1 year at Swift.

another thing u guys need to be careful of is people at the customers lying and saying that you hit or scratched a trailer. someone at a walmart dc in Georgia said they saw me back into an empty trailer and I just found out 3 months later that I was given 12 swift points for that. you would think that they would call and tell you that you are getting these points but they don't. im not complaining just informing. like ive said before I love my dm and the company is ok, I just don't agree with all swift policies.

 

Ya the policy's are become bs u also lose safety points for critical event for hard braking which is bs they have no clue why u hard braked but u lose points u could be stopping for a person or what ever I had to I hard braked for deer I seem ahead didn't hit but lost points ya I love my DM too but starting to not stand the company just like them trying to tell us we must log at shipper it's not happening until they start paying me from the time I arrive don't like it oh well I'll move on I've already got my next employer just need a few months more exp because its tanker and they want 2 yrs exp I'm at a shipper right now I logged check in only

 

we get points for critical events??? I didn't know that. well im thinking about going with crete. they start you off at 40 cents per mile. the only thing is ive kinda got comfortable with what I can get away with here at swift and I don't know if crete will allow the same thing

 

yes I was surprised as well and rather pissed off since ia just saved the truck from $1000s of damage they don't care and still take ur points from your risk analyst it's a Swift thing the higher the points leads to being a risky driver and fired at near 25points

i talked to a Crete driver he said good things and more Hometime think he said upto 6 or 7 days and pay was good and there trucks are slightly faster but you know one will say good things others bad things.

soon you won't be getting away with much with Swift they keep adding bs rules and now there trying to force us to waste our hours for Free a shippers even while in sleeper Im not doing F them I can't make good money I'm gonna might as well go local and make about the same or a little less

 

Hard braking for a deer is dangerous, hence the points.
It is better to let the deer hit you. (and remember that phrase in case you collide with a deer)
No points if a deer decides to commit suicide by hitting your truck.

A hard braking event, to them, means that you did not look far enough ahead to avoid it. (in time, distance, circumstances... whatever)
As 'professional drivers' we are expected to see into the future far enough to avoid anything bad happening.
Quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle not withstanding.

In a nutshell - truck drivers are expected to outwit the universe in order to keep our jobs.

In the Star Trek or Star Wars universe's those of us that could accomplish the feat would be the most highly sought after commodities.
But this is simply our own little world and universe, and we are too often seen as little more than stupid and unskilled labor.

 

I've been logging around 1/2 hour ODND at the shipper/receiver.
No complaints from Swift, yet.

Try to understand Swift's position as well.
They are a training company, and they are also the largest trucking company in the U.S.. They have to keep as clean as they can, even more than smaller companies. And we all know they have had some recent problems in that area.
So, they need to enforce more stringent rules.

If it ever gets so bad that I can't stand it, I will find another company to work for.
Simple.
And with over 2 years OTR, and a pretty clean record, I doubt I would have trouble finding something.

I'm not to that point.
I know what to expect, I know pretty much what I can get away with. I know how the system works, and how to (mostly) make it work for me.
Right now, I'm good with that.
And to tell the truth, I'm happy with my relationship with Swift.

 

I have a question about Swift because I am looking at getting back into driving. What was your pay per week during that first year? I know you said you averaged 2318 miles per week that first year, but kind of money is that? I looked at their pay, and it is on a sliding scale. Just wondered what type of money is there.

I drove for eight years before going into teaching. I have been out now for eleven years, but I want to get back in the truck. There is more money out there to be made then what I am doing now.

 

I made it my one year at swift so I didnt owe them for my school. They are ok to srart out bur after the first year you have si maby chouces to make more money. I made 36, 000 my first year at swift then git a new job and made 55, 000 in just 11 months