Yeah, I agree. Free schooling comes with a price, and a new driver's "free" training after pulling his indentured servitude will cost him 12,000 bones. This assumes said driver makes it through his first year there before walking away. They are sneaky at some companies, are they not?

It seems like it'd be cheaper to get the "free" training with Swift, IF one goes that route, then quit 'em after 6 months and go with a better outfit. One would come out even, more than likely. Maybe a bit better. After quitting Swift, he'd just pay them the schooling cost (probably 5 grand) he's responsible for in the contract, and then go to work at a company like Crete. If he works out the rest of the year and runs hard, he may actually make money doing this above what he'll make by sticking it out at SwiftQuit. This assumes he keeps his nose clean and doesn't have any DACcidents while at Swift. That may be hard to do, considering that company uses nearly-green drivers as trainers and will send green drivers to downtown Manhattan while yanking 48-footers. Yeah, good luck crawling and scratching your way out of Swift unscathed.

Great post. Too bad I didn't see this post or my own posts way back in 1995. I'd have made a much better decision and wouldn't have made SwiftQuit my first company.

 

I hear you guys!!! I've been reading the fourms...and ripoffreport too. trust me me, I'm not going in blind. There are some major reasons I'm going to Swift. #1 is because my cousin will be my trainer. He's been driving for them for a few years. I'd rather train/drive with someone I know!

So far, Swift is the only co that has said yes to me. I just got my rejection letter from Witte Bros on weds. I had some felonious trouble 10 years ago. So already limits my options ya know? TMC said they would take me, but they wouldn't sponsor me through a school. Maverick said I had to have 15 years past the conviction. Driver Solutions/PAM and friends said no to me.

Again Crete said they would take me, but have to get my own schooling or come over after 4-6 mos w/another co. I'm broke and my credit isn't good after having to close a business post 9/11.

The other reason I'm going to Swift is because they have a Wal-Mart DC dedicated 20 miles south of my home. My recruiter said he'll turn me over to their DM when I'm done with orientation/6 wks training.

I'm not too worried about the $$ right now. Where I live it's very inexpensive. All my bills except food run under $600 a month. That includes rent, utils and phone. Even with the lower paying Swift, I'll still be making more than the minimum wage jobs offered around here.

So if after 3-4 mos, if I'm really not liking it, I'll jump ship over to Crete if they really take me or to TMC so I can pull skateboards.

I have a friend who drives for a local outfit around here who's taken me on a few trips. I have my CDL permit, and with him I've gotten about 1,000 miles in. But he was too worried to let me use his truck to take the road test in out of fear of being fired if his co found out I used his truck to take the test. Sux for me but I understand. Pretty small town we live in Woulda made it lots easier to leave Swift if need be.

Trust me guys, I've been thinking about this long and hard. Every day really for the past few months. I appreciate your concern. Maybe if you guys were really concerned y'all pitch in for me to go to PTDI in Lincoln

 

Best of luck, Av8ist. I hope it all works out at Swift. Keep us informed either way. Don't fall off the earth like some guys will do when their deals go south. I hope yours doesn't.

 

thanx Tip. I'll keep you guys posted as I can. I know I'm not headed for peaches and cream. But I believe I have the proper expectations, and if I can get out of Swift what I'm hoping too...then I think I'll be out ahead I just need them to serve my purposes for a time.

I mean remember guys...yeah us drivers are providing a service to these companies. We're to do their bidding. But keep in mind, we can make these companies serve our needs and goals too!!! They're using us, so why not use them back???

 

Keep one thing in mind, they have it down to a science.

Good Luck

 

Yeah, they definitely have it down to a science, and they can also use certain advantages such as DAC against you. What do you have, you beggar, you? Nothing, save for a website like this to warn you from making certain moves, along with your own eyes and gut. Companies send signals out we can use to gauge whether they're any good or not. You just gotta know what to look for....and read blogsites for confirmation.

I guess what I'm saying here is "You have been warned".

 

I hear you guys. One thing I saw looking at this site is a driving school by the name of MTC. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and see what they have to offer. I really wish I could just go to Crete and we'd all be happy

 

Play the game. Get a grant.
Play the game. Get a grant.
Play the game. Play the game. Play the game. Get a grant.