Swift transition is making me crazy

That was back in the days when we would get that message in the comments during the cold months. It was usually on beverage loads like pop or beer. I still pull reefer at times with Swift. My reefer days go way back to swinging meat loads out of KS to the East Coast and Chicago and Detroit.

 

Hi everyone,

As I have stated before, my 1 year is up on 03/15.

I feel as tho I can give an objective opinion still since I am still a company driver and have been driving under the the new regime for about 4-5 months.

I have seen it from both sides of the fence you could say.

I am not a disgruntled Central driver. OTR is not my cup-o-tee but I kinda knew that going in.

Central was not bad but I had nothing to compare it to. Now I do.

I went into this with the expectation of a maximum of one year. No more, no less.

Get in, save some money, get out.

I didn't reach my goal of the amount of money to save but not sweating it.

For those that have helped us through the transition, I extend my extreme gratitude.

I know its frustrating for you to hear some complaining but here is what you have to understand:



Many people had chosen Central because of the negative comments throughout the internet and this site about companies like swift and cr england.

People that have only driven for swift think that that the way things are at that place are just normal. Thats just the way it is.

But it's not normal when you decided months or years ago to avoid them because of the same things we have to put up with now.

I use to be able to run my truck up to the legal posted speed limit. Not per company specs mind you. I knew what the rule was but after a few times doing it and not hearing anything from them I just went with it.

That helped me make up for going 30 miles per hour when I went up the other side of that hill.

In fact, I always stay 1-2 miles per hour under the posted speed limit in any case.

I never heard a peep from anyone about it.

I'll follow the new rules to a tee. I'm not about to get fired near the end of my contract.

It's not just about the speed thing tho. There's more stuff.

Just one example that peeves me is the home time.

With Central, you got 4 days after 4 weeks.

Hometime is extremely important to me. Every second of it.

Now, 3 days max after 4 weeks out on the road?!

Why not just make it 2 days? Maybe 1? Ah, just eliminate it altogether. Hometime is so overated.

We Central drivers were use to 4...FOUR. F-O-U-R. And that's if you even got home on time of course.

Everyone I'm sure knows you gotta put your first day back home for the day before you are actually want to be back. Just part of the game.

I'm kinda lucky that this all transpired toward the end of my contract.

If you feel the frustration from Central drivers it's because we didn't apply to swift for all the reasons that makes it a major joke of the industry.

I always felt like a red headed step child while driving for Central but hey, at least I wasn't a swift or cr england driver.

Someone mentioned that they didn't feel that they needed to be babysat. That is what it feels like now.

It's not like many of us didn't do our research.

If I was farther out on my contract, I would be checking to see if it would be legal for me to break my original contract.

I'm pretty sure that the paper work we all signed had a clause in there that stated that the company could change things at anytime so anyone is probably screwed trying that.

I think it's a shame what has happened.

I would have recommended Central to anyone that ever asked me where to go but I can't do it now.

I joked with a friend when the sale was announced.

I said "The reason swift bought Central was because I was still under contract and the only way they could get me was to buy the company."


I wish anyone luck that is considering going to school there.


Cheers.

 

you guys are making it hard to make fun of you Swifty's and your constant hilarious nonsensical driving as now i'm just starting to feel bad for you lol.

 

At least we were adopted and can say we don't share the same blood line.

Of course, relations in Utah are kinda kinky anyways. So maybe we are.

cheers

 

Hey come on you made fun of us Central drivers

 

Well , yea that contract thing is gonna be a rough thing to get away from , but I have put in some applications
one place runs out of where I live pay is low .32 a mile to start but hell its more then what I make now , and I will be home for the night every other day or so.

You are 100% correct about the whole doing research thing it took me forever to pull the trigger and Central sounded like the best choice , now maybe not so much .

And yea , the babysitting thing is to much . Like why do I get a message about low clearances . I know how to read a map , to many swift trucks ended up stuck under a bridge they had no business being under in the first dam place , because they didn't read the sign...

Anyhow #### it I will just pay the rest off might as well , and get far away . I never wanted to work for swift in the first place .

 

Droflex is absolutely correct. I went to Central based off of all the research I did. I really thought I was doing my due diligence and then this happens.

Ramblingman, make fun of me when I'm getting paid. Until then, yes please feel bad for us lol.

 

Even I make fun of Central drivers. but it's out of love. I always assume there's a trainee behind the wheel lmao.

 

Just think tho , that trainee can now drive faster then we can that's messed up

 

Ain't that some ####? Trainees are also getting paid more than I am at the moment.

Lol please let things get better soon. Maybe there is a dedicated fleet that will whisk me away.