Swift training school any one out here been there.

That means new students would need to bring an extra $500(as well as additional $ for school fees and food)with them to pay for hotel up front? Are you kinda required to stay where they tell you? Also, how much are the monthly or weekly payments on the loan to pay for the school & how soon do they take the first payment? Thanks in advance!

 

You are not required to stay at the hotel that Swift has for you, but if you stay at any other place you will be required to pay up front. The $500.00 is added to the load payment, you will be have to pay the loan back once you clear solo if you go all the way through with your training. I know some guys that went through the Lewiston Academy when I was there, are not going through the mentorship so they will have to start the repayment plan of $300.00 a month right a way. I know this sounds like a lot but in reality all of us will pay $300.00 a month no mater what, they just try to make it look good by saying Swift drivers only have to pay $75.00 a week... do the math if you know what I mean. The only thing I can say about the whole food deal, if you can drive I highly recomend it. I didn't drive to Lewiston so I was stuck buying food out of the truck stop for the whole 3 weeks, it was very spendy.

Hopes this helps

 

I know the instructions I was sent say that I am responsible for the motel, $500. Is this correct? But if Swift takes it out of your checks in the future, that means you don't need the 500 to go to school, Swift pays and you pay it back to them, right? Here is the email sent to me by Swift. If you have time, can you comment on it for me? Thanks, Denise PS Would you mind giving me a blallpark on your "out of pocket" expenses? The ones that you "have" to have before attending the school? ty much!

Thank you for your recent on-line application sent in on the Swift web site. My name is Rich Landino and I am a recruiter based at the main office of Swift Transportation in Phoenix, AZ. We are currently recruiting individuals who would like to obtain a CDL class A license, and are looking for a career with Swift. The following are new procedures that are in effect to make the hiring process easier for you the student. It allows you the opportunity to study from home and prepares you for the written test prior to going to the DMV in your home state to obtain your class A permit.

New Procedures for obtaining CDL Licensing -

Each student must have a permit from his home state and must have it in his possession for 30 days prior to taking the actual driving test at the local Dept of Motor Vehicles. Students will also be required to have a Dept of Transportation physical in their possession prior to entering the Swift school you will be attending. You must take the general knowledge, airbrakes, and combination tests as part of your CDL permit, otherwise you will not be able to attend the academy. (Important) - You must make a copy of your current license before you go to your local dmv to take the permit test because we need proof that you have held a valid license for the past 12 months. The copy needs to be faxed to me after you have obtained your permit.

In order to take the permit test, Swift has developed a training program that will not only instruct you on obtaining a CDL, but will also test your skills as you proceed through the program. The web site to access this program is xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Once your application is received and completed, you will receive a logon name and password to access the program. You will then be asked to change the password to something you will remember. Once you have started the program, you have 7 days to finish and complete the training seminar. After that, you should make an appointment with your local DMV to take the permit test. The cost of the physical will vary from state to state.

Once you have the permit, receipt, and long form of the physical, you will then be scheduled to attend 13 days of training at one of our training academies.. Swift will pay for the transportation via Greyhound, however, you are responsible for your own meals. You are also responsible for the cost of the hotel which is $500 which will be deducted out of your weekly pay check in a deduction of $26.00 per week. In addition, there is a sitting fee of $150 that is required at both the San Antonio Academy, and the Phoenix Academy. Upon completion of the training you will return home and spend 1 week with a Swift trainer before you are taken to DMV to take the actual driving test and obtain a CDL license in your home state. Once you have the license, Swift will schedule you for 2-3 days of orientation, followed by (6) weeks with a trainer/mentor. At this point, you begin to get paid $450 per week for the first 4 weeks, and $500 per week for the last 2 weeks. You will then be assigned your own tractor and start to work solo and be paid .25 per mile. Over the first year, you will receive five pay increases on your 3rd month, 4th month, 6th month, 9th month, and at your 1st year anniversary. At this point you will be paid .32 per mile, and the pay will continue to increase on a annual basis until you have reached your 5th year with Swift, at which time you will be at the maximum pay level.

Cost of the program is $3900 and each student will sign a contract that they will work with Swift for 13 months. Over the 13 months, Swift will deduct $37.50 from your weekly paychecks, and by the end of the 13th month, you will have paid in $1950. At that point, Swift will match your $1950 and pay off the $3900 loan, so basicly, it is only costing you $1950 if you stay the entire 13 month. If you leave sooner, you are responsible for the balance of the total $3900 minus what had been paid in toward the loan. If you decide to stay with Swift ( and I hope you will make this a career), Swift will reinburse you $37.50 per week until you have been paid back the $1950 that had been deducted the prior year.


