Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

If I have no choice, but to work for swift......are you going to put me into this catagory? Heck, you don't even know me! I might be a better driver than you when I have a few thousnd miles under my belt! I don't think that all accidents are the drivers fault. Just my 0.02

 

Way to go RoyBoy, well said. Remember though, he is in traing with Schneider, so he is just learning. Smooth Operator, I'd get some time on Line 3 before you run your mouth like that. Swift has 18,000 trucks on the road, way more than anyone else so of course they will have more accidents than anyone else. If you actually do some digging into their accidents per vehicle, their safety rating is really quite good. It's just that everyone picks on whoever is the biggest. I've been out for 18 months and I see alot more stupid maneuvers by non swift drivers than I do swift drivers. Just a thought here.........
all those appalling stories you hear from former swift drivers......why do you think they are "former" swift drivers. Swift has really cracked down on safety since Jerry took back over. Log violations now get you suspended and or fired. Accidents and tickets also send you down the road.....I am not a Swift cheerleader, EVERY company has it's pros and cons, it's up to you to find a good fit. I feel that if your company has the miles to keep you moving and your DM looks out for you and you can trust him/her, then keep rolling.

 

When I drove for Swift I had great communication between my DM's (had4 different DM's) never had issues with pay except when I sent in late.

I agree life as an over the road trucker is hard its not for everyone.

I to have had my fill with over the road and hoped I would not go back but I have 3 times twice back to Swift.

 

Here is one of only 2 companies that in my opinion is totally a useless company.
Being fair if you are just starting out I guess one bad company is as good as another to getting your foot in the door.
Now onto my pet peeves about them.
I was an employee of Merit Distribution (nice cushy job)which was owned by McLane's which in turn was owned by Wal-Mart. When Wal-Mart sold McLane's to Brookhaven-Hathaway they in turn sold Merit to Swift.
When this happened Jerry Morres(think thats right) sent all of us drivers (stupid enough to stick around) a personal letter thanking us for sticking it out and promised us as long as we employeed at Swift we would be able to run 65. (A loss of 8 MPH). This lasted 6 months at which time they took the Merit trucks and sent them over to their flatbed fleet. And replaced them with 60 MPH swift trucks. Well lets just say I was not happy and quit.
A week later Cory H. called me up and said that he was firing me. He stated that when I left I burned rubber in the parking lot. I fell out of my chair dying from laughter. I was at that time driving a 1992 Ford Thunderchicken with a V-6. The car had 154K on it and wouldn't burn out on a oil slick. I told him that was impossible because I quit before that and my car physically could not do what he claimed.
Neverless, my DAC states that I was terminated for company policy Violations. This by itself is ridiculous as I have never received a single write-up from Swift for anything Not even a single log book violation.
So .....

 

Hotrod.....just a thought but I have driven for swift for a year and a half and every terminal has security cameras. Not only do they have cameras scattered around the lot, but they also have multiple cameras at the gate where you go in and out. Tell them you want to see the tape of you burning out in their parking lot.
For the record, I am one of the happy swift drivers, never had any issues with them and I've always gotten plenty of miles.
To get back on topic, if and when they can't produce a tape of your burnout, be as humble as you can, apologize for anything you can think of and ask if they'll reconsider what they put on your DAC.......that is if you want to prosper in the industry, if not then who cares what your DAC looks like.

 

This doesnt suprise me at all, McCain is from Arizona and so is Swift. In fact Jerry Moyes name even came up several times as a possible running mate to McCain. Also Swift and Swift Employees and Moyes himself have given millions over the years to the republican party in Arizona.

 

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$8 million load of marijuana seized in Calexico

Comments 0 | Recommend 1



March 13, 2008 - 4:38PM
[COLOR=#0000ff]FROM STAFF REPORTS[/COLOR]

A routine search of a trailer passing through a commercial inspection station this week in Calexico, Calif., uncovered 11,000 pounds of marijuana, California Highway Patrol said Thursday.

The street value of the drug shipment is estimated at $8 million, according to CHP.

