Who's The Worst Of Them ALL to work for?

First, I would certainly seek legal advice, you and your husband. With that said, I have to say this, you should certainly stayed away from Swift. I dont care how #### hungry I might get, I aint driving for the likes of Swift or any like them. I have been in this business since the early 60s and I cant understand why people deal with these "crooks", "scam artists", "con men", and just pure "criminals". There are too many descent companies out there than to deal with companies that make more by stealing from the drivers than they do hauling freight.

I hope that you come out of this and you probably will, just keep your eyes open and something will "pop". You living in Richmond, there should be plenty of driving jobs there because I only live 100 miles from you and watch the classifieds real close.

 

First of all, let me preface this with a sincere offering of condolence for all that you have been through. Your plate has been full for quite sometime.

I get very red faced when I read stories like this, and it pains me to know that there are companies out there like Swift Transportation, who utterly and remorselessly screw with the lives of people like this. It's why I devote so much of my time to the cause.

My educated guess is that the reason your husband was cut from orientation, was due to his previous injury, and someone in safety, made the decision to not chance any Worker's Compensation issues that might arise from hiring a newly hired driver. You see, the process from your initial phone call to the point where he was declined is muddled and extremely deceptive.

Recruiters will bring you in for orientation, and THEN the actual hiring process begins. You can do everything under the sun to head off what happened to him, and never totally prevent it. Recruiters are paid to bring you in the door. They are not thinking of anything else but their "sale". The fact that you and your husband were recruited in a separate fashion, where two recruiters received credit, rather than to bring you in as a couple, under one recruiter, is full evidence of the fact that your needs and concerns are not that of the recruiter.

I wish I had some easy answers or advice that would make this better and in the time frame that you would need to overcome all of this, but I don't.

The reality of the situation is that Swift will file almost immediately a USIS/DAC report on both of you. His will be worded, "dismissed during orientation", and yours will read, "quit during orienation". I urge you to give it a couple of weeks and request copies of both of your reports, and begin the process of fighting them tooth and nail on all of this. It will take time however, and that is not something that I suspect is going to be welcome to either of you.

Put together legible copies of both of your driver's licenses and Social Security cards, and mail your written request for your "yearly free copy of your reports", and mail your request by certified mail to:

USIS/DAC Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 33181
Tulsa,OK. 74153

800-322-9651 (If you need to contact them with any questions).

When you see what is on the report, then you will know what kind of fight you both have on your hands.

I too agree that you should not be required to pay the tuition agreed upon, but I assure you, Swift will not see it that way, and they will hound you relentlessly, and will attempt to ruin your credit if you refuse to pay. This is a known tactic of theirs. The fact that they split the two of you up, sending you to two different locations was a complete farce and there was a reason for it. They wanted your signature on the tuition contract, and they now have reason to demonstrate if need be, that you were not together on this.

You were hoodwinked.

A legal point of law is that verbal agreements are unenforceable in court. What you sign is enforceable. But because the two of you are married, it may be possible to fight this, if it gets in front of a decent judge. Hopefully it will not have to go that far.

I would immediately send them a stern letter, also by certified mail, outlining in concise terms the set of events that led you to apply with them, and the fact that due to their decision to dismiss your husband in orientation, that this constitutes a breach of agreement, and that the extent of your interest was expressly known prior to bring you in, and that this was in working for them was as co-driver with your husband. Make sure to keep a copy of the letter and the signature card from the post office, IF they sign it.

Inform them that no payment will be forthcoming, and that any attempt to collect on the contract, or If any entry is made on either of your credit reports, or information is disclosed to another party that would prevent either of you from obtaining gainful employment out of the course of this experience, that THIS will be met with legal action, seeking any and all damages under law, that result from information that they disclose.

Expect them to either to fail to respond, or to respond with the fact that you willingly signed the contract, and are liable for the terms of the contract.

Your next tactic will be to fight this with the credit bureau and DAC Services, which will be equally tough. Do what you can, document EVERYTHING, and if you are getting nowhere, please consult an Attorney that specializes in civil and/or contractual law.

In fact, because this one is so complicated, and because you are both affected, you might be better to consult an Attorney immediately.

I'm unsure where you live, and will direct you to one of the best sites I know to begin a search for an Attorney, if you need one;


Good luck, and I will say a prayer for the both of you. It's not right, what has happened to you, and to anyone who reads her story, do you really want to consider Swift as an option, after reading this?

I sure couldn't see how they could. Because they could be the next victim drawn into their spiderweb of deceit.

This crap is routinely played out on a weekly basis with that company.

 

I think I've read your post about twenty times on the net. Sure, YOU have posted it only once, but I've read others' posts that pretty much say the same thing you are saying.

I think it's time to get some "truckersreport.com" bumperstickers made up to put on backs of trailers....and maybe some truckstop bathroom walls. Obviously not enough people are visiting this site and reading about Swift and those like them. Too many people come here saying pretty much the same ol' same ol' after choosing them to work for. It's good they're coming here, but obviously they're reading our warnings just a tad too late.

This site kinda feels like "the love boat". Same ol' crew running the show, but each week sees a whole new set of passengers with the same old issues--"so & so trucking company is no good". Yeah, if I had a dollar for every barn door that got closed after the horse had already run off.......It's too bad you didn't read the info here several weeks ago. It would have saved you some grief for sure.

I wonder if this site advertises in OOIDA's magazine? They #### well should.

Stay away from those Utah companies. They're run by people who really do believe "greed is good". And the stickler is they're greedy because of their religion. Yeap. Believe it.

Anyway, I wish you well in your situation. If you were at the Richmond terminal, you probably encountered a character there by the name of Scott Chisolm. I remember this cat well. If I'm ever told by a doctor I have only a "few weeks to live", ol' Scotty is gonna get a visit from me, no matter if it's in 2007 or 2027. Some of us have an elephant's memory, especially when people steal from us.

 

what you have here is a willful intent to commit fraud on thier behalf. Which is I believe criminal activity. Check with local prosecuters.

However the only way to get at these people and to get them to knock this off is to go to each of thier schools and inform thier students about what is going on in your case.

As long as you didn't sign your Peta sheet which documents your hours they will have a hard time proving you were even actually at the school past the three day self dismissal clause inside of that contract.

You want to hit them where it hurts. Go to Memphis Tennesse greyhound station every tuesday of everyweek and sit there all day and warn thier incoming classes of the unfair and borderline illegal activities this company does. Hurt thier bottom line as far as students are concerned and they will probably just void your contract and then you won't owe them anything.

I currently am waiting on a mentor for Swift and I am calling them tomorrow to tell them I want my 6 weeks training or I am filing a complaint with my state attorney general as well as state and federal labor boards. Either that or they can bite the 3900 or I am going to do just as I said. Drive to Memphis Tennesse every tuesday and explain to students to leave because of what they do and or how to get thier liscenses totally free from them. Which is by never handing the DMV officer there the peta sheet which swift tricks you into handing the state which you signed yourself stating the hours they trained you. I am sure they would bite the 3900 before getting into a dog fight with me. I know how they have abused me as an employee and I know how to get back at them as a bad employeer.


Use your state refrences. And contact as many people in these classes as possible. Let them know you can all come together and file a class action.

 

Hey Skull,
What are some reasons you don't like Prime?

I'm lookin to go there as a recent grad. of a CDL-A school... and am curious since there are so many different companies outthere...!
Overwhelmed in MI....

 

NEW RISING FENIX!!!

 

STEVENS TRANSPORT, Hands Down !!!

 

I do not know how many on here are wives of truck drivers. But I am one and I could not go without putting my two cents in. My husband has been with Werner for going on 4 years now. It was the one company he heard of all through truck driving school as the BEST! So naturally that was what he wanted just like I am sure all truckers want to be with the best one. Over the course of the 4 years I could tell you story after story but I think my post would be too long. So here is what I have to say:
When our 2nd son was born my husband was manipulated and made to feel guilty that he had put his company in a bad situation because they were short on drivers. My husband was only off work for 6 days, apparently that was 6 days too long. So naturally he went back early. Our 2nd daughter was born about 2 years later and again they laid on the guilt trips about how they needed him back asap. Family friendly I don't think so. How often do you have an addition to your family? This is a once in a lifetime memory to build but do they care...No. And my husband has not been able to take his vacation one time in the last 4 years because according to his dispatchers it is never a good time. He never gets Christmas, Thanksgiving....Nothing. Even if he puts in for it, they tell him sorry we need you. So this year, he put in for Christmas and says he doesnt care what they say he is going home. A friend of mine, her hubby worked for Werner too a while back and she says it best,"They treat their drivers like Dogs" Both her and I are sick and tired of seeing our husbands exhausted, Angry, Disrespected and just plain treated like dogs. Werner does not care about anyone or anything but their pockets and they do not care who they need to step on. By the way, do not ever become a trainer there either. My hubby went through their training and became a Trainer in Feb has only had 1 student all year and he was 1/2 way done by the time he got in my hubby's truck. They play favorites too so what ever you do kiss alot of butt because that is the only way you can get decent loads on a daily basis. When they do not like you they cut your loads back until your weekly paychecks are only like $150/week yeah a family of 6 can live on that...Thanks Werner. Well that is my two cents take it or leave it but it is all the truth.

P.S. FYI my hubby has been with Werner for almost 4 years and has NEVER had a raise. No Joke.

 

sounds like hubby needs to go job hunting


how many times do you have to be crapped on before you realize it stinks?