Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

Oh, and one more thing you obviously dont seem to understand about me. I am not married. I dont have any kids. To have one when you dont plan it out, is a mistake. I take precautions so that dont happen. It really isnt that difficult to do. If I wanted to gamble, i'd go to a casino, or leave my trailer doors open and hope the load dont fall out. Some people just dont seem to know how to do it, and have an 'ooops' every year and a half. I am selling everything i own, because right now, i live in an apartment. How much sense would it be to pay rent for an apartment, when i know i wont be home but 3-4-5x a month. So, i will just crash at friends and family for 2 years. So you see, you think it is WRONG for a company to limit your 'home time', well guess what, some dont mind, some do. That dont make it right or wrong, that makes it PART OF THE JOB. You KNOW going into it, that nothing is promiced. You might be out 5 days, you might be out 10, you might be out 12 or so. Being OTR, if you dont EXPECT that, you are just being "DEE DEE DEE". I will tell you, just in the $$$ i would spend on rent a month, i will be DEBT FREE by the end of april. ZERO debt. How many can really say that. And sorry, having a house payment or car payment that isnt outstanding isnt 'debt free'. I will beable to hear the phone ring without worrying about who is calling.

 

I really enjoy this board. It is nice to hear lots of diverse thoughts on the issues. I suggest that everyone just chill and post stuff that is from personal experience. IF you have been there, done that, have the Tee shirt fine, if not then just read and learn. You can learn anything, from anyone, at anytime; But, to use that knowledge in a useful manner is TOTALLY up to the person who is learning!

P.S. I'm just rying to get my 25 posts so take all my BS with a grain of Salt.

Semper FI!

 

I tried swift for about 3 days in orientation. But anyway about pay per mile. I decided that OTR is not where it is at. 32 a mile. Works out good if you get enough miles . I make between 500 and 800 a week , take home, about 700 to 1000 gross and come home every night. I drive an end dump. Now I may drive a while over the limit but what the hell. No one around here cares . They do not even ask you when they pull you over . I guess they know you are going home and getting a good nights sleep. I make good money. I have one run I do and I get 2.80 a ton. I make two trips at about 28 ton each and one trip to another place for 1.95 a ton . I get about 210.00 for that. But that is about 650 miles. I get the same for making four trips to another place and only drive about 550 miles. Of coarse like every thing it has it's ups and downs. Sometimes I get paid by the hour, about 15 or 16 dollars .
But all the swift drivers I talked to said they were getting about 400.00 pay checks when they were not broke down. I would not get out of bed for that.

 

Snowman, when I looked at attending the Swift school, it was my understanding that, if you stayed with Swift long enough, they would actually pay for the school by them paying half of it for like 13 months and then the next 13 months they paid you back the half that you paid the first 13 months. That may have changed.

 

From the way the recruiter told me, and from the email he sent....the cost of the class is $3900. They pay half, if you complete training. if you dont, you owe the whole amount. once you start driving, they take out like $18 a week for 2 years till your half is paid. if you leave before your 24-25 months, you owe for what is outstanding. That is how it was explained to me. I am really trying to get on with MCT. I am going to get my CDL permit, and go to MCT.

 

I read this and curious to know if that kind of pay is bad for a newbie...what company starts a newbie out with better pay than that...i thought experience is what makes the pay per mile rise. Please correct me if i am wrong.

 

It was told to me the same way. thats why i think staying the reqiured time to get it payed in full would be worth it. plus experience in OTR

 

LOL.......

 

MAJIK, ill save TimmyTruck the trouble, and do what he'd say to you anyways, just in less words.

"You're wrong. You work for a company that sucks. You will quit in a month. My job is better. You will be worked to the bone and get paid pennys compared to what I am making."

I am sure if i left anything out, Timmy will correct me. But I agree with you 100%. No matter where you go, if you got your training thru a community college, or took training right from the company, you aren't going to find ANY company going to START paying you $0.41cpm....and if anyone tells me there are some out there, please show some proof. I will admit I could be wrong. But those drivers have PERFECT driving record, ace all their tests in training, etc.

 

thanks Pawpaw,
I get a real kick out of your answers. The one's I like the most tell it like it is and don't baby the newbies. I know we all started green but I really am concerned about some of the people that are driving the big rigs or wanting to.
Some seem not to be able to add or subtract and do not liston when the problem is explained to them.
I always thought if I don't like something or someone don't mess with them!!!