My experience with Swift.

what2do · Jul 28, 2018

RaiderWolf92 said: ↑

Brand new to the forum, been a while since I've posted in any forum at all. But I'm bored waiting to start my new job with CFI, so I figure why not share my own experiences with Swift.

I got my CDL through them in December of 2017, and started on January 8th, 2018 with a trainer for 30 days. His name was Dan, and he was a pretty laid back guy. Too laid back at times. He hardly ever taught me anything, I seriously learned more from complete strangers on chat rooms online. I don't know if this is because he felt I was doing well enough on my own, or if he was just in it to get that extra pay. By week three, when he started letting
Click to expand...

I was trying to respond to just one part. If your trainer was an owner op most likely he just wanted the extra dough.

Rufus60 · Dec 18, 2018

RaiderWolf92 said: ↑

Part 2 , the actual nail in the foot that made me say "#### this, I'm done."

They have a mega raging ##### for "Safety". I think they noticed they have somewhat of a #### reputation. But what that means for us drivers is, we get nagged about stupid #### constantly. Videos that we're required to watch for training every month, that just repeat the same tedious #### that the previous videos said. And those ####ing DriveCams.... Oh. My. God. I was about to hit mine with a hammer. Hit the slightest bump, and it goes off. Then to get a call the next day from some desk jockey complaining that you need to be more careful. They slam you with points on your CSA for the dumbest of #### without even asking you what happened first, and any attempts to appeal these events are met with blank stares. Not to mention, EVERY God #### event I set off in my truck, they made me goto a #### terminal for a "Face to Face coaching session." Wasting yet more of my time, just so some pin head can tell me I need to drive more "Safely." Now this would all be fine if I had a crap safety record. But I don't. I have Zero accidents. Zero damage claims. Zero service failures. I have two non-violation inspections on my record, which must have been some sort of record for them because I was congratulated on such. And my CSA score or W/E they referenced when I was doing my exit interview was at negative 8, and that was after losing 6 points to the stupid ### incident that made me quit. So the way I saw it was, why am I being harassed this much when I have a perfect safety record, while there's idiots in the lot at that very moment backing into things. I'm clearly not a part of the problem, so feck off and leave me alone for once.

And now, the final incident.

I was driving through Idaho Springs, ID down E street, and was going to turn right onto Yellowstone. Both of my Truck GPS's told me it was a good route to take, and my Atlas even had E street marked in it. So, I figured okay, it's good! I end up having to drive over a center median curb to clear the traffic light post on the corner. Didn't hit anything, didn't hold traffic up for any more than 2-3 minutes as I waited for cars in my way to clear out so I could go wide. Jump the curb, a little harder than I should of I'll admit (I was empty, so wasn't really caring), got clear, and took off. Set the camera off twice, but didn't think anything of it. Well, I get a call from a Safety "Manager" the next day, asking why I didn't report the accident. I gave her the phone equivalent of a blank stare, and just said "What accident?" Well, they assumed they when I first bumped the curb, that I hit the car in front of me. No idea why they thought that. I cleared it up, and that was that. But then it occured to me, they hit me with points for that. So I get online, and surrreeee ####, they did. 6 points. SIX. The one time I ####ed up and ran a stop sign in the middle of the night, I got 5 points. I jump a god #### curb to make a turn and I get SIX ####ING POINTS. I nearly threw my laptop through the wall of the sleeper. And, I also immediately called my dispatcher and said I need to get routed home.

In the end, they tried so hard to get me to say. But I told them the only way they'll get me to stay is to wipe that incident from my record entirely (They refused), and to take the ####### camera out of my truck. Again, they refused like I knew they would. So I shrugged and said, "Well, if you can't meet my requests, I guess I'll be going elsewhere." And I did. Accepted a job offer with CFI, and here I am now, bored at home waiting to start. I left Swift on Very good terms, and I've had a few people tell me that I'm welcome to come right back if CFI doesn't work out. Now while I don't plan on taking them up on that offer at all, I'm gonna leave that bridge intact for now. Anyways, that's the story of my short time spent with Swift.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I trained with Swift and retired from CFI (Con-way - Joplin MO). I can relate.

line · Dec 21, 2018

I wax cursing in my head as I read his post

Robert Eroica Dupea · Dec 22, 2018

RaiderWolf92 said: ↑

Part 2 , the actual nail in the foot that made me say "#### this, I'm done."

They have a mega raging ##### for "Safety". I think they noticed they have somewhat of a #### reputation. But what that means for us drivers is, we get nagged about stupid #### constantly. Videos that we're required to watch for training every month, that just repeat the same tedious #### that the previous videos said. And those ####ing DriveCams.... Oh. My. God. I was about to hit mine with a hammer. Hit the slightest bump, and it goes off. Then to get a call the next day from some desk jockey complaining that you need to be more careful. They slam you with points on your CSA for the dumbest of #### without even asking you what happened first, and any attempts to appeal these events are met with blank stares. Not to mention, EVERY God #### event I set off in my truck, they made me goto a #### terminal for a "Face to Face coaching session." Wasting yet more of my time, just so some pin head can tell me I need to drive more "Safely." Now this would all be fine if I had a crap safety record. But I don't. I have Zero accidents. Zero damage claims. Zero service failures. I have two non-violation inspections on my record, which must have been some sort of record for them because I was congratulated on such. And my CSA score or W/E they referenced when I was doing my exit interview was at negative 8, and that was after losing 6 points to the stupid ### incident that made me quit. So the way I saw it was, why am I being harassed this much when I have a perfect safety record, while there's idiots in the lot at that very moment backing into things. I'm clearly not a part of the problem, so feck off and leave me alone for once.

