Am I making a mistake

If you have to go the company training route, then do so. Sure, Swift takes a lot of abuse both here and on the road. Swift also does have some good drivers and good trainers. As long as you go in with your eyes open and have a good attitude, it won't be that big of a deal. I trained with Swift, but had gone to a third-party school. I had two trainers when I was with them. The first one was an idiot, the second one was good.

 

Im doing the same, training with a third company here in sacramento, both of the trainers ive worked with so far have been awesome - lilbit, when you say you had two trainers with swift though, are you talking about the mentors that take you out on the road? or did you have swift company training, before you went out with the mentor, after your swift orientation? Thanks!

J

 

28 weeks 16 weeks it's all to long of a period of time. Just go to the company training program. And do it before they stop training at other companies. If you haven't heard Schneider is closing their training schools down. Who's next? And when? I have waited and waited now it's to late for me to go to SNI, their closing up. Oh, and you might want to ask around if you will be driving much, and making money do to the slow down. I am reading a number of drivers are sitting around waiting for loads, making only $200 a week. It costs alot per week to live on the road unless you eat crap for food, even then it will cost you.

And, yes, you maybe making a mistake. Go to Central Refrigerated thread and read "wolfdens" posts. It can be easy to get jammed up like her husband. This post is a good example of why so many people get into trucking and then get out. It is a good example of why there has been so much truck driver training. Truck companies string people along and use people up, then they can't take it and they bail out. Then the company grabs another driver out of training, string them along as far as they can. This keeps the trucks moving and sometimes, maybe even for free, because drivers are shorted on there wages and fined for any number of silly things.

 

I forgot they call them mentors now. I went to a third party school near home, and then went with a mentor at Swift - I should say two mentors!

 

I think your best to go for it an get the help since its there for the takin' May not be the best year of your life but you'll be drivin an gettin the experiance all the other companies require. Gettin paid for it is a lot better then shellin out an not gettin paid for it! Of course they'll pay you less at first cause they are just gettin the money back from you for trainin you.
As long as you can manage to live off what your offered Id say go for it!

 

Things are what you make of them. Personally I would recommend a professional Trucking School, but if that isn't economically feasable, and you really want to learn to drive the "big rigs" campany training is about all you have to go with. No matter where you go you can only get out of it what you put in. Put your trainers to the test and make them work for their paycheck. I have seen too many trainers act as if their trainee was their personal servant. Don't let that happen. Work on your skills until you feel proficient enough that you will be able to handle things on your own. Don't be bullied by a trainer that says they don't have time to keep going over skills. You will be driving upwards of 80,000 lbs. on crowded highways and in all kinds of weather so you need to be prepared. No school can teach you everything, the best they can do is give you the basics. Msot of us "OLD TIMERS" will tell you that the day you think you know everything about driving a truck is probably going to be your last day on the planet, so every day should be a training day. Good Luck and see you on the road sometime.

 

Old man, Check out roehl transport. I trained with them and drove for them or 6 mo. Top notch Co. Quick training, great trainers(in flat div.), ran me as hard as i wanted once on my own. Only reason I left was unbelievable job offer local.

 

My company doesn't have a training program but we do take students fresh out of school, anybody's school.

I have had a few students who went thru swifts school who quit as soon as they recieved their cdl and then came straight to us.

Yes they have to pay back the other company who will gladly take reasonable payments and they get to make better money working for us than they would over there if they had stayed with them.

 

Good to hear it. Keep us posted on how things are going. I've never head of Allen Freight what will you be hauling?