Heavy Haul, Sumner, WA

I've recieved a few questions about Swift Heavy Haul and decided to make a post to answer as many questions at once. There will be both positive and negative comments in this post as I am attempting to be fair and honest here. This post will be focused on the Sumner terminal.

Trucks: Swift uses Freightliner and Volvo rigs. The vast majority are Freightshakers Condos with 13 spd trannys and 460-500 hp and drop (tag) axles. Speed is limited to 64 mph. Rear differentials vary, so some trucks are slower to get moving than others. The Volvo's tend to be underpowered and shop queens. They are also all 3 axles, so you are very limited on loads.

Maintenance: This is really driver dependant, folks. If you turn in the truck to get fixed, it gets fixed. The shop here is pretty good as far as quality of repairs, but a bit slow (IE:5 days for a tranny swap). Problem is that Swift has cut back on it's repair budget, cutting supplies on hand and personnel. I take a 3 day weekend about once a month and get any repairs done during that time. There are times you'll wish they'd just pass you a wrench...

Loads: Typically our outhaul loads are to Costco stores, which for the most part have good docks with easy lineups. Load sizes are mostly 40k - 60k in the box. Trailers are 53 ft, either in 3axle reefers or 4 axle drys. Most Costcos will allow you to sleep in the lot overnight, but want you gone by 0900.
Backhauls are a wildcard. I've hauled 7k loads of styrofoam or 62k loads of rolled paper. Typically, deadhead returns are about 20 percent. Avoid deadheads unless you like short paychecks. See below for pay.

Pay: You can get the paychart from Swift's website. Subtract .01 per mile because Swift has lowered pay for all drivers, however HH drivers get a .01 bonus. Take note of the graduated scale for short miles. This is where you make a living in HH, as most runs are under 300 miles. Also note that deadheads are at the basic mileage rate. This can cause a $10-20 drop in pay on return. Also note that productivity bonuses are currently suspended. Doubles require 6 months exp and a Swift class, but pay has a .04 bonus.
Additional work: HH is not paid to sweep trailers, but it is expected on every empty returned to Costco. You will even get nastygrams in your file if you don't. You can get paid $10/trailer if you end up moving trailers (spotting) for a store. Many DM's are reluctant to pay this however; your results may vary....
End result: 2000 mile weeks at $800/week after 1 yr of driving.
Side note: get on the rapid pay system asap. This means as soon as you empty on the qualcom, the load is que'd to payroll. This requires you to get 20 consecutive loads turned in (scanned) on time. In HH you can do this within your 1st 2 weeks.

Planners: I'm sorry to say this is a problem. Most of the time things work out ok, but many planners see the number of miles and divide by 60 to get the hours needed. They have no concept of variables such as time of load, traffic conditions, mountains, weight, truck condition, etc. As an example, one wanted me to get from Sumner, WA to Bend, OR with a 60k load in 6.5 hrs. That's a 300 mile run over Mt Hood. He was upset when I said no. Key thing is to explain the issue patiently and involve the DM or in worst case Safety if needed. They will also pressure you to run in bad conditions. Use your judgement and put you foot down if needed.

DM's: This varies wildly. Some will jump through hoops to keep you happy; some think you are a robot. Keep the lines of communication open.

Rules: HOS must be adhered to. Safety reviews logs (via DDL) and will cheerfully pull you in for a log class.
No inverters. If the shop catches a wired inverter they will remove and keep it. Plug in types ok.
No pets. Caveat: If you've been with the company for a very long time. I think that's before 2008, but not sure.
No oil or antifreeze purchases on the road. Get it at the shop for free and carry it with you.

Summary: Overall this has not been a bad place to start. As with any job, there are pluses and minuses. I've gotten to be an expert at shifting running these hills this heavy. Most loads (70 percent) are to Oregon on the I5 corridor.

I hope this will help anyone wanting to know about HH in WA state. I will answer any question I can, but would like to keep them on the thread for others to view.

 

1st, I didn't name the division. If your version of HH is over 105,500lbs, more power to you.

2nd: The rigs are 3 axle Freightshakers with 1 drop axle and 3 axle trailers with one drop axle. That's a total of 26 wheels on ground. The trucks are legally rated to (and often run at) 105,500lbs. Side note: my max run was 103,500 and I had a fun time getting it set right!

Your response seemed pretty antagonistic, especially to a report on a division. If you don't like what I have to say,open a new thread called "Real Heavy Haul, Not Swift". I have no problem with being corrected, if done with courtesy.

Have a good day and safe hauling.