Driving after leaving a mega....did it get better or worse?

The biggest company I've driven for was Western Express. With van and flatbed combined, it was probably a couple thousand trucks. The now defunct Builders Transportation had around 400. I did local for a bit, and a couple of 1099 gigs, til I found a comfort spot. I feel like all megas, or smaller companies that have "mega-abilites" are pretty much the same. I feel like the 1099 gigs are pretty much the same. I've been able to make all of those situations work for a period of time. Made pretty steady money at all of them at one point or another. I tend to think it's on the driver, regardless of where he or she works. I don't know if one way or another is better for sure, because I can say good things about everywhere I've been. If I had to pick one, I'd probably lean towards megas or smaller companies with "mega-abilities."

 

IDK, my experience at Swift has been quite different than folks here describe about megas. Never feel I get micromanaged. Safety folks have been more helpful to me than problematic. Actual, haven't had a problem with safety. Had a couple of minor disagreements, but nothing of any consequence.
I run reefer and very rarely am I without a load. I can only think of twice I finished a load without having my next one.
As for pay, I'm at 53.5 cpm. Not great, but not bad. I know the driver leaders and planners I deal with. My terminal manager is a really good guy.
Today's a good example. Termimal manager calls me directly. My next load had plenty of time on it. Wanted to know if I could take a local load that delivers at midnight. They are having a problem finding a driver. Even gave me an extra $75 just to take the load. So, I agreed. It was going to a place I've been to a couple times before. So, get there, hook up to trailer and grab paperwork, to include scale sheet, left by previous driver. Load had a problem. Like 1400lbs over on the tandems problem. Previous driver got from Utah, where the load originated, to SoCal with the weight problem. I had a bit of wiggle room to move the tandems, but not enough. Best I could get it was 900 lbs over on the tandems. Not once did they try and ply me to take the load regardless. From where I was at to where it goes it was pretty doubtful I'd have to deal with a weight station. But, I wasn't comfortable taking a load I know wasn't legal and also don't want to start a precedence that I'll break rules if need be. So, I walked from that load. Nothing but understanding and acceptance from the terminal manager and other folks involved. No one even implied about me taking the load. So, jumped back onto the other load I was originally supposed to do.
I've got lots of similar examples when I was given authority to do what I thought was best without any coercion to do otherwise. Always get acceptance and support.
As for the chaotic nature of loads themselves, not knowing from one load to the next where I'm going or what I'll be hauling, I prefer that to routine. Understand why others prefer something more predictable, but I prefer the spontaneity myself.
IDK, it just seems so weird to me to hear how so many seem to have such a bad time with megas and Swift specifically when my experience hasn't had any of the yucky stuff they complain about.
I guess it's just an example of YMMV. Mine sure has compared to so many that seem to have had a bad experience driving for a mega.

 

My example meant to show an example of my company not trying to coerce me into running illegal or in violation of my HOS. I personally wasn't worried if I got paid or not. And, I got a message today that I'll be getting $50 for my efforts with the overweight load yesterday. I don't keep track closely if I get paid for everything I do, so unsure if I always get paid for every little thing, but they seem to always take good care of me. In example, I had an overweight in Oregon. I was 1600 over on my tandems. I loaded in LA, where it's quite a cluster of mess. Load was given as 33,000 lbs. And, place was right by I-5. So, when I got out of there, I hopped on it and figured I'd scale up the road. At 33,000, I wasn't too worried. I got pulled into a weight station as I started heading North out of the area. Rolled right through. Then, got pulled into another scale in California and also rolled right through. When I got to the Oregon POE, pulled in and was 1600 over on tandems. Load actual weight was around 45,000. Overweight ticket was $150. It was my fault and never attempted to put blame anywhere else. Regardless, on my next load, they threw me an extra $150 as a 'planner special'. There was nothing special about the load. So, seems they took pity on my plight.
Anyway, I could give several other examples of similar behavior. And, my original point is, for whatever reason, I seem to be treated well at my mega, Swift, and seems others describe getting treated poorly at a mega. IDK, not about to question their assertions, I wasn't there. But, I've been treated well as far as I'm concerned.

 

Easier !!!!!!
Better !!!!!!
Nicer people nicer everything. I see drivers in Swift , Knight , Werner , Hunt and I just feel sorry for them. It’s not even the better money it’s the whole entire operational efficiencies. Everything is just nicer and smoother.

 

I'd add that the CEO and Board's decisions are heavily influenced by Insurance Companies and Lawyers. Safety has become a meaningless catchphrase used by people who don't understand drivers or handling real world risk to implement policies that almost universally make things less safe in practice.

That's been the laser like focus of the American Trucking Association for decades. It lobbies for federal rules and regulations that favor larger operators over the smaller companies and owner ops they compete with for drivers.

 

Word of advice,,
Companies that heavily advertise for drivers are doing it for a reason.
And most of the time they are not expanding operations.

 

If they have there own driving school that means they can not attract enough professional drivers so they have to try to attract unprofessional drivers , - i e they have lousy business plans.

 

New drivers have to start somewhere, don't you agree?
I doubt you would consider any driver that is fresh out of any CDL school as a professional, because they have zero actual experience in the real world.

There are only a few companies willing to take in those new drivers, and many of them operate their own CDL schools as well.
It is not about trying to attract only 'professional drivers', it is about starting people out to become professional drivers.

This industry could not survive without companies like Swift.

I didn't get my CDL through Swift, but Swift was the first company I worked for.
As it turns out they are the only company I have driven for, for good reason.
They have always treated me fairly and honestly, for the most part. And as Six9GS has pointed out, they often bend over backwards to be fair to the drivers.