And now, the final incident.

I was driving through Idaho Springs, ID down E street, and was going to turn right onto Yellowstone. Both of my Truck GPS's told me it was a good route to take, and my Atlas even had E street marked in it. So, I figured okay, it's good! I end up having to drive over a center median curb to clear the traffic light post on the corner. Didn't hit anything, didn't hold traffic up for any more than 2-3 minutes as I waited for cars in my way to clear out so I could go wide. Jump the curb, a little harder than I should of I'll admit (I was empty, so wasn't really caring), got clear, and took off. Set the camera off twice, but didn't think anything of it. Well, I get a call from a Safety "Manager" the next day, asking why I didn't report the accident. I gave her the phone equivalent of a blank stare, and just said "What accident?" Well, they assumed they when I first bumped the curb, that I hit the car in front of me. No idea why they thought that. I cleared it up, and that was that. But then it occured to me, they hit me with points for that. So I get online, and surrreeee ####, they did. 6 points. SIX. The one time I ####ed up and ran a stop sign in the middle of the night, I got 5 points. I jump a god #### curb to make a turn and I get SIX ####ING POINTS. I nearly threw my laptop through the wall of the sleeper. And, I also immediately called my dispatcher and said I need to get routed home.

In the end, they tried so hard to get me to say. But I told them the only way they'll get me to stay is to wipe that incident from my record entirely (They refused), and to take the ####### camera out of my truck. Again, they refused like I knew they would. So I shrugged and said, "Well, if you can't meet my requests, I guess I'll be going elsewhere." And I did. Accepted a job offer with CFI, and here I am now, bored at home waiting to start. I left Swift on Very good terms, and I've had a few people tell me that I'm welcome to come right back if CFI doesn't work out. Now while I don't plan on taking them up on that offer at all, I'm gonna leave that bridge intact for now. Anyways, that's the story of my short time spent with Swift.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, Driver. I feel your pain.

Anonymousproxy · Dec 27, 2018

ACO476 said: ↑

I never hit anything, never jumped a curb, never slammed into a dock, had 100% on-time, no service failures, and on and on. But the miles are what killed me with Swift. I had the same issues. No miles, 1,100 mile weeks was the norm. Always told "there's no freight." Never had calls returned or QC messages answered. I stayed for 6 months and bailed. Swift is just a trash company. It works for some, but not for most.

Good luck at CFI. They seem like a decent outfit.
Click to expand...

If they were giving me 1100 mile weeks and giving me that excuse I would’ve went off on those pencil pushing idiots... the biggest flipping company on the planet and the have no freight? That’s one reason after my abbreviated stint at Prime a few years back and the mess of lies that the buyout of my last company by some crummy Wisconsin training outfit I’ll never work for a mega company again, or any that do training, no matter which size. Trainees are nothing but easily exploited cheap “meat in the seat” labor to those scumbag companies, especially the ones who con or coerc training graduates into their ##### fleece purchase programs. It’s those companies who, through their scumbag practices, have virtually ruined this industry and flooded it with people I wouldn’t trust with a bicycle.

RDBG · Dec 28, 2018

Anonymousproxy said: ↑

If they were giving me 1100 mile weeks and giving me that excuse I would’ve went off on those pencil pushing idiots... the biggest flipping company on the planet and the have no freight? That’s one reason after my abbreviated stint at Prime a few years back and the mess of lies that the buyout of my last company by some crummy Wisconsin training outfit I’ll never work for a mega company again, or any that do training, no matter which size. Trainees are nothing but easily exploited cheap “meat in the seat” labor to those scumbag companies, especially the ones who con or coerc training graduates into their ##### fleece purchase programs. It’s those companies who, through their scumbag practices, have virtually ruined this industry and flooded it with people I wouldn’t trust with a bicycle.
Click to expand...

Testify.

Frank Speak · Dec 28, 2018

I, Frank “The Undead” Speak, hereby testify that there’d be some neck biting if I were hearing their lame excuses!

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Find Trucking Jobs

My experience with Swift.

what2do Bobtail Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Rufus60 Bobtail Member

line Medium Load Member

Robert Eroica Dupea Light Load Member

Anonymousproxy Road Train Member

RDBG Medium Load Member

Frank Speak Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Find Trucking Jobs

My experience with Swift.

what2do Bobtail Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Rufus60 Bobtail Member

line Medium Load Member

Robert Eroica Dupea Light Load Member

Anonymousproxy Road Train Member

RDBG Medium Load Member

Frank Speak Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!