Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

SWIFT = Sure Wish I Finished Training

 

Would you guys please try to be more original?

Still
Waiting
Impatiently
For
Trailer

 

OLD TEX = Obviously Lacking Due To Effeminate Xpressions

Look what I can do!

 

I used to bet guys $20 they couldn't come up with one I hadn't heard. 8 years later, I still haven't had to pay out.

 

Still waiting for info on the FSC lawsuit .

 

So am I, Rick. I asked an expert on lawsuits against Swift last night. She keeps up on everything being filed. Never know when something might arise that her husband would qualify to be a party to. She can't find it either.

Oh. That lady would be Truckrswife.

 

The only thing I can find are some older (several years) lawsuits against some airlines and a couple of trucking companies, neither of which was Swift, pertaining to fuel surcharge. Don't quote me, but I believe any lawsuits involving "fixing" fuel surcharges falls under antitrust laws. Someone (I can't recall the company) did file a lawsuit against UP and BNSF and accused them of collusion on fixing fuel surcharges. Not real sure, but I believe it's still in litigation. Of course UP and BNSF say it's not true. LOL

The shipping charges go up due to increases in the price of oil and we pay more for goods as a result. Why is it the prices of goods never seem to come back down to previous prices when the price of oil goes down? The answer is one word.....greed. I don't like having my intelligence insulted. Unfortunately we pay the higher prices because we have to in order to provide for our families. These unconscionable companies have us all by the short ones and they flaunt that knowledge.

What I'd like to know is how does an O/O or L/O know if they're getting 100% of the fuel surcharge anyway? I don't think contractors are privy to this information to know for sure. It would be interesting for someone who is an O/O/L/O to approach who they're contracted to and ask for the actual documentation showing the true surcharge. I'd love to see what the company's answer would be. I believe it's a well kept secret.

 

First...many companies pay contractors a mileage rate & FSC on all miles, loaded or empty. I would assume Swift would have this payment method. When the truck receives 100% of the FSC, they are generally receiving some % of linehaul, not a flat mileage rate.

That being said, under most leases you are entitled to see a copy of the freight bill for any load you haul to ensure you are paid correctly.

 

Swift L/Os and O/Os are paid a loaded mileage rate (92cpm) plus FSC on loaded miles only (43cpm this week) They are paid 82cpm deadhead.

Yes, yes, I know. Percentage appears to be more fair, on the surface. But most companies that pay percentage do not figure deadhead miles into the equation. Prime, for example, will send a driver a $2.00/mile load going 400 miles. That figure is all inclusive, to the truck. What you don't see is the truck has to go 180 miles to get the load and then pay a lumper $150 on the other end. The driver winds up with $650 for 580 miles. That $1.12/ mile for the whole trip.

Swift will pay the L/O $687.60 for the same trip and pay the lumper as well. That adds up to $1.185/mile for the same trip. However, Swift planners and DMs have to explain any deadhead over 75 miles, so it is unlikely this trip will be offered.

On this dedicated account I am on, I get paid loaded miles for every mile, loaded or empty. My linehaul rate is 97.5cpm with FSC 33cpm this week. I get $1.305/mile for every dispatched mile. Fully 75% of my miles are empty miles, so my fuel consumption has gone down. I buy my fuel at the Walmart DC for a significantly reduced price.

 

The equity of percentage pay versus mileage pay is completely dependent on your companies rates. My open deck contractors get paid 68% of line haul & accessorials and 100% of FSC. On empty miles they get 68% of 0 + 100% of 0 to come up with a grand total of 0.00/mi on empty miles. They average around 20% empty miles. They also average around 1.75/mi on all (hub) miles loaded or empty. This would be about .45/mi more than what you are getting paid.