Is it possible to make close to 70k gross in 1st yr solo with swift?

That's a little over 60 grand. The question was 70 grand. It was mentioned earlier you'd have to run close to 3,500 miles/wk to hit 70k at that pay rate. I used to run miles like that and then some in my final OTR-type job, but I had an ungoverned truck and ran loose leaf logs. It was a real outlaw situation, especially considering I was home on weekends. But Swift is different.

Now is it possible to run 3,500 miles in one week with a slow truck on electronic logs? Yes, but not under real-world circumstances and certainly not consistently. That is a fairy-tale dream run that only happens when very rare astrological conditions are present and certain hooved mammals take flight.

If the guy is not "exaggerating" (which is a nice way of saying lying), he's making that money in some way other than just bottom-scale mileage pay. Maybe he's on a nightmare all-touch-freight account with very good accessorial compensation and no "slow season." But I doubt it. If it's possible, he's the only one doing it. Don't even try to replicate his greatness. You will not even come close.

 

When I worked for Swift I indeed made more than $70,000. Although at that time I was still being paid for my construction co. I had sold.

 

Maybe Swift pays big referral bonuses like some other companies, and this guy is cleaning up by convincing newbs that they can make 70k at Swift...

 

Not happening unless they have a LTL division or specialized division. Even running hard 52 weeks thats not happening

 

W2s will be out next month. If he can brag about the amount he can show you

 

Perhaps. There may be accessoral pay on accounts like that. You get X amount per stop and X amount per box you handle. It's physical labor.

If you are not averse to physical labor, getting on a gig like that pays more than if you are an OTR driver that only wants to drive and not do anything else...

...aka steering wheel holder.

If you want to maximize income, even as a new driver, get a job that involves at least one of the "Three D's": Dirty, Difficult, or Dangerous. Tanker drivers hauling Hazmat can make at least $65K in their first year and likely be home every day. Flatbed pays better than dry van. Driving off road pays more.

Swift was a good reentry to trucking for me. I used two years at Swift and got my current gig. The best paying job at Swift is trainer. I did that for a year. I liked to teach, but love running solo and making more money now.

 

X endorsement work pays the best hands down.

I pay 30% of the load if you're not tearing up equipment. Running legal, there's no alternative you will run legal, you'll get 5 loads in if you move swiftly at $78 a load. It'll suck to start with but if you can get the years of experience it'll pay off

 

Ok, maybe, considering those details. Grocery = year-round work without slow seasons. Dedicated = steady work week to week, often at a higher mileage rate, doing a more predictable run with fewer surprises or delays, probably doing drop/hooks.

Here’s how you could get to that number: $66k is approximately $1,270 per week. About 3,000 miles per week is realistic, and 42 cpm is realistic. That would get you those numbers. Schneider advertises a dedicated Walmart grocery account in Ohio with a gross yearly wage in that ballpark. So it's possible, but not for the majority of first-year Swift drivers.

Ask him what his mileage rate is, how many miles he runs on that account, and if he gets paid for any extra work, like stop pay or unloading. Then do the math. But don't expect that pay is common among first-year Swift drivers.

 

I'm on one of the Walmart accounts in Ohio you mentioned. Just looked at my ytd last week and it had me at a little over 34k. That being said I started on the account in march and i slacked off most of the time. Not out of laziness, mind you, just didn't want to burn out in my first year. Not to mention doing it this way got me home most nights and kept me on relatively regularly scheduled programming.