The attached document,which gives us authorization to verify your employment, needs to be signed at the top and faxed back to me as soon as possible.










If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the numbers listed below.

Richard Landino
Driver Recruiter - Phoenix
Swift Transportation
2200 S. 75th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85043
Tel (800) 800-2200 Ext 9077784 (Week days 6:30 am - 3:30 pm Mountain Time)
Direct (623)907-7784
Fax: (602) 605-2277 (anytime)
Email:

 

ok 29.50 + loan repayment of 39.50 a week (69.00) taken away from the weekly check. i guess the key here would be how many miles they give you a week. i was told to expect around 2500. if that's the case then my weekly miles pay would be 625.00 based off of making .25 pm. minus taxes (around 20%) takes it down to 520.00 then the loan = 451.00 wk.

I guess another variable would be how much it's gonna cost you for living on the road. (I'm Guessing here, 50-100.00 a week) so if ya got a fam, they would be getting around 350.00 a wk.

someone please correct me if my numbers or my figuring is off or missing something. Does this Sound Right if my Figures are indeed correct?

~ E

 

You are indeed correct on the math. I personally was sent home from orientation on the fact that Swift said I refused to take, "A Swift Approved Physical". Ok let me explain this very clearly to all you who think you want to drive for this company. When you go to the DMV to get your permits you have to have a DOT card. I personally paid for me DOT card to get my permit. When I got to Lewiston, the academy instructors looked at my permit and DOT card to verify that they were both valid so I could drive the trucks for training. Little did I know until today once I got to orientation, that Swift would then tell you that your DOT card is invalided when in fact the DOT card that you are issued by your DR. and that the DMV accepts is valid for 2 years. They will not let you keep your DOT card that paid for out of pocket and they will not reimburse you for your expenses. I went to the DR. office one more time to get the "Swift" physical, and when I was sitting on the table waiting for the DR. to come in, one of the people came from the terminal to tell me not to bother, Swift will not hire me because I refused a Physical.

Now with that all said, you tell me if you want to drive for a company like this... I have to say I learned a lot from the instructors in Lewiston, but the company itself really needs help with the communication. A guy has to take it for what its worth and move on but think hard before you put yourself on the line and then owe them all the money once you get your CDL and have no job because of lake of communication between recruiters and terminals. I wish every one the best of luck out there drive safe and make your decisions on what is best for you... don't make them on my experience because you might have a different one... I can only tell you what I went through with this company.

If you guys have any questions, I would be glad to answer them

 

Hi Chris,

I decided against Swift because IITR is a way better way for me to go, even though I am running the risk of "not" getting on with a company once I've graduated their training(IITR's). After reading your reply, I am rather glad of my decision. I found some "differences" between the letter I was sent and what this "Richard" actually had to say also. He even admitted on the phone that he should changed the "letter" so that there isn't any confusion.

These sort of things don't just happen in trucking either. Anyone, young or old, going to school, runs into lack of companies hiring, actual pay and benefits being much different than what they are told in school. It is confusing, expensive and frustrating. Not to mention discouraging.

I sure appreciate you sharing your experiences and sure hope for the best for others as well as myself, Denise

 

No matter what you do a new company will require a new physical. So what? I got a physical to go to school ( I highly recommend a private school that the trucking companies will hire from). Then when I got hired at Werner I had to get there physical. Now that I am going with Swift I have to get another physical. It's that way all over. It's an insurance requirement. The only time I didn't have to get another physical was to drive a school bus. Get another physical or don't work, your choice.

 

thanks marine, it's looking like I will be going with IITR as I mentioned I think, above. I just heard back from the recruiter for the Medford office of Gordon Trucking. He is at least interested which really was encouraging. He wanted to know my plan so far and he approved. He also said to call him as soon as I know I am going to IITR for sure. He will be considering my request for a pre-hire. That is why I wrote him in the first place. I heard it was good to get a few of those.

Anyway, I am moving ahead, slowly but surely and as far as a physical, I don't mind either, it's only the fact that I am going to have to pay 100 dollars to get one and then have to have another anyway. But that's the way it's done and it's no use to gripe about it.

 

Marine you have a very valid point. I am used to the small town trucking company's who accept any DOT approved physical. So when Swift said no to mine after paying for it out of pocket it was very discouraging to know what i just forked out money for will be worthless. But I do agree, you pay and play the rules of the big corporate company's are don't work bottom line. But I still think recruiters should let people know everything that the company requires so there is no confusion about company policies at the last minute. But hey no recruiter is honest they are glorified sales men...lol

 

So were they asking you to pay for another physical out of pocket or were they paying for it?