Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

The major thing that leads to disgruntled employee's is communication and understanding. That would be for everyone involved from shop, office and driver. As an example, I read a post earlier about a driver that felt his DM kept him in an area on purpose. That doesnt happen. If your leaving your terminal, your DM can have a high influence on what direction you go from there, after that it would be a full time job trying to convince a planner to do what a DM wanted if it did not involve safety or hometime/special requests. Unfortunately planners and DM's are like oil and water. The DM calls, messages a planner constantly wanting good freight, or with problems. The DM's main concern is that the driver doesnt sit, and gets the best miles available. This is not what the planner is concerned with. So there is a divergance of interests that causes this. Planners jobs are to take care of the customer and make sure their loads move ontime. To do this, they have to watch what type of freight they have: Live loads, driver unloads, just in time loads etc.. You dont want to plan up your live loads on trucks that are not empty yet (may not empty out in time, or if they are on a drop delivery, may not have a trailer). They also want to only have to plan a load once. So if a driver shows due home, they will plan them home if there is a load available directly there. Here is the catch that many drivers don't understand, if there is not a load direct, they plan with what they have going in that direction, or to another area that may have better freight. There are many examples, but mostly, planners are not DM's pawns. DM's are lucky to get a response back from a planner because there are so many DM's messaging them.

Mentally successful drivers (best way I can think of to describe less frustrated drivers) do the following.

1. Read company and DOT rules. Understand the does and dont's.
2. Ask their DM's, FM the does and donts also.
3. You are only a number if you treat people like a number. Another words if you do not make contact with your managers and make yourself known, how are they going to know you? Make an effort to get to know them, and have them remember who you are. That goes for any job and profession you may be in.
4. Don't jump to conclusions. This is also something I personally work on daily. I once had a driver that was declining freight and wanting a load home. After about 8 hours he was planned with a load home. He called me up and torn me a new one on how we had this load at that terminal the whole time, and were intentionally not giving it to him until now, and made him wait. I just listened, and then pulled up the order and saw another driver just dropped it there. I read the comments from the previous DM that the driver just found out his 8 year old son was killed in a car accident, his wife was in intensive care, and he had to drop the load and fly home. I explained that another drivers family had passed away for him to have this load. And that was definately not intentional. He has been more understanding since on how the system works. Remember what I said about planners, they want freight to move and be dispatched off their screen, then they are not responsible for it once dispatched.
5. Sit with your DM for a few hours. Watch what they do and how they interact etc.. Most people see that DM's dont have much time (Most good ones). Watch and see what gets the fastest responses. Qualcom or phone calls. How many drivers messages are answered in the time they take a phone call? See what you can do to make your DM's job easier. In return, they have more time for you.
6. If you can, watch a planner plan. Some terminals in Swift will let you do this, I can't answer for all of them. If you explain that you want to understand how everything works, and that is a process, I am betting they will let you.
7. Meet your terminal manager. Everytime you go through your terminal, go talk with your TM and FM. Those are the first two people that know of good things when they are coming down the pipeline. People naturally refer to those they know first, so be that person.
8. Understand the processes. How does a planner know when your due home. How do they know what type of load they should plan on you. How do they know when your available for a load. Same thing with your DM.
9. Remember that there are expectations of you. Realize what they are and be proactive about them. My DM's have to work 6 days if their drivers are not getting the miles they should be. My terminal is results oriented, not excuse oriented. My DM's cant give me excuses, it does them no good. They have become really good problem solvers that get good results for their drivers. And this is done legally. Don't tell me your turnover jumped up high this month because you had drivers terminated for bad logs. That is an excuse, what did you do the last 3 months to get them the training and understanding they needed to keep your turnover down?

There are lots of little things that help ease the communication gap, and I hope someone puts one up from the driver perspective also. Swift is a big company, it is what it is. That will not change. What can change is how you personally go about getting the results you want in life and work, and how you overcome the challenges. Sometimes its easier for 1 driver to get to know 1 DM, then it is for 1 DM to get to know 40-50 drivers.

Wes

 

Great post. Seeing how I am headed to Swift, I hope to try some of the things you've mentioned. I know what TM (terminal manager) and DM (dispatch manager) stand for...but call me dumb, but what is FM? freight manager? all these letters floating around, and i only know a few of them....PM me if you want with answers.

I am one who likes to know how things work. What does it take for me to get a load, and what happens once I show it 'delivered'. I like to know the behind the scenes so i know what is going on...so i DON'T jump to conclusions.

 

If only more threads could have useful information like this so we could all "just get along"

 

Please stop the insults and name calling!!!!!!!
Giving praise or finding fault with a company is fine, thats what this site is here for.
But picking on a poster for his or her opinion is not productive and will not be tolerated!!!
This is the third warning in as many days

 

sounds like you know what your talking about. That makes a lot of sence. Just treat the DM the way you want to be treated.

 

If anyone out there can give me some info about Swifts orientation I would be very grateful. I'm scheduled to go to orientation on Aug 5th in Columbus. Also I hear the training is 6 weeks. Is that 6 weeks straight out with the trainer? I've been reading some good and bad things about them and a few other companies. So any info or support would greatly appreciated.

 

yeah, plan on this: 1) go to school for 3 weeks, 2) wait at home for a load for 3 weeks, 3) go out for 6 weeks (could get lucky and have it be 3), 4) come home, 5) repeat as necessary.

 

Training lasts for 23 days. Then to orientation for 2-3 days, then out with a mentor for 4-6 weeks. All depends on how quicky Swift can get you a 'trainer' in your direction. Me being in Des Moines, where TWO major interstates cross, it shouldn't be that hard to find me one. Besides, Swift has two terminals within a 2 hr drive of my house.

Asking for GOOD information about Swift, i wouldn't come onto a thread in this catagory where most everyone is out to bust on the company. Get a hold of a recruiter. Granted they will just tell you what is in their website, but go over to "must start another good swift thread", and find out from someone who has just gone solo.