1 year at Swift.

Doc Watson and popeye, I am also interested in Swift I have gotten all info talked to a recruiter ect. I have had many jobs since I was 18 am now 46 I went back correctly with the exception of one employer I worked for I said I worked for them for 15yrs. when I didn't I worked for them for 4 seasons because I can't remember alot of the addresses ect. I do have it correct from 2003 to presant also my driving record is horrible till 2006 last ticket I went back the 5 yrs. they wanted and am clean no tickets or accedents and I did list any suspensions I had correctly will this mess me up.For Swift or any company I am studying for the written test and have most paperwork done for Swift. I'm waiting till I get my taxes back before I go so I have money for food and all license expenses and my own ticket back home if disqualified. I don't have the money or a car to get to a school plus I owe 25,000 already in student loans for IT that I still cannot get a entry level job in with an assoc. I also listed my exp. in the Army even though it was 5 months different story. Will I be ok for any company I really want to do this and I can do it I'm single divorced and kids are grown being away from home doesn't bother me. Thanks.

 

Trucking Popeye,
Thanks for all the info on this thread about Swift I am working with them now but still keeping other options open.All I hear in B.S. negitive crap about Swift here and everywhere good to hear something positive about a company.I am still deciding on who I want to get company training by.I want to go OTR to drive local a dump or something don't know yet as well as see the country and make good money more than 400.00 as an armed security guard. I am 46 I don't remember some of the companies I worked for past ten yrs. same with driving offenses but driving has been fine and clean since 2006 and employed for 5 yrs. with 4 companies I also listed my Millitary exp. that was only 5 months different long story.I plan to go after I get my taxes back to have money for food and license and a bus ticket back id they send me home I hope not. I'd like to know now than later as this is what I want to do and I can do it.I am studying the material for the written test then I contact my recruiter back with the info then ready to go I hope will I be ok?

 

Finished orientation yesterday. Waiting for a mentor to get here to Jonestown. Any advice?

 

i just completed 1 year with swift also. ive always had positive things to say about them. we all go thru bad things with any job. but lately they have been getting on me about being on line 4. they expect u to be on line 4 when u are at the shipper or consignee being loaded or unloaded. my last 3 loads I was at the shipper for over 3 hours each. so that would be 9 hours off of my 70. of course I logged those hours under sleeper and I got a call from safety asking about it. another thing I don't like is their lack of communication. I was told to stay at a terminal til I completed simulator training. while sitting there I called in everyday to give them an update but my dm was out. why when I went outside to get in my truck it was gone. they had taken it to the shop and started cleaning it out to give to another driver???

 

Yes they have started harrassing the owner ops over line 4 time as well. I reckon we were getting away with murder back in the paper logs days giving up only 15 minutes here and there for everything, then wait a few days to scan the logs into the system with transflo. So long as there were no obvious violations of the 11, 14 and 70, nobody ever said a word about 15 minutes for drop and hook or live loads.

At other companies especially reefer, the driver has to log a lot of time in the sleeper at customers otherwise will never be able to get available time to drive as they spend 20 - 30% of their time parked up against a dock getting (un)loaded. That 9 hours Swift wants you to give away on line 4 is a day's pay, ridiculous!

So I have rediscovered Macro 15. I get to the customer, do my arrival macro then change status to line 4. Once I am docked, send macro 15 and immediately log line 2. I don't see a problem with this at all. I don't even see a problem logging line 1 in this scenario as they have decriminalized line 1 time while sitting in a *parked* commercial vehicle.

I was just talking to another driver the other day who came up with his own solution for saving time on the clock, he arrives early, immediately logs line 1 and does all his work, be it drop hook or live load then sends arrival macro just a couple minutes before drop dead time and gives them 15 or so minutes on line 4. He says for a live load, get there about 2.5 hours early logging line 1 while they are loading you, if you're lucky you'll be loaded even before the appointment time. Then send arrival just before the appointment time, finish closing doors, sliding tandems signing paperwork and park it outside the gate for 15 minutes on line 4 and go on down the road. The next break is only 8 hours in the sleeper.

If it's a drop hook, same thing get there early go line 1 do all your work, park outside the property and give up only 15 minutes on line 4 and make miles.

The real agenda is to get rid of solo drivers and put teams in all the trucks. At the same time they'd like to get rid of some of the guys with experience and have all the trucks filled with the lowest paid newbies if possible.

 

Yeah it sucks that they want you to log more on duty time, we never been called on it but I am sure its only a matter of time. As far as team only thing goes sure that sounds good but as a team l/o driver the only team loads swift has are the JIT high value loads ran for other companies i.e.: FedEx, UPS, Menlow Logistics etc. About 95% of our freight is super solo meaning 800miles over night. Normally anything over 1200 miles that isn't through one of the companies above is t-called within 500 miles of consignee so solo's can run it for us.

From my stand point teaming at this company isn't worth it. On average our miles are 4500 or so week the rest of the time is spent sitting. Because most of the time we don't get PPlans until 20 minutes until pickup or the dreaded phone call asking for help to pick up or deliver in a no freight zone with no way out for a 1-2 days after delivery. True we could work harder and "run more milage" but that is not smarter move. Currently we are kicking around the idea of buying another truck so I can get back into flatbedding while my brother continues LH solo. But we will see, one thing is for sure with the new HOS rules coming in effect in july it will suck trying to team with those rules.

 

I live in Cleveland,Ohio I wanted to know if Swift runs to or through Ohio alot.I am thinking about home time if thy run there alot I won't have to worry about it. I am considering Swift seriously as well as some others Steven's too who does run in Ohio alot.I know Swift has a teminal in Columbus if anyone knows please let me know and thanks.

 

Seems to me you answered your own question...if Swift has a terminal in Columbus, they obviously run in Ohio, a lot.