CR England or Dart, just starting out?

CRE will also want you to train students and if you don't go along with the program, they will starve you out on miles.

Stay far away.

 

As far as I know, only CRE does that. I certainly didn't do that at Swift. Most put you out with an experienced (>1 year) driver for 1-2 months.

 

Nope. This is a public forum, and by definition, what's posted here is public opinion.

And, to be honest, given all the BS and outright lies I've seen posted on these pages, I'm not so certain that the members here are really any better informed about what really happens at a given company.

By giving more weight to the opinions of those currently working at a company. Ignore those who never worked there and are simply repeating hearsay, and for those who left a company, try to find the true reason they left.

One guy I know was the typical "Swift ain't giving me no miles!" driver. He'd get a 500 mile load Monday AM that "delivers Wednesday night". and so he'd sit in the truck stop lounge complaining to anyone who will listen. So I asked him his exact delivery time. "2359 Wednesday." That's not a drop time; that's when the delivery window closes. What time does it open? Turns out 0001 Monday. I asked him why he's sitting on the load instead of delivering it ASAP. He came up with some flimsy excuse about not wanting to sit without a load. He just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that if you keep taking 2-3 days to go 500 miles, they're only going to plan you for 200 mile days. So, anyone who listens to him will have the opinion that Swift drivers run 1000 mile weeks. There are lots of 3000 mile/week drivers that will tell you otherwise.

 

To me you sound like you work for a company that is based in Utah and is trying to justify their actions. Well if you do work for them or the one based out of Arizona. Both of which pay way below a good starting wage. The Utah company pays .24 cpm and the Arizona sister pays .26 cpm. Good gravy that was a starting wage 13 years ago. Both those companies charge the shipper min 4 dollars per mile. Think that they could share the wealth abit? Feel a bit ripped off? Being a chump getting a pintance for all you do? Those two companies drive the wages down.

 

Ummm.... Sorry clam..

But in most cases neither of those company's are charging 4 dollars a mile. They may be in some lanes in the Northeast, but that would be about it. Rates are lane and segment dependent. And 4 bucks a mile for dryvan is a very high rate in most regions. 2 dollars a mile is closer to the National average currently.

Yes, in many cases contract rates are higher than load board rates, but they just are not that high, and have not been since deregulation in the 80s.
You will find some lanes that do pay that high. And you will find some specialized hauling that is that much and much more. But not in the truckload dryvan category. Or even flatbed as an overall average.

Also, swift has raised their starting rate, as is listed in a prior post, to around 34 cpm. England is 25 cpm. So i can say swifts starting rate is getting to be inline with other carriers, and england is well behind the 8 ball. But they pay allot in recruiting and advertising, so for some reason people keep going to them. So why would they raise pay when they can still get idiots that do not look for options.

And the scenario that the prior poster wrote is a real life type situation. I have seen it happen many times myself. The drivers are not trained well. They don't understand how to use drop windows to their advantage, nor do they know how to set out their next time available for dispatch. If they did these things they would make more money.

And in case you are wondering. No, I have never worked for either of those company's. Though I did work for one that shares a fence with the Utah company and was owned by the owner of the Arizona company, and is now actually part of that company. But that was quite a few years ago.

 

Covenant forces teams for the first 6 months of employment. Two rookies in a rig. They don't do cdl training though? I'm not positive on if they have a school.

 

And why is that? Because to many drivers will haul cheap frieght cut a dollar to make a dime. Swift and england unde cut the price so darn much it has crippled the wages. 13 years ago most companies were still paying 1970's wages for trucking now england and swift are still in the 80's in pay. And i do look at the load boards for land star and a vast amount is at the 4 dollar per mile rate. Two dollars is to low.
What if you had to haul a van 1000 miles for two dollars a mile then dead head out? The same amount? You just hauled that frieght for a dollar a mile. One should always charge enough to cover dead head miles. Or you are hauling cheap freight.

 

I'd like to know why most on here who want to discuss the L/P of a brand new rig always try to make it out as though the ONLY reasons behind leasing a brand new rig is to inflate an ego or because we "drool" over a shiny new paint job.
I've been in the industry for over 15 years and have always crunched the numbers between company driver, L/P, new truck and older truck. I can assure you that my reasoning behind L/P and leading a BRAND NEW 2016 truck has nothing to do with "drooling" over anything nor is it to inflate an ego of mine as I have none. I am humble but think its ridiculous the BS most of you spout of about leasing and in this reference, leasing using a new truck.
Whether you lease a new or used truck, you work as a company driver or L/P, your weekly payments (deductions for everything for that lease agreement) will come out to around the same and you will make roughly the same amount of money.
Yes you will have much more responsibility as a L/P over a company driver but how do you think they come up with your pay. They take the freight, the cost of running that truck (L/P weekly payments) and give you as a company driver a percentage of their net profit ie: CPM.
If you can make the numbers work, be completely business savvy and your goal is to be a true O/O one day, do a lease with any company. All any lease does is separate the big dogs from the puppys with a loud bark. If you can operate a successful trucking business with a rate of $1.00/mile + fsc you will be super successful when able to pull that $3.00 and $4.00/mile freight.
I'm tired of the naysayers who's only recourse for their own mismanagement is to blame others. Your responsibility starts at the very first phone call to your perspective company and doesn't end unless you completely fail and have already taken responsibility for that failure. If you are one of those that have failed, look deep inside yourself, as it is there you will find the only true answer as to why.

 

well another thread get's up from the grave. many of us stand by our thoughts. if you like to be screwed then go ahead, it's your arse, not ours. we will enjoy our hard earned money, while you go and be a jackarse trying to catch up to us.

good luck.
and the next time you trudge up a thread from the graveyard, please be sure it's even older..???

 

I will definitely give it a good attempt at locating the oldest possible thread I can find. I enjoy resurcting the past. There's much you can learn from it