Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

Well i would like to say this.I feel that no driver in this industry should have to haunt around to get a good dispatcher.Every company should be able to have there management good enough where all people in that company are on the same page.Now why for any reason do these companys put the costumer first and driver second.Maybe one day the company drivers at all companys be treated like people instead of meat.Maybe someone can understand what i'm saying on this matter of swift and all the others. Thank you.

 

well i think all companys should treat drivers like drivers u should not have to be a o/o to get good treatment or look for that needle in the hay stack .

 

Swift has all kinds of ways to screw over their drivers.I found several of them in my short stint with them.Heres one.I signed on at $.40 a mile with them.But they dont tell you the whole story.I was dispatched out of Columbus,OH.The minute I crossed the Mississippi river $.02 was taken away.Not just for the miles west of the river but for the whole trip.The same with a load coming back east,you can pick up a load in St.Louis and take it to CT.and they take $.02 away from you.They also pay on the household movers guide system,which means you get paid for approx.80% of your actual miles driven.I signed on with Roehl at $.38 a mile and I get that for every mile I run.They also pay practical miles,so at $.38 a mile I am making much more at Roehl.I took a load from Akron,OH to San Antonio,TX.paid miles were 1486.When I arrived in San Antonio the odometer showed 1479 miles.With Swift that run would have paid about 1300 miles.Big difference huh.I can think of many more of their screw the driver tricks.Not all Roehl loads are that close to the paid miles,but they are pretty darn close.

 

Having been around (o/o) swift for 4 years, I did meet some drivers with 8-10 years tenure there---but they were the exceptions. All had gotten themselves into a 'cush' dedicated position! My main complaint about swift was the way they talked to & treated their drivers---they treated them all as inexperienced, ignorant slaves!! And when the drivers quit, they acted surprised....very poor mgmt (which also has a high-turnover rate). Swift goes after 'cheap freight' and doesn't really have any idea what it costs to turnover drivers in regards to damaged tractors/trailers/freight, etc. If anyone remembers, swift was noted for underbidding (many times at a loss) to drive out their competition!! They are the epitemy (sp?) of why there are unions in America due to mgmt abuse....

 

Swift seems better now without Jerry Moyes.

 

roadwarrior how have u been with swift and did you start as a ex driver if not did u have to wait long for a mentor any ideas on how i can try and get one any time soon dont mind going to him better than sitting here waiting in fl

 

Yeah, knobs, best way to get going is to go out with anybody offered (if you are a female, don't wait for a female trainer, go out with a guy) and if you are a non-smoker, go out with a smoker trainer if offered (I did!). Good luck--the first 3 mos driving are the worst, it gets better!!

 

thanks jam im a male i told them i would go what ever it takes just to get it started been waiting fir the dm out of orcala to call

 

Also, you can change trainers after 1-2 weeks (I did). Yeah, I bailed on my first trainer after 1 week because he pushed me into driving tired---don't let them do, cause they make their $$$ off of you during training! Team driving can shut down the truck for 4 hrs/day for good sleep, cause sleeping while moving can be brutal til you get used to... Believe me that I didn't think that I would make it in this industry---not because of driving skills (which you will actually get while driving solo not with a trainer) but now, 7 years down the road, it's a piece of cake!! Good luck.

 

Skullitor,Jerry Moyes and his brother own 40% of Swift stock and are trying to buy more so the have controlling interest.Drivers beware.