TDA Fontana

I'm in my second week at TDA (swift school more or less) and I wanted to give a review of them here. I’ll update as I progress.

So yes Swift gets besmirched all over the place, but it shouldn’t be because of this school. The instructors are knowledgeable, and serious about getting you your CDL-A.

• the instructors constantly tell you if you don’t understand to keep asking questions.
• The instructors have incredible patience. I don’t know how they do it.
• They will keep working with you on skills until you get better or prove you aren’t capable.
• They are very safety conscious. From the rep swift gets this stoked me.
• the instructors I’ve worked with are Alex, Will, Brian, Karina and Eric. All are good. They’re way funnier than I expected.
• Each segment is laid out to get you through the test.
• If you’re capable you can get your license in about 160 hours +/-
• if you’re incapable they will cut you
• if you hit something they will cut you
• if you’re constantly late or absent they will cut you
• if you don’t pass the test you owe them nothing.
• Class is $3900. You can drive for them for a year or pay them. They’re clear on this.
• the training trucks are all Volvo 670’s. With either ISX or Volvo power. All are 10-speed transmissions.
• the trucks are all in good enough shape and seem to average 300k on them.
• we average about 3 students per truck at this point.
• you take the CDL test there, not the DMV.
• when the instructors are acting as DMV/ government driving examiners they have zero sense of humor, and will fail you without a blink. That’s on you.
• I showed up with my CLP, so my first day was urine and hair sample and paperwork,
• by about noon that day we were in the yard doing air brake and PTI training.
• By Friday (4th day in my case) you had to be able to pass a mock airbrake/ in-cab test to begin actual training.
• 1st day driving is all straight backing
• 2nd day driving is some road and shifting, plus offset.
• 3rd day is more driving and more skills work.
If you aren’t at a “B” by day three you go on academic probation. Can’t get past that and they will cut you.
• You have to study. You have to learn. They will not pass you through.

My class started with about 25-26 people. I think we’re down to 16-17.

The job of the school isn’t to teach you to be a trucker. They’re honest about that. The purpose of the school is getting you your CDL, and on the road with a mentor so that mentor can teach you or whatever company you go to can mold you into a trucker.

I have no mentor review at this point.

After all the ######## I heard on here about driver mills/Swift I was pleasantly surprised at TDA Fontana. I wouldn’t have hesitated if knew what I know now. I have no info on other TDA locations. From what I’ve seen the people who complain are not going to make it in trucking in the first place or have a few too many other issues or things going on. If you can’t progress it’s on you. If you can’t learn to drive it’s on you. If you don’t like the price that’s fine. At this point it’s worth it to me, and if you get your CDL you get a job with Swift. No clue on what that job may be.

* I am not an employee of Swift. I get nothing for writing this other than to help people who have been overwhelmed with how to make a start like I was.

Ask questions. I’m not sure what else I can answer but I will try. If you only come here to flame how about you just move along out of my thread.

 

End of week two and starting week three:

Most of week two is on the road driving and skills training. The instructors continue to be on point. For this week to advance to next week you need at least a “B” average. If you’re not at a B you get put on academic probation, you’ve got a few days to get your grade up. Getting the B isn’t ultra easy to do. They expect you to know what your doing and you will test your own patience, not the instructors. I only saw one incident of a instructor getting tense. The student wasn’t listening and when the student made the right turn he wasn’t watching his tandems and almost took out a telephone poll.

• I believe we’re down to 8 students going to orientation on Monday. I’m one of the 8. The others are still on probation
• a lot of students disappeared this week due to hair tests coming back.
• the stress level in students is rising quickly. It’s gone from fun for many to tense. You can see it in their faces.
• several students seemed to just quit, stopped showing up
•Monday-Wednesday is orientation. No driving, no school. You get paid for Tuesday and Wednesday. Plus they give you lunch.
• Thursday they start testing for CDL-A.
• you don’t know who they are picking.
• DMV has to have 48 hours notice for you to test. I believe they will tell us Monday if we test Thursday.
• each instructor has a slightly different teaching methodology. You’ll find the methods that seem to connect with your intellect. All their methods conform to the test.
• I’m still reviewing air brake and PTI everyday. I still practice it everyday. I heard that 80% of CDL test failures are during PTI/AB.
• during my first week myself and two other students found we work well together. This has helped by shortening our learning cycle.
• The students who made the class feel like high school are gone.
• if you speak English as a second language you’d better practice your English a lot. Especially for the road driving.

 

Day One if orientation is done.

A day of watching videos and doing paperwork plus a drug screen

Another day of surprising revelations.
• first of all a lot re-hires. People who left and came back. Most seemed to have followed the money or wanted to go to a smaller carrier. Interesting after hearing all the horror stories to see people stoked to be back. Stability and consistent work seemed to be the most prevalent reason.
• Also some current drivers who ran afoul elsewhere were being welcomed at Swift.
• It was an easy / boring day.
• the got us lunch. Burgers and chips or a salad. Food was good enough.
• Tomorrow we get into training and start receiving Pay. We also turn in our travel receipts.

That’s about it from the Swift orientation.

 

Imagine that drivers going back to a "horrible" company.

 

Am I to understand swift is not hair testing at your location?

 

My class had the follicle test the week before at TDA. The rehires and experienced drivers new to Swift I believe were follicle tested.

 

Ya, it surprised me. So many have thrown rocks at Swift, but here are people coming back. I talked to the one guy for like an hour. He had genuine good points and bad points and it all came down to what he wanted. He could care less what the internet said. Normal guy, clean shaven, maybe 35ish, American, fit, all of his teeth... you know normal normal. If you saw him in a Whole Foods you wouldn’t give him a second look.

 

All boils down to the attitude you have. Though some have a genuine grudge with authority giving the company a bad rap.

 

Otter, you have had a good attitude through your experience and that will take you far with any company.

 

Thank you.
I think it’s all in your attitude. I find negative people to be so exhausting. I keep them as far away as I can.