The start of my first year with Swift.

The trick to this is what do you want from it and what are willing to do, when I ran Swift after awhile I switched to teams and the money got better, then I switched to being a trainer and despite a few interesting situations that helped even more on the money ebcause you get paid for your miles and the miles they drive, plus a mileage bonus if the trainee stays around for a certain amount of time. At least this was the program when I was at Swift. I was taking home 1200 a week in a rather short amount of time.

 

yeah but he just started himself. He won't be training anyone until he's got at least a year experience. $1200 net is really good money BTW.

 

Hi Sheriff

Enjoying the reports as always. Sorry to hear about the low pay recently. I feel for you. I got my first load on Tuesday from Washington to Ithaca, NY. We T-called in Gary, Indiana Friday afternoon and have been here ever since.

I noticed the same thing about the cig butts. I'm a smoker (temporarily) and spent an inordinate amount of time outside the lounge in the smoking area. There are 4 of those smokers butt recepticle things, plus a regular ashtray plus about 3 garbage cans yet the whole area is littered with butts everywhere near the entrance. In the grass, in the rocks, on the pavement etc. Unbelievable. How lazy can you possibly be to have so many places to properly put your cig butts and still flick it onto the ground? Leads me to wonder how these litterers lead the rest of their lives.

This was at the Gary, IN terminal.

I also noticed last night that one of the two stalls had toilet paper stuck to the ground everywhere, soaking wet. Smelled like urine in there. I honestly can't believe how some people are so disgusting. Hate to be on my soapbox about this but apparently there are some that dont have any self respect or respect for others. Kind of expected this to some degree but still I am amazed.

I might be getting a load tonight out to UT but still waiting to hear.

Hang in there Sheriff.

 

My record driving with swift is 682 miles. In 1 ( 11 hour period )... I was on a kenworth T660.

 

My record for Swift was 718 in a 9.5 hour period when my Gov conked out and the Q-Com didn't notice lol. I ran that way for three months making sure not to pass O/O in day light lol finally got caught during a P/M

 

I think your numb... lmao.... #### bugs in SLC are crazy big..... I had a bite that lasted for a month... #### blood suckers...

 

Sheriff1/6,

Well I just finished reading all 40 pages. Took 2 days. Sounds a lot like my experience. I ended up leaving and jumping off my mentor's truck about 1.5 weeks into training and flying back home.

I went through the Lewiston Idaho training center too. 3 weeks there, 1 week back home, 1 week for orientation, and 1.5 weeks out with my mentor. I racked up about 4800 miles when it was said and done. I ended up having only 1 check. It was 242.35 ... My plane ticket back home was 245.85. Plus 25$ baggage fee.

As you can see I showed up in front of my wife after 6.5 weeks of not being paid with jack in my hand. I told my wife it was a waste of 7 weeks basically 2 months.

I came home and wrote a 6 paged letter. After talking with you on the phone today. It seems that since October. They have changed a lot. I wonder if my letter helped the situation.

Now 4 months have passed and I'm thinking about going back as the trucking companies around the northwest here wont hire you without 1 year behind the wheel. Unless you know someone of course. Like a buddy of mine did.

So I'm thinking about coming back to swift for 12 months.

The system that was in place in 2012 was really bad. Looks like I got the #### end of the stick there in 2012.

 

If I made 300 bucks in half a month I'd quit no matter wat....

 

Well that was one of the problems with swift and the rest of the trucking industry. ( THE PAY )...

I realize that we are new guys to the industry but just like new people to any trade or industry. They should be allowed to survive and pay the basic bills one needs to live.

I had a hard time understanding how I was going to just pay 1 bill. The rent. Now most people have these bills:

Rent / Mortgage
Water / Sewer / Garbage and or Gas for heat
Car Insurnace
Power
Cable / Internet
Cell Phone
Gas
Food
Maybe a car payment.

Those bills are everything one needs to survive. Just to get by. You take one of those away and everything starts falling apart.

The trucking industry needs to understand that everyone that is coming into the trucking trade isn't 16 years old with no bills.

We are people that have families and needs to survive month to month. They don't understand that. Because time and time again at each truck stop you will find 70% of truckers there complaining they can't pay there bills.

Working at swift as a newbie or whatever you want to call us. You will not be able to pay all the bills you need to survive. The pay just isn't enough.

I sat down and figured out about what I would need to survive month to month on and its around ( 16 to 18 dollars an hour )

Now with that you will be able to pay 95% of the bills you need to survive month to month. Your still going to need help. From family and friends.

Now one may say you don't need some of those bills I listed because there luxury items like cable and internet. If you ever had a 3 year old or 7 year old in the house. This day in age. ( 2013 ) In a apartment complex in the city there isn't much for them to do outside. Besides get abducted or molested or raped. The world has changed and the higher ups need to take that into consideration.


I forgot about recreation. Lmao... Having money left over to take your wife to dinner. Ya right. Having money to take your son fishing. Ya right.... Having money left over to go camping. Ya right...
Wont happen in this day in age. Not working for swift.

We can all sit here and sugar coat it. 3,000 miles, 4,000 miles a week working for swift your 1st year or 2nd year. Still will barely get you by. Its like a prison sentence.

I sentence you to 2 years working for swift. ( NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ).....

This economy needs to change or I see another civil war coming to America ...

America can only treat people like #### for so long before the people get fed up with there ####.

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