Swift academy or not ?

If you are planning on working for them, why not go the 'free' route? I had dismissed Swift until I heard they recently upped their pay scale, but even before, I had heard their training is supposed to be pretty decent. I'm not sure where I got this number, but I have notes that indicate if you quit prior to fulfilling the contract that provided the 'free' training, you pay them $3,900 for it.

 

It's better to keep your money nothing out there is better than free. Do your one year of servitude or if you decide you had enough of the company take your newly found talents somewhere else and have the new company pay off the rest. I call it the "LeBron Effect"

 

I went to swift school in millington tn. It was very good and fairly difficult. Its just to cover all you need to get your cdl. Very good school. Go that route and work for a year or two for swift and your schlool is paid for. Swift is not that bad of a company. They get the bad rep bc of all the new drivers that do stupid sTuff. But when you see them everywhere you just remember easier when you see something stupid.
Your experience with swift will mostly depend on if you get a good driver manager or not.

 

Good luck to you.

 

To academy or not to academy, that is the question.

 

I'll agree with the previous, free is much better. But the way free works, first year you pay them. My buddy says its 37$ a week. Then on your 2nd year is when they pay you back. So if you stay one year, you've spent slightly less than 2k. Stay two years you get it all back. However if you don't complete a year you owe them a total of 3700 I think it was.

Still I'd only go the independent school route if you were looking elsewhere. By going to thier school you will be doing orientation while still in training. As soon as you get your CDL they try to match you up and get you on the road with a trainer.

 

If you're decided on Swift already, just use their school and put your money in the bank.

Pay for Southwest Trucking School and go with Magnum Ltd. or Freymiller if they hire in Phoenix.
Swift may be OK, but these two are better based on the posts.
I think Magnum Ltd. and Freymiller both have Apu, refrigerator, etc.

 

Something else to consider is idle policy. Swift has an idle policy; they watch it pretty close and you'll hear about it if you idle more than they want you to.
Trucking companies with Apu's don't have that issue; you shut the truck engine off and crank up the Apu and stay comfortable plus use all your electronic gadgets while shut down.

 

You're considered the resident expert on companies here ... please don't tell me that it is based on nothing more than what you gather from the posts.