Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

I still use my CDL and im home everynight, i didnt plan to stay with swift going in, if it worked out great, but its only $100 a mo/ no interest. They offered to only run me to Los Angeles and back, but i knew it would be to LA and around LA till they felt like bringing me back. All in All, im a better position in life than i was pre-swift and that was my goal.

 

Swift is starting to get hurt by there hiring and training activities. They are losing major accts. ( Wal-Mart, HP, and others. When your product fails to arrive at it's destination enough times...due to accidents, etc... you change trucking companies.

 

why does every veteran driver act like they were never trained by someone, not being a smart a@@ but every board i view its the s.o.s. is some drivers not trained, they're just natural born drivers? or are drivers trained by someone and been on the road so long they forget where they come from , please explain!!!!!! just curious, and keep it simple. instead of being simple minded.

 

I drive for Swift now, but the only reason I am still with them is I am doing the dedicated Walmart thing. If it weren't for that I would have quit along time ago. I used to train for Swift in 2002. They wanted teams and would try to run us as one. I would always refuse team loads and tell them I couldn't teach my students anything if I was in the back sleeping. When I started training I vowed not to train like I was. When I got on the truck, I did all the night driving, I did everything myself while he was sleeping. He was basically worthless and I give him NO credit for teaching me anything. I quit the company after all the crap the threw at me for sticking to my guns on how I was going to train. Hey if they wanted teams fine, but I was not a team.
I know I turned down a load for them and we sat for a few days for that(ohh well we were at a terminal so he got to practive his backing while we sat) He was on the truck less then a week and we were shut down. My phone rings and its a DM looking for a team to run a FedEx load that NEEDED(his words not mine) picked up ASAP. Since it was at night and I was out of hours I asked my student of he felt confortable running at night(remember the guy on the phone can here all of this) when my student said NO, I said NO. I never made him do anything he wasn't comfortable doing, and when he drove I sat in the seat or in the bunk watching the road with him.. Thats just how I was. Would I train now, no way....

 

two former swifties go to schneider school, so did swift fire their ##### and the big orange pumpkin was the only other large carrier that would hire them,,,,scary

 

This may be somewhat lenghty so bear with me. I started with Swift in November of 2006. I didn't have to go through their school due to already having a Class A CDL that was obtained in 2000. Only had to go to the 3 day orientation then six weeks on a trainer truck. Like another post I read on here, my mentor/trainer was a trainer from hell (needless to say, she is no longer with Swift because she said that if she was ever taken off trainer status she would leave Swift and that was exactly what happened). Our truck started out as a team truck immediately. She had me driving solo and after dark the second day on her truck while she slept in the bunk. I knew how to "drive" the truck (actually was a better driver than she was, at least I could stay off the rumble strips, unlike her) so that wasn't a big issue but there was still a lot I needed to learn. During the day when I was "supposed" to be on my 10hr break in the bunk, she would always get me up and have me go into shipper or consignee..On one ocassion after arriving at the shipper they told me I had to stay at the dock door and count the load..I went back to the truck to inform my trainer of this and she said "then do it". So I did while SHE slept??? Spent 4 hours in there while truck was being loaded and during a shift change. When I got back in the truck I was going to log it as "on duty, not driving". My mentor told me to put it down as being in the "Sleeper berth". I told her that I wasn't there, I was working! She said in a loud and stern voice "I said, put it in the sleeper berth!" Well there went 4 hours of my sleep time and guess what? When her hours were done for the day, she made me drive my entire 11 hours that night, without any sleep. I managed it but had to stop at every rest area and/or truck stop to get out and walk so I could stay awake. That was just one of the many things that happened between the mentor and me while I was on her truck. I would have to write an entire book to tell my whole story as a "student" but I will stop here and move on.

I finally finished my training, stayed on the truck the entire 42 days, without going home because I didn't want to have to get off her truck and wait around for two weeks or so for another trainer. I got off the mentor's truck at around 2am on Christmas Eve then drove the what should have been 3 hours home in my POV. I had to stop a couple times and rest. I finally made it home at around 8am.

When I came back to the terminal to be issued my own truck, I was asked why I was there, DUHHHHHH. They knew nothing about me being done with training...Wanted me to go back home for another week. I told them that wasn't going to happen because I had a friend bring me back there so I could leave my car at home...They said they would bus me back home. Told them that wasn't going to happen either that I would have no one to pick me up from a bus terminal since they were so far away from where I lived. They finally put me up in motel that they use for all students and drivers. Waited around for a few days to be issued my own truck. In the meantime, I got some of the mandatory additional training out of the way.

I was issued an 04 Volvo, got my first load and was heading down the road. Got about 20 miles out and the truck broke down..Low on coolant, no biggy, but I was just starting out, had nothing on the truck and broke down where there was no place to get antifreeze or even water for that matter. I finally found a restaurant that was fairly close by to loan me a bucket and they gave me some water so I got back on the road..Next thing that goes is air pressure...I called the DM and told him there was an airleak problem with this truck..He had me bring it back in to the shop..The airleak supposedly got fixed. Umm, no it didn't..Got back out on the road, still has an air leak...I finally get P.O'd and send off a nasty message telling my DM that this truck needed to go back in the shop...He tells me to take it to Gary, IN terminal (that was the closest to where I was). In the mean time, I decide to do the 7 point break check. It failed miserably. Lost 25 pounds in less than a minute. I sent the DM another message telling him this. He sends back a message telling me DO NOT DRIVE TRUCK, CALL ONROAD..I do this. Onroad comes out and finds that the fan hub seal is leaking. He does a temporary fix and tells me to get it to a shop as soon as possible. I take it back to my home terminal..Swift decides to issue me another truck since I was having so many problems with this one...This time I am issued an 04 Freightliner (liked it better because it did have alot more room. You know us females, we have to bring a lot of stuff with us when we are out there.) Anyway, I do a pre-trip on this truck and find that it also has an airleak, mismatched steer tires so I take it to the shop...Steer tires were changed but was told there was no air leak. Okay I am just a female driver, fresh off a trainer truck, I don't know what I am talking about!!! I take it out on it's first run and guess what? I still have an airleak...So again, I am instructed to call onroad...They immediatly find the problem. It was the "pancake" or "brake diaphram", it had a split approx 1 and a half inches long. Onroad repairs this. I take the old one back to the shop and tell them, "This is the airleak that I did NOT have." All he could say was "Thank you ma'am". So, to make a long story short, this truck had a lot of major issues, air leaks, turbo, air compressor, just to name a few. I finally take it to the Memphis, TN terminal where all the issues were fixed and even a few extra's like a new stereo with CD player and new speakers. I am finally happy with my truck and drove it for the next 8 months.

As most of you probably know, Phoenix, AZ is the main headquarters for SWIFT Transportation. I had been begging my DM to send me out west so I could see the "big terminal" with the onsite Jake Brake Restaurant and the Swift Store. Only takes me 8 months but he finally sends me there.

I arrived at the Phoenix terminal on the 5th of August. Was completely out of hours on my 70 so needed to do a 34hr reset. My truck had an EGR problem so I figured since I was going to be there for a couple days I would get this problem fixed. Sent it to the shop, am made to stay in the truck instead of being put up in the motel. This is where my troubles with Swift really started, the straw that broke the camals back you might say, and ultimately made me decide to call it quits!!

6am, August 6 - Maintainance shop knocks on truck door. I yell but mechanic still unlocks my door and proceeds to enter my truck. I am in my bunk. I tell him that I am in here and he says sorry he will come back in a couple minutes. I get up, get dressed, grab my tooth paste/brush and coffee cup and attempt to get out of the truck. I open the truck door, stand up and before I knew it, I was falling out of the truck. I fell out, hitting my head on the running board of the truck next door then hitting the pavement landing flat on my back. I lay there and scream at the top of my lungs, I could not move. I just knew I had broke either my neck or back. Finally a mechanic hears my screams and comes to my aide. An ambulance is called and I am strapped to a board and taken to the nearest hospital. Xrays are taken and they tell me I didn't break anything. I am in extreme pain so they give me ocycodone (I can't take anything with Codone or Codeine in it and had already informed the hospitaql of this), the doctor tells me that he thinks I can take this. Well guess what? Within half an hour after taking the two oxycodone pills I am sick as a dog!!! I am vomiting, light headed, etc. I ask the hospital staff to please just let me have a bed to sleep this medication off. They tell me that they can't help me, that I need to call for transportation to be taken back to the terminal!!!! I get back to the terminal and I pass out on one of the sofas in the drivers lounge. I have no idea how long I was there but it was several hours (I suffered for two days from the affects of that medication). When I finally woke up I requested to be put in the motel because due to the fall was told I could not even step foot in a big truck right now. I am issued a P.O number and was taken to the motel.

August 7th - Was scheduled to go to Concentra in Phoenix (that is the workmans comp doctor's facility). Swift tells me that the will not provide transportation for me to get to these appointments. I miss the first appointment because I had no way to get there. No money for cabs, etc.

August 9th - I finally sweet talk the Swift shuttle driver into taking me to my new appt. at Concentra. More xrays are done..a urnine sample was taken (they to make sure I wasn't on drugs or drunk when I fell out of the truck). They found a "moderate amount of blood" in my urine. So thinking that the kidneys may have been injured in the fall, Concentra sets me up for an appt to the nearest MRI facility. Again Swift tells me that they are not responsible for getting me to and from my Dr. appts. Well thank goodness for making friends with the shuttle drivers and the owner of the company's receptionist.

August 10 - I am told I have to move out of my truck. Can't leave the truck sitting for more than 4 days. Being that I am not allowed to even get in a truck. The truck assignment personnel had to move my stuff out of my truck for me while I stood around and watched. Well now since I don't have a truck, I being told that I cannot be issued P.O. numbers for the motel. So I am having to come up with money to pay for the motel room myself. Mostly from friends back home.

August 13th - Make it to the MRI facility, xrays are done and there is a mass 4.5 x 5.7cm on my lower left kidney (was told it could possibly be CANCER!). I am put on light duty ($7.00 hr) and told that I need to see a Urologist as soon as possible when I get back home. (I have been gone from home since the 16th of July). Swift takes over paying for the motel again, except for weekends, while I am on light duty. So again, I am having to come up with money to stay in the motel on the weekends. By this time I am flata@@ broke, (paychecks have been 0.00 dollars), having to pretty much beg for food and money for the motel.

August 21st - Go back to Concentra am released back to full duty.

August 22nd - Issued an 06 VOLVO!!! Looks nice and is very clean but it is still a VOLVO, YUCK!!! So I drive it around the yard and notice it makes noise in the front when slight bumps are hit on the road..Take it to the shop and told the leaf springs are bad..Well the truck had a lot of cosmetic issues on the inside as well, such as cabinet doors broke, curtains tore up or missing, CB antennas missing, etc. so I figured while it is in the shop for the leaf springs may as well get some of the other minor things repaired and/or replaced. I am still staying in the motel.

August 23 - Get my truck back out of the shop..I staying in my truck now waiting for a load assignment. Nothing

August 24 - Still waiting for load assignement...Nothing

August 25 - Still waiting, NOTHING

August 26 - FINALLY get a load assignment. Load is on the yard. Picks up on the 27th.

August 27 - Finally leave Phoenix, taking a load to Albuquerque, NM. Next stop is Amirillo, TX.

September 1st - I finally make it back to the Columbus Terminal. By this time, truck needs to go back into the shop because it has other issues such as TAS, (that is the idle on the newer Volvo's instead of "opti-idle"), not working, A/C blower not working, ECU light coming on, Headlights out, etc. In the mean time, to keep some money coming in, I do local shuttle runs and errands.

September 4th - Truck comes out of shop. I get a load taking me closer to home.

September 5th - Arrive home after being out for 52 days!!!!!!!

September 10th - back out on the road. Stay out until the 13th, truck goes back in shop.

September 17 - truck out of shop, get a load taking me home due to dr appt on September 18...Get to consignee, about 2 hours from home...Truck breaks down again...Power steering hose busts..Am instructed to take it to the local VOLVO shop where I am. Truck is in the shop for 3 hours. Finally get home about 10pm.

September 18th - Go to Dr. appt. Due to injuries incurred in the fall from August 6th, I am put off work again for further medical evaluation until the 3rd of October...In the meantime, Swift, my Fleet Manager, tells me that since I have 6 months with the company I can take a 2 week leave of absence without pay, so I use it..I get a letter on the 25th telling me my Leave of Absence has been denied due to "Current regulations"!!! WTF????

Well by this time I am so totally fed up because....

1) Workers Comp NEVER paid me anything for the time off work.

2) Swift refuses to reimburse me for the motel stays, which I am out over $800.00 because I didn't turn in receipts for each INDIVIDUAL day I stayed in the motel. While I was off duty, I stayed in the motel without checking in and out each day since I was going to be there for a week anyway...Well when I did check out the motel printed one receipt for the entire stay that week. When I tried again to get reimbursed for the motel, I was told again, that they NEEDED individual receipts for EACH day!!! This to me is BS!!!! All the days are on the receipts showing who paid for what days!!! So I call the hotel and ask them if they can print out individual receipts they said they wouldn't be able to do that because it would mess up their books..So it looks like I got screwed out of 800.00 not counting the lost time off work.

YESTERDAY I CONTACTED A LAWYER!!!!!!!

I will be going back to my previous job which was driving a school bus as soon as I am released to go back to work.

Sincerely,
DragonLady

 

I went to the training in Millington, TN for a whole 2 days and knew right away there was no way I could ever work for that company. Its alot of hurry up and wait there while they bus you all around and the htel omg that place is pure $#!+. I just got my CDL from a reputable school here.

 

I know Swift blows, but apparently there are some here who have a problem with those who complain about Swift. They claim every post I put here is something negative about that outfit. As if that should be taboo. Swift earned its stripes with both me and you, and you guys who are in the know need to shout a little louder with me here. Put these naive, never-worked-for-SwiftQuit guys in their places.

 

I'm with you I had a bad exp. and I have never met anyony who has had a good one I have a friend who works there now and one who started there and quit because he wasnt maken any money.