"That's the largest one that I'm aware," said Sgt. Mark Kirchhof of the CHP's Calexico inspection station. "I don't know if it's the largest for Customs but ... around the highway patrol that's the largest one I've ever been around."

According to CHP, a 2001 Freightliner tractor pulling a 53-foot box trailer attempted to pass through CHP's Calexico Inspection Facility Tuesday afternoon. It had just entered the United States via the east port of entry.

CHP officials said the trailer, owned by Swift Transportation, was supposed to be carrying water heaters. However, during the routine commercial inspection an officer became suspicious that drugs might be concealed at the rear of the trailer.

The Calexico Police Department was called, along with its drug-detection canine, which immediately noted the presence of drugs at the rear doors.

When the doors were opened, numerous large boxes containing multiple packages of marijuana were discovered on top of the water heaters. When the truck was unloaded a total of 100 large cardboard boxes and 600 packages were discovered, totaling 11,000 pounds of marijuana.

"The whole top half of the trailer was filled with boxes of packaged marijuana," Kirchhof said.

Due to what CHP officials describe as "the enormous size of the load," the case was referred to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, who took possession of the marijuana and the truck.

The driver, Ricardo Torres Villa, 28 of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, was subsequently booked into the Imperial County Jail for possession of marijuana and transportation for sales, both felonies.

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Oh, yeh! When will Swift learn--BTW, this was this year. Actually in all fairness to Swift, this is one of the major problems that we will continue to have as long as we let trucks from Mexico into the US. But Swift has been involved in the Mexican truck invasion longer than anyone else except for maybe Celadon, so they are [partially to blame for this.

 

Also he may want to order a copy of his DAC report. Not everything that a company says that they put on there, they actually can. Pretty much all they can put on there is Actual day of hire and day of termination, if they will or will not hire you back, whether or not you failed a drug screen and whether or not you had DOT chargeble accidents or not while there. Your DAC report cannot include WHY you were terminated, just that you were-it will say only that the company terminated your contract or released you, not why they did. You can get a copy of your reportby calling 1-800-381-0645 and they will send you the necessary forms in order to get that. You have the right by law(under the fair credit act) to recieve a copy of your DAC every year. I am sitting here looking at mine right now.
Facts are that companies threaten to put stuff on there which they cannot, but they figure that you are to stupid to order it for yourself. You may also get the form at the following and mail it in:
http://www.usis.com/documents/USIS_Consumer_Report_Request_Form_(10.15.07).pdf
You cannot change anything on your DAC, but you may include a letter of explanation, if you dispute something on there.
Good Luck

 

I have talked with Swift Wal-Mart DC terminals are not security camera equipped. I have seen it on my DAC and posted an explanation for what good it does.

 

Number 1, they CANNOT put on your DAC the exact reason that you were discharged.It is up to you to supply that info. Also, most companies will give you the right to quit instead of being fired, because they know that follows you especially in this industry. Also I have never run across a company anywhere that doesnt have a plan to give you a verbal, then a written and then maybe fire you--I have never heard of a company that fires you on the first offense for something that is not considered a crime--something doesnt ring true on your story of why you were fired or terminated or whatever they called it. As far as DAC goes The following is all they can put:

REASON FOR LEAVING: Resigned/Quit (or driver terminated Lease)
or
REASON FOR LEAVING: Discharged (or company terminated lease)
The line you really want to look at is the one that says:
ELIGIBLE FOR REHIRE and this will say one of 2 things: 1.Reveiw required before rehiring or 2. NO
Also the line that says:
WORK RECORD and this can only say one of 3 things 1. Satisfactory, 2. Unsatisfactory or 3. Other
BTW, your DAC will only go back 7 years on accidents/incidents and work history.
Like I said, I know this to be fact, maybe if you order your DAC, you will realize this instead of relying on other drivers that think they know how it is.

Number 2, according to WALMART themselves, ALL premises are under 24/365 video security. This is both to protect you as an employee and them against theft and other security violations. So once again, you have relied on somebody who either does not want you to get this info or doesnt have time for you or think they know it all. If this means so much to you, then get a court order and get the video surveillance tapes(which they have to maintain for only 90 days,BTW)