Making my move to a better company

I bob tailed from Edwardsville terminal to the Columbus terminal on Tuesday and turned in my tractor. Have many reasons for it, some failing health. What clinched it was the lack of freight and learning Swift has lost several contracted lanes to competition. Sorry, I won't reveal contracts or source as I promised not to. If you've been driving for Swift then you should know which ones your no longer seeing as many loads for.

I'm tired of fighting for decent loads. When you turn down one it's left on you for hours 25-35% of the time. When it happens the L/O isn't offered any other loads nor can they do Macro 30 without getting No Loads Available. You can find out if loads are being left on you by doing another Macro 9 if you din't get the notification Load Removed then the Macro 9 will still say no loads available. I f the macro 9 replies, no such load or error then the load was removed. Over a 11 hour period in Dallas I had loads I turned down held on me for 10 hours. During those 10 hour no other loads could be offered and Macro 30 wasn't any good. With this practice the L/O is being punished by the planner for not taking the load offer. The L/O is losing money in the long run having to fight the planners. I had weekend./Memphis remove the loads after 2 -3 hours. they don't like to do it because it has to go through supervise. Hansel is on weekends and will tell you he sent message to planners. Insist he removes the load himself as messages to planners go unread or ignored most of the time.

Lease Operators are taking the biggest hit from the change in policies that took effect back in August. I also discovered by accident that many of the lighter loads we hauled have gone to the shuttles. I went to pick a trailer up and it was taken from me assigned to the shuttle fleet. The load went from Ohio to Phoenix and was only 12,000 lbs. I was given another load that was 29,000 lbs. from the same shipper going to the same Consignee. A supervisor(even after leaving I won't reveal who) told me that many loads have been reassigned to company trucks so Swift isn't having to pay such a high percent of the fuel cost. L/O where running many of the light loads to keep them around. It was discovered many of the L/O don't understand how much they lose running heavier loads, so the cost has been passed on to them.

If your not yet a L/O my recommendation is to never become one unless you want to live in your truck or you can live and/or except earning much less then you can as company driver some where else. Some trainers do OK but I've also saw 4 lose there shirts after having done well for a few months. I heard the turn over rate for L/O is 65-75% Only ones that make it are team/ couples and a few lucky mentors.

Good Luck to to the die hard solo L/O. Saw one lose his wife and family trying to prove he can make it as one. As for me, I've moved on. I know couples can make it but my fiancee has health problems that keep her from driving and I don't want to lose her trying to prove I can make it here, not as good as it should be but could make it.

 

Start pulling a flatbed. Better dough.

 

In the year I've been with Swift, I have never made it home on time. I am always between 3 and 8 days late. I give at least 3 weeks notice, I remind them, and I turn down anything not going in the right direction. It doesn't help. Wife just gave me notice - find a new job or find a new wife. I like my wife a whole lot better than I like this job.

 

Swift already has one of the worst (if not the worst) driver turnover rates in the industry. Sounds like they want to make it even worse!

I've noticed that refused preplans are not getting removed as quickly as they should. I DID NOT realize that this was keeping me from getting another offering. If Swift allows this CRAP to continue they will start losing productive O/Os. I will not hesitate to park my truck and turn in the keys.

 

Already filling out apps. Just can not make a jump until the loan is paid off and the wife leaves for China for a extended stay. I would also like to go, but with the miles and the planners crap, doubt it. You would think that after they send a l/o 3 pplans with 300 mt miles and no follow up, just instructions that we will send you another load later when you get here, that we would just jump on it, and we refuse, that they would get the message. Swift needs to do like alot of other companies do with their L/O, if can not get you a load within 24 hours, then free to call a broker and get one. I know that they are testing a new pilot program, but it is taking a long time.

 

Ya sounds bad out there I am only a year and a half in but I decided to never lease a truck always seemed like a scam lease a truck then turn it in or turn it in at end of lease makes no sence hell even if u do pay it off it will be near a million miles these new trucks or not like the old school trucks and are not going to last as long from what I hear I make more than these o/p ill just leave swift with the bills and at 2 yrs I'm gone, local no more OTR

im putting in my time to get home with my wife and kids I'm just hiding out in a Walmart DC until I'm gone they have had me 6months and I make good money and keep me running.

good luck to guys it sounds bad out there hope it picks up for u all real soon I hate hearing drivers can't make no money just makes no sense we sacerfice our lives away from our loved ones and these company's can't even pay descent I think the company's should have to pay $200 a day everyday we are out that's there problem if u don't run

any drivers with any exp get on with Walmart I here they pay u to sleep but hear its hard getting on with them but u get home every week

 

Sorry to inform you guys, but the other company is just a different color truck. Same bs, it will be great when you start but then as the excitement of that new color wears off you notice it. The main thing you will notice is you will be sitting and loading/unloading more, one thing Swift has more than most is drop and hook. I can def agree with most things like the bs rules, I don't follow most of the rules except idle cause really you don't need to idle that much and thats every companies rule. The time off thing is a time when you take over the situation (you can), you have problems getting home then you are leaving it in their hands and they like to make money. I get home usually 1-3 days from my date, if I really need that day off everything not in the direction is refused, backup my plans if you want me to go another direction. The problem with that is sometimes you may get some crap runs that you have to wait on to get going home effecting your paycheck next week, but you want to go home right?

Trucking is trucking no matter where you go.

 

That's the big thing for me too. Been with Swift and only Swift 3 years next month. Little bit leery to go to another company. My biggest gripe with Swift is this program where they just about require me to drive max speed to make their loads on time and will not share important critical information (ie pick up and delivery windows if there are any,) with me their business partner. It is costing both me and them loads and miles because I adjust the times on macro 9 who knows if I missed the window by an hour or so, the computer just pulls the load and says that it doesn't meet the customer's requirements. When I send a message asking what the window is, they turn around and ask what time I think I can get there-- I could do that on macro 9 hello. I don't dare just take the load and figure to macro 22 to it later to fit my schedule, (you know, pull an 'end around' on them) because they pass out service failures like candy.