Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

I agree.

Yes, he is.

I'm also trying to understand...if he lives in california, why are they asking him why he's home when he's parked in nyc?

 

I guess us "lesser mortals" just don't understand. I know I don't either.

 

Furthermore, why would he park in NYC for a couple hours?

i hope he atleast means that service plaza on i-95 just south of the GW bridge....I like that place. LOL. Spent many nights there. Nice place to park for a night before going to NYC or after leaving NYC...

 

Yeah the Vince Lombardi Plaza is ok for people watching and an overpriced shower with no sink in the shower and over priced fast food but I'd rather shower at a friends place in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and go eat real food cheaper than that BK and fries and have better food and fun and than even the truck stops in the area provide! Ya just gotta know NYC and find good places to park just like the ones I have close to Hunts Point! I have them all over the 5! I DO love NYC! Heck, there are a ton of places to park on Statin Island also but SI just isn't as fun as Brooklyn or Manhattan! But the MTA fare is the same, now there is a fun ride to take. The Subway can be a $2.00 E ticket fun filled trip!

 

Saw this thread and I have posted on here in another thread but Ill add to this thread too. I have been with swift for one week now and so far its a job. Nothing more nothing less. I came with experience so was given a truck straight out of orientation without a mentor. The problem was I was not given ANY training on ANYTHING. Still figuring out the quallcom and how things work but Im getting the hang of it. My only complaint is the lack of help but after researching on here I was prepared for it and am getting by pretty well. I can see why swift has such a bad reputation but I do not regret going with them. Will update later on as I get a feel for the company

 

rozacy if you feel up to it start your own thread. Where did you come from?

 

Good luck to you.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:
For those of you consiering entering the trucking world. A word to the wise. DO NOT GO TO SWIFT TRAINING SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU WILL BE UNDER CONTRACT TO WORK WITH THEM. AND, YOU DO NOT WANT TO WORK FOR THEM FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

1. Swift like to on their printed advertisements or on the internet show a happy family on the cover. Well if you think this means that you and your loved ones will be happy, guess again. What it really means is that if you work in the office environment you will see your family often. However, if you are a driver, you will not see them, or if you do it will be once a month. Yes, one can argue that oh this guy isn't a real trucker. A real trucker gets the miles. Well, I'll have you know there are many real truckers bringing in big bucks and see their families or loved ones or mistresses, whatever the case may be a lot more than once a month. Whenever you request hometime, its like pulling teeth, you will be dispatched in the complete opposite direction. You don't believe me go to any Swift terminal and ask any driver standing around doing nothing but waiting (a point I will address next).

2. Idling. If you think you are going to be in an air conditioned or heated environment while waiting to be loaded or unloaded or even dispatched, guess again. They claim its for the environment, clean air and all. Well if that is the case, why not invest in the generated air units that many other companys are going to. Why because each unit is $10,000.00. We drivers are not worth it. They are in a refrigerated office telling you not to idle, its not that hot. Many companies have a set policy that if the temperature is at a certain level you may in fact of course idle with air or heater on. Not Swift. They don't care about your well being. If you violate the police of idling, you will be on suspension without pay of course. I for one am lookiing to go elsewhere as many drivers are as well. If you don't believe it, why do you think they have a class starting every week for new drivers and are hiring like crazy. Retention. They cannot keep any drivers happy. This is the reason you will see all the Swift drivers hanging out in the office at Swift terminals because they its kind of cooler, not much, to be outside of the truck than in the truck waiting.

3. Miles. Mr Jerry Moyes, I'm sorry to say is a business savy man, however he does not know how his company is being run. Or, he just doesn't care about the backbone of his company. The driver. He hires people as "Planners" who are the ones who will dispatch you and schedule your routes. These people do their shift and go home everyday. They are the ones that refuse to get you home. And they are also the ones responsible for you being treated like a slave or uncared step child. They have been know to tell drivers that one cannot refuse a run because they are company drivers and you have to do it. Forced loads like you would not believe, yet when you want to go home, OH, we don't have anything going in the direction. I conducted a study of my own, I advised of an address change and told the ocmpany that I was now living in a different area. Any guesses as to what happened. I was no longer spending all the time in that area, now I was actually going home more often because they were now dispatching me to the area where I actually lived. The average miles they give company drivers is actually 300 / day. May as well be a local driver somewhere.

I don't know why they can't just let drivers drive, get miles and as long as they are on time, no accidents, getting the job done right and safely, let the driver go see his family for more than once a month. As far as idling, I'm attempting to file complaints with the labor boards and OSHA. It really is not good for people to be in the heat of 88 or higher and be expected not to have the air conditioning going.

 

There are no labor standards that apply to the long haul trucker. You do not have a leg to stand on. You signed on for indentured servitude.

 

I am sorry to say that you do not sound like you are meant for this bussiness. These operations are meant to make money, no, not you, you are meant to just get by. I worked for Swift twenty years ago, and it was the same way. Pull into a terminal and there were guys standing around waiting for someone to quit, so they could get their truck. I would think its still that way.
Pay you dues, and work your way to a good company, every thing you mentioned in this thread has been mentioned hundreds of times before, and yet guys are still lining up to work for them. There are even drivers who are happy working for them.
Learn the system, perfect example is how you changed your address, but come Christmas time you may be in the wrong place.
I wish you good luck and safe miles,

Larry