Less than 1500 miles a week

The problem is, I think they paid for his training.

 

They'll send a bill in the mail for the remainder of the debt. This is very common with Swift. Many times they even forget the bill.

 

I made good money with em.... gotta start somewhere.

 

This is one time I may be forced to partially disagree with @Chinatown.

Give it a few months.... what'll that hurt. Hell, you could stand on your head for 30 days if you had to. Work hard and with efficiency and see what happens.

On the flip side, keep notes of your progress and what happens. Learn, absorb information like a sponge. Keep an eye out for better opportunities. Talk to people.

Companies have ways of 'testing' to see how far they can push. Isn't right but it happens.

Good Luck.

 

To me it doesn't make sense to pay 10's of thousands of dollars for a truck, then let it sit most of the time. Swift is just too big to manage properly. Those people in the office couldn't care less if he quits or not; he's just one of hundreds that quit every week at that company.

 

i would think they would run the new guys hard....isn't that the business model for all the mega's company's

 

This is normal. 1500 miles a week is pretty close to average for a Swift Driver or any other of the megs-crap trucking companies. There are several reasons for this and I have covered them in other posts.

That goal probably came out of a recruiters's mouth. Like a used car salesman, if the recruiter told the truth, no one would sign up. Who would work 70-90 hours a week for 1500 miles x.30 cents per mile = $450. That is far less then minimum wage.

Shorter loads make more money for the company. His time is free since he only gets paid by the mile. This time of year, they will sit him out just as long as possible. Swift, and other megas, run a seasonal business and finding more work for him is more work for the office folk. That just is not going to happen.

Yes they want to keep him out on the road as long as possible. The more time he has in the truck the easier it is for the office staff to hit their production goals. How much he loves home or sits in a truck is no issue to them. They pay for miles only.

Most people do ask these questions. Some take it to hart that they are doing something wrong. Sometimes that is the case.

The office staff, dispatchers, recruiters, planers, have a multitude of excuses why a driver is not getting the miles. While some truth might be involved, they are just that, excuses. When the excuses and low pay wear thin at Swift, drivers are out the door. 100% are out the door by the first year. That is right, 100% turnover at Swift. The reason being the low pay, the low miles, the excuses, lack of home time, and the continual lying.

Now read along as the Swift lovers try to tell me something different.

 

Im sure you have noticed over the last decade these giant company's have drivers sitting all the time. I have always wondered why or how they can afford to be so inefficient. Like China said these trucks are expensive, they could cut there fleet in half and still cover all there freight if they actually ran these guys. I mean 1500 miles per week? Maybe if i was home every night and off week ends.

Yes He may owe them for training, some like to call it FREE but a Swift driver said they charged him for the school and the motel. The contract was 26 months to pay for it. Poor guy will be starved to death if he stayed long enough to pay for his FREE school.

 

Overall the trucks are not the major expense for these mega-crap companies like Swift. These companies lease all the trucks with both mileage and age parameters. They run the trucks up to the mileage lease terms and then let the trucks go back. Time on the lease is not a issue as all trucks will reach the mileage threashold before being returned.

As such, it is easy to break down truck expenses by mileage. Sitting a driver is of little to no expense in this case.

Covering freight is easier with a larger fleet. The more trucks you have empty, with drivers and hours, the easier it is to plan loads. More trucks in more locations means less deadhead miles. Less deadhead means more money for the company, easier planning, and better stats. for the planers.

 

I seen this Central truck at Walmart DC parking lot couple months ago. Been there for 4 days. Everytime I would drive by him, I'd get a little tear in my eye.