Diary of a current Swift flatbed driver

You're out here too? I'm in New Caney...picking up a Weyerhaeuser on Monday in Natchotches, LA

 

I refuse to go to that terminal...surprised you found parking at Pilot. That's the reason I'm up here at the J for my 34. I delivered Moly drums yesterday.

 

I saw the signs for that....the other reason I hauled ##### to get up here so I don't need to fight detours onto 59 tomorrow to get to the mill. Somehow I figured you'd keep to the west coast after I split, but I guess with staffing back to normal at the yard they cast you to the wind.

 

I think you will see a lot of opportunities on the flatbed side of the business as the economy continues to improve. I don't see any reason someone with flatbed experience would have to run for under .40/mi. I am not familiar with the Western markets, but in the Central and Eastern US there are a lot of regional flatbed opportunities. It appears that you have handled a variety of cargoes. I would think you would have wide open opportunities. I am a little biased, but you might really enjoy the challenge and variety of specialized hauling.

 

The thing about Swift is, and always has been....they treat you like garbage your first year out. I don't really get it because it leads so many of us to quit in the first 12 months. They did me that way too - I sat 4 out of every 7 days normally...during high freight. Winter? We won't even go there.

I quit...and came back a year later now with 2 years under my belt. And all of a sudden things had improved. The next time I left I didn't come back until last September now with flatbed, safety, dispatch and shop experience along with just about 6 years OTR mixed in. I have zero problems with Swift now except my truck breaking down (well, and OK...I'm used to get three times what we're paid to tarp). Freight has gotten a little soft for me in the past month, sure...but if you get up into the rust belt it's still moving up there. I have it on good word that we've been turning down loads left and right up there because we don't have enough drivers in the area to move them.

I don't have a solution for you schmud, but I can say it does start to improve after your first year.

 

I am excited about going to Swift and getting into the flatbed division. I live in Ohio, but I would like to do all 48 for a while and then go where the most miles (aka "money") are. I am a little intimidated though just thinkng about driving through NYC